The CHRO's Blind Spot In AI Transformation

They ask: “How do we prepare our people for AI?”

The sharper, harder question and the one CHROs must own is this:
“How do we shape a culture where humans and AI can actually thrive together?”

AI is not just a technology rollout, it’s a cultural disruptor.

It shifts how decisions are made, it alters how teams build trust and it forces leaders to rethink how risk and experimentation show up inside organisations.

If HR doesnt lead any AI change program and start with culture, the transformation will stall before it starts.

Rethinking the CHRO Role in an AI Era

The CHRO role has always been about talent, but in an AI driven economy, talent is inseparable from culture and it is culture where adoption either accelerates or kills a company.

So what does this look like in practice?

1. Safety nets over safety blankets

AI systems thrive on iteration and error, they learn by failing fast and improving faster.

Cultures must mirror this and CHROs should design psychological safety nets where employees can experiment with AI tools without fear of career ending consequences.

If AI can take 10,000 attempts to optimize a model, why do we expect employees to get it right on the first try?

2. Transparency over compliance

Policies may satisfy regulators and boards, but they don’t earn trust.

Employees want clarity on why AI is being used, how decisions are made, and who is accountable when things go wrong. Black-box systems breed suspicion and transparent systems build alignment.

Think less “policy binder,” more “open-source mindset.”

3. Collaboration over silos

AI doesn’t respect org charts, it finds patterns across finance, supply chain, HR, legal, operations, marketing and all other functions.

If your culture still rewards siloed expertise, you’re hard coding resistance into your workforce and creating symobls that “AI is more important to the company in “sector X” or “business unit Y”

CHROs must cultivate cross-functional collaboration as the norm. The future belongs to cultures where all functions solve problems together, not separately.

4. Augmentation over erosion

The narrative of “AI taking jobs” is outdated and almost a flippant comment to be making. The reality is more nuanced AI reshapes jobs as there is no world where AI + Humans working in harmoney doesnt beat just AI or Humans acting on their own.

The real opportunity lies in role and org redesign, what does AI accelerate and what can only humans do?

AI can forecast trends, generate insights, and automate tasks but humans must interpret, inspire, and empathise. The CHRO’s role is to reframe jobs around augmentation, not erosion.

5. Grace over speed

AI accelerates processes but people don’t absorb change at algorithmic pace.

Transformation fatigue is real and leaders who push for speed without empathy will break trust.

CHROs must model patience, dignity, and grace ensuring adoption happens with people, not at the expense of them.

The Stakes for CHROs

If AI is the engine, culture is the tyres on the road.

Right now, too many leadership teams are upgrading the engine while leaving the tyres with any tread or grip on them. They’re pushing for adoption without preparing the human system that makes it possible, you wouldnt put a 600bhp engine in a car that is designed with 250bhp and not upgrade the brakes would you?

For CHROs, the mandate is clear: you are not just preparing your workforce for AI, you are preparing your culture for it.

And that means asking:

• Are we giving people safety nets to experiment?

• Are we being radically transparent about how AI is used?

• Are we breaking silos to unlock value?

• Are we redesigning roles to amplify human strengths?

• Are we leading with grace as we push for speed?

To Conclude

AI gives us horsepower but Humanity provides the steering.

The organisations that thrive won’t be the ones with the flashiest tools, they’ll be the ones with CHROs bold enough to reimagine culture for the AI era and stand up to boards and broader executive team members to fully understand this.

So the question isn’t if your people are ready for AI.

It’s whether your culture is.

Want to Learn More?

With over 30 years of Culture Transformation & Change Management experience, ZRG are well placed to advise on your AI transformation journey.

If you’re building the next generation AI aware leadership, let’s talk.

Reply here or reach out directly to James Absalom, Chief Commercial Officer - International & Managing Partner of Global Supply Chain Practice, at ZRG.