What’s next for AI in HR?

The end of a year and beginning of a new one is a time for reflection, anticipation, and planning. Reflecting on 2025 reveals major changes to the HR function, especially when it comes to the technology upending how work gets done (that’s AI, for anyone who has been living in a remote jungle for the last few years).

AI brought us the “superworker” and “digital twins.” It’s replacing boolean search and reinventing recruiting, and AI agents are changing how we think about “workers” and work.

But the technology has also brought about more questions still in need of noodling in the new year. Companies are figuring out deployment, understanding ROI, and managing an evolving compliance landscape along the way.

So then, what’s ahead when it comes to AI? HR Brew tapped four executives for their predictions about how the technology will impact the HR function in the coming year, as it continues to remake the business world. Here’s what they said.

“HR leaders will increasingly be brought into AI deployment decisions as AI agents become deeply integrated into workflows and org charts. Team structures and individual responsibilities will evolve rapidly; employees at all levels will become managers of their AI agent coworkers, and success will require IT and people functions to co-lead AI deployment. HR expertise will be critical for strategic enablement of AI agents at scale, from structuring permissions and access levels to determining how agents can reflect company culture and be held accountable, just like human employees, all while driving meaningful adoption and improving work.”—Derek Dahlin, head of people and legal, ClickUp

“HR will increasingly own workplace efficiency and productivity as AI tools yield more impact on employee output in the new year. We’ve already seen bleeding-edge organizations adopt this pattern with workplace productivity groups that operate similarly to HR. This will accelerate as AI tools take on coordination tasks like protecting focus time and preventing burnout. HR is the natural owner for these employee well-being issues.”—Matt Martin, CEO and co-founder, Clockwise

“In 2026, traditional training programs that eat up hours of manager time will be obsolete. AI role-play tools will democratize access to quality practice, letting anyone run through high-stakes scenarios in five minutes before a real conversation. Early-career professionals will come to offer negotiations and complex benefits discussions with the confidence of seasoned veterans because they’ve already practiced it three times that morning.”—Tony Castellanos, head of talent and compensation, Nextdoor

“In 2026, the AI measurement crisis will hit HR: Companies are burning billions on AI while tracking success with opinion surveys instead of actual productivity data. The winners will be HR leaders who implement ‘time intelligence’ systems that reveal where AI actually delivers and determine workforce models accordingly. The losers will be stuck with expensive digital fidget spinners and adoption dashboards that mask the reality: They have no idea if their AI investments are working.”—Ryan Alshak, CEO, Laurel