AI, humanity and HR’s ‘extinction’ threat: 10 stories from SHRM26

Orlando, Florida’s theme parks and vacation resorts project calm and whimsy, but inside the halls of the Orange County Convention Center, SHRM26 speakers painted a dire picture for the HR world.

That mood was perhaps best captured in SHRM President and CEO Johnny Taylor Jr.’s keynote address, in which Taylor warned the assembled crowd of some 20,000 practitioners that HR faces “extinction” in the age of artificial intelligence. And while he ended with a call to reshape the profession and take back ownership of HR, Taylor’s words were bolstered by a series of sessions describing AI’s effects on the industry.

Calls for adaptation were also met with moments of optimism, however. Author Simon Sinek talked about the need for humanity in an increasingly automated business world. Several CHRO speakers discussed how they were using AI in their own organizations and why HR should take the lead in embracing the technology.

Aside from AI, HR departments received guidance on navigating other workplace challenges, from creating cultures of inclusion to managing rising employee benefits costs to developing policies for addressing workplace violence.

For these and other stories, read on below for our full coverage of the conference.