Earlier this week, the Memorandum of Understanding between the US and the UK was announced focusing on AI safety was announced.

Our very own Allie Nawrat has put together a fantastic primer on what you need to know about the news, featuring the insights of numerous HR leaders and experts.

Far be it from me to denigrate the wisdom of JP Morgan head honcho, Jamie Dimon, but I have vivid memories of his scathing comments on the value of blockchain technology and crypto currencies several years ago.

His words on AI are far more measured, most likely (and cynically) because he can clearly see how the technology will directly impact (read: benefit) the bank’s business model and profit margins.

And that’s where the hype around AI begins to differ from previous technology excitement bubbles; AI has been in use in many enterprises for a long time already, albeit without the levels of generative innovation that we are currently witnessing.

The other difference is that now HR, as we at UNLEASH often hear, have a golden opportunity to take ownership of how organizations develop their AI strategies going forward.

There is a marked difference between this ideal and the realities of corporate decision-making; I’m sure that none of the HR leaders and experts we speak to are ignorant of this, and that the optimism they exude on the topic is not unfounded.

But the issue remains that if HR doesn’t take the lead on AI, others will. The challenge for HR leaders right now is to figure out how AI will bring about their desired objectives; the end goal may be clear, but the path to it? Not so much.

Technology advancement insists on a revolutionary mindset

The cross-border MOU should be viewed as a positive move by the powers that be to establish coherence and safety on how AI is used.

The issue for the business world is that they can’t afford to wait around for slow-moving legislative guidance to inform how they will move forward.

As Khyati Sundaram, CEO of Applied, highlighted to UNLEASH, there is no guarantee that the MOU will ever move beyond the single joint test agreed upon or that it will have a direct impact on how the technology is used by HR.

However, it’s hard to argue with the US Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, who said that AI is “the defining technology of our generation”.

The question that should be asked is who gets to, or who will, define it? If HR leaders aren’t able or willing to do so, the opportunity to cement their seat at the leaders table may go to someone who is.

From a certain angle HR is absolutely becoming more technology-oriented, particularly as the volume and granularity of available data continues to proliferate.

I do wonder how much HR leaders without knowledge or experience of technology will struggle with AI acceleration going forward.

I would imagine there are even a good number of HR practitioners who are secretly hoping that other departmental leaders or their vendor partners will take on that responsibility.

The reality is that HR and IT leaders will need to be collaborative and empathetic to the needs and goals of each other for AI strategies to be successful.

It’s time to walk the walk and deliver for employees

Taking ownership of AI is only one part of the wider challenge for HR. The real acid test will be delivering on the technology’s promise, particularly when it comes to how advancements will directly impact on skills and job roles.

It is extremely difficult to get a clear view on how workers view the advent of AI in the workplace. While most of us have, at the very least, played around with ChatGPT, the thought of how generative AI will be embedded in the workplace in the next two to three years is a different prospect.

One the one hand, HR is upbeat and positive about the opportunity to address the skills gap and upskill the future generations of their staff.

The truth is that most workers aren’t that long-sighted, they are more focused on immediate need than what their day-to-day work will look like in the years to come.

The omnipresent specter of AI changing their job has loomed in the background for so long that it is almost old news and the fact that this reality is getting ever closer no longer seems like such a big deal to many.

Indeed, when speaking to UNELASH as part of a wider interview recently, Global Leader of Insights at Mercer, Kate Bravery, detailed that some employee populations are “nonchalant about the impact on their jobs or their future employability – a lot of them highly trust that if their job is impacted by AI, they will be upskilling and they will be redeployed.”

The onus will be on HR leaders to ensure this trust among workers isn’t trampled on – after all, ownership of AI directly translates into responsibility for its impact.

Want the real story on how AI is impacting the world of HR right now? UNLEASH America has you covered, with a huge selection of sessions and speakers covering every aspect of the AI debate!

Make sure you’re not out of the loop when it comes to AI and register your place at the International Festival of HR, taking place in Las Vegas 7-9 May.