AI in HR: Are We at Risk of Losing the Human Touch?
Aug 7
4 min read
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At 2:04 AM, a job seeker’s phone buzzes.
They see the subject line before they even swipe: “Your application status has been updated.” How can there be an update so fast? They applied for the role only eight hours ago, and they already know what’s coming.
A single click confirms it: “Thank you for your interest, but we will not be moving forward.”
No feedback. No human contact. Just an instant rejection in the middle of the night.
What human would do that?
Frustrated, they blame the AI, and who can blame them? The email likely was triggered by an automated filter. But the truth is, AI did not decide their fate in isolation. A human set the rules before the role went live. Or at least, a human decided how the AI should decide.
With hundreds of applications to a single role posted on LinkedIn in under a day, which often happens, who can blame HR for using AI to filter unqualified candidates out?
AI adoption in HR is already widespread and growing.
More than 80% of HR professionals report using AI at work, yet only 30% have received role-specific training on how to use it effectively. This single chart captures the core challenge facing HR teams today: a significant skills gap between AI adoption and AI readiness.
HR professionals are embracing the tools before we fully understand how to configure, monitor, and apply them in ways that strengthen, not weaken, our connection to the people we serve.
So, the real risk is not that AI will take the “human” out of Human Resources. The risk is that we, as HR professionals, will allow it to happen.
We will do that by failing to design, configure, and oversee these tools with the same care we bring to any other high-stakes people decisions, whether they relate to compensation, performance management, onboarding, engagement, etc. We are making the strategic decision to employ AI use to make us more efficient, but is there enough knowledge of the impact of AI on HR workstreams to ensure we are deploying AI appropriately?
When implemented thoughtfully, AI in HR does not replace humanity. It can free us to deliver more of it. But only if we are intentional.
1. Talent Acquisition: Filters, Not Walls
AI is now embedded in almost every step of recruiting, from resume screening to interview scheduling. Done right, this means recruiters can spend more time building relationships with top candidates instead of drowning in administrative tasks.
AI is widespread: As of 2025, 96% of U.S. hiring professionals use AI for screening and resume review, with 94% saying it effectively identifies strong candidates (Time).
Poorly tuned filters, however, can quietly eliminate high-potential candidates who do not match the exact keywords or formatting the AI expects. If the system runs unchecked, we risk turning a wide, diverse talent pool into a narrow, homogeneous shortlist.
Here are some safeguards: Always keep a human in the loop. Periodically review rejected applications for patterns. Test your filters on résumés from your best current employees. Use scoring to identify low-fit résumés but leave room for mid- and high-range résumés to be reviewed by a human.
2. Onboarding: Automation with a Warm Welcome
AI can really make onboarding smoother than ever, guiding new hires through forms, training modules, and checklists with precision and speed. It is efficient, but efficiency alone does not create belonging.
Positive impact when done right: Experience-driven, automated onboarding can increase new-hire retention by 82% and productivity by 70% (FlowForma).
If the entire experience is automated, new hires might complete every task on time yet still feel like strangers in their new workplace. The first 90 days are not just about compliance. They are about human connection to the work, to the workplace, and to the purpose that brought that human here.
The safeguard: Pair AI-driven onboarding with deliberate human touchpoints such as welcome calls, mentor introductions, and live Q&A sessions. Let AI handle the paperwork. Let people handle the welcome.
3. Engagement: Insights That Need Interpretation
AI-powered analytics can now scan surveys, emails, and collaboration tools to detect dips in morale or engagement. This is incredibly valuable because HR teams can spot trends early and act before issues escalate. Data-driven decisions around progressing culture ensures that the human beings in the organization progress with it. But, data alone doesn’t get you there.
AI and engagement: 52% of organizations use AI for employee engagement and satisfaction tracking, and 65% of employees feel more engaged when AI is part of HR processes (Hirebee).
AI shows us what is happening, not why. An algorithm might flag a team’s low engagement score, but it takes human conversations to uncover that the real issue is workload imbalance, unclear goals, or leadership changes.
Additionally, our experience as HR professionals and our unique understanding of how roles, functions, and responsibilities work together inform how the data translates into real human behaviors. AI can track the trends, but it takes the expertise of HR professionals to translate those patterns into meaningful cultural action.
The safeguard: Treat AI insights as conversation starters, not conclusions. Use the data to ask better questions, not to make assumptions about people’s motives or feelings. Rely on your experience to interpret the data that informs you about your next moves on culture.
Keeping Humanity at the Center
AI is here to stay in HR, and that is a good thing.
Used wisely, it removes friction, surfaces insights, and gives us back time for the human moments that truly matter. But tools are only as good as the hands that guide them.
Our responsibility is clear:
Configure AI to create work pathways that reduce administrative burden while keeping a human presence front and center.
Design processes where technology strengthens the human relationships that make work creative, innovative, and fulfilling.
Keep the ‘human’ in Human Resources by embedding empathy, fairness, and connection into every stage of the employee journey.
The future of HR is not AI versus Humanity.
It is AI for Humanity.
Illustrations provided by ChatGPT.
Posted: 07 August 2025
Christopher A. Hudson, SHRM-SCP, Associate CIPD