Pope Leo XIV weighed into the debate about AI in the workplace in his first encyclical released last week. The Chicago-born Bishop of Rome had some stern warnings about the rapid expansion of AI in the world of work and the risks it poses to humanity.

“Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed,” the pope said in his address. “The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences, and indicating paths forward for humanity. Artificial intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion, and death.”

The concerns raised by the Vicar of Christ mirror many of the moral and ethical debates already happening in workplaces all across the US, as employers and their HR teams navigate how employees experience and produce work with AI.

The roughly 40,0000-word encyclical, one legal expert told us, could introduce a new and potentially complicated dimension for HR leaders to navigate: religious and moral objections to workplace AI use.

For more on how the pope’s stance on AI may affect HR professionals, keep reading here.—AD

Flight attendants kindly remind travelers ahead of each commercial flight to “put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others.” A similar logic is behind a new executive leadership program for HR leaders.

The UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business is partnering with the California-based HR technology and consulting firm Konnect on a new certification program, billed “The Future of HR: AI Strategy & Leadership.” The program aims to equip senior HR pros and C-suite people leaders with the needed foundational AI knowledge and strategic frameworks to embark on a human-focused AI transformation.

The program launches in July and is aimed at HR executives, CHROs, and other senior people leaders as HR teams increasingly take on the intersection of workforce transformation and AI adoption.

AI is appearing in new ways across the workforce, and conversation has largely centered around tools and productivity gains. But the new program positions HR executives as the strategic designers of a broader enterprise AI strategy and workplace transformation.

For more on how the program aims to help HR leaders steer AI transformation, keep reading here.—AD

In 2024, Colorado made history by becoming the first US state to pass legislation regulating AI use in the workplace, among other settings.

But history didn’t pan out as planned. The 2024 law was ultimately axed following pushback from members of the business community and governments, including the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s xAI.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a new bill on May 14 that repeals and replaces the 2024 legislation. Here’s what employers should know about that law, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

For more on what the new legislation will require of employers, keep reading here.—CV

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