The workplace is shifting faster than most leaders can keep up with. AI is not just changing how we search for information, it is redefining how people learn, make decisions, and connect at work. On The Future of Leadership podcast, we explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership and organizational life with Josh Bersin, one of the most influential voices in HR and learning.
Productivity Pressure Meets Human Performance
Across industries, executives are mandating productivity gains while reducing budgets and headcount. HR and L&D are feeling this pressure most acutely. Recruiting has been using Artificial Intelligence for years, but the next wave of disruption is touching every corner of the people function.
According to Bersin, “There is a pretty unanimous top-down emphasis in companies from the CEO and the CFO and the CIO to improve productivity, reduce head count, slow hiring, and use AI to reorganize the company.”
That mandate means leaders are being asked to do more with less while navigating unprecedented change. The question is not if AI will reshape leadership, but how quickly.
The Rise of AI-Native Learning
For years, online learning platforms grew steadily, then plateaued. Courses went unfinished. Engagement lagged. Enter AI tools like ChatGPT, which reached a billion users faster than any learning solution before it. Why? Because AI satisfies the human drive for curiosity. It provides information instantly, without the barriers of portals and long modules.
As Bersin explained, “People are going to learn 100 times to 1,000 times faster with AI than they ever have with traditional training.”
Instead of waiting for a course to be built, employees can ask a question and get immediate, relevant answers. Companies are beginning to build their own trusted knowledge systems, where information is curated, validated, and delivered through AI agents. The traditional learning portal may soon be a relic.
The Changing Face of HR
Recruiting has been on the AI journey for years—automated sourcing, screening, and even interviewing. Now, AI is starting to reshape HR operations, from call centers to employee service and manager self-service.
This wave of automation is forcing HR leaders to redefine their roles. The value of HR will not come from managing transactions, but from enabling strategy, culture, and leadership effectiveness.
What Leaders Cannot Outsource to AI
While AI accelerates access to knowledge, it cannot replace wisdom, judgment, and human connection. Leaders remain essential to provide context, coach through nuance, and create environments where people feel safe to learn and experiment.
We know from decades of leadership work that connection, clarity, and trust enable people to take risks, challenge ideas, and grow. Technology can provide the what and the how. Leaders must provide the why and the human experience.
The Human Connection Advantage
There is also a risk that organizations see Artificial Intelligence as a silver bullet. The real opportunity lies in combining AI with leadership that is deeply human. The leaders who thrive will be those who use AI to strip away complexity, then focus their energy on what people cannot get from a chatbot – wisdom, empathy, and real human connection.
Even in an AI-saturated workplace, employees are still going to want to talk to senior leadership about what’s likely to happen when they go down a certain path. Instant access to knowledge does not eliminate the need for mentorship, coaching, and lived experience.
The Leadership Imperative
As AI integrates into daily work, leaders face two responsibilities:
- Harness AI for productivity and learning. Use it to reduce complexity, free up time, and democratize access to knowledge.
- Double down on being deeply human. Build psychological safety, connection, and clarity so that people not only adapt to change but thrive in it.
The future of leadership will be defined by this balance. The leaders who succeed will be those who leverage AI while never losing sight of what makes us human.
Take the Next Step Toward a More Human Workplace
AI can accelerate hiring and learning, but only leaders can make workplaces deeply human. Learn how by reading a free chapter of The Deeply Human Workplace. Get your free chapter here.