AI is starting to outrank managers as workers’ first stop for advice

A trust dividend, not a trust deficit

For Anne Tosky, global chief people officer at ELMO Software, the finding reflects a broader change in how people default to technology for advice.

“If I think about it – I’m going into the doctor, but I’m free ChatGPT-ing my symptoms first, which I’d be asking. It’s my kind of annual checkup,” she told HRD, describing a pattern she sees carrying over into the workplace. “Going to AI first is kind of your – okay, tell me what’s going on here, what should I do? And that extra sounding board.”

Tosky said the trust her own organisation has built with AI did not happen by accident. “With the right foundations in place, the trust is there and warranted,” she said, pointing to ELMO’s early investment in AI policy, guidance on when to use a human in the loop, and a “Change Champion network” of employees who help build AI capability at a grassroots level.

The company has also built an internal HR agent, named Poppy, that answers policy and payroll questions without straying into advice. “She runs across our HR policies and systems and gives you accurate advice … but doesn’t step into advice,” Tosky said. “Need to be thinking about that, because people are going to do that [use AI] on their ChatGPT anyway. So how to get the best advice in the right way to people.”

Employer expectations are outrunning employer guidance

Trust in AI is rising faster than organisations’ ability to manage it responsibly, according to ELMO Software President Joseph Lyons. “With adoption high, the question now is how organisations can systemise AI so it’s a trustworthy single source of truth,” Lyons said.