AI Hype Driving Risky Business Decisions
Businesses are increasingly diving into artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives out of fear of missing out (FOMO), rather than careful strategic planning. This rush is prompting concerns among experts about the long-term consequences for workforce capabilities and operational reliability. Jonathan Tabah, a senior leader at Gartner, emphasizes the urgent need for human resources (HR) to co-own AI strategy, governance, and skill development from the start.
“There’s a growing impulse among executives to act quickly on AI to stay competitive,” Tabah explained in a recent interview. “But without HR’s early involvement, these decisions can lead to unintended consequences for employee capabilities and organizational effectiveness.”
Overreliance on AI Can Weaken Human Skills
While much of the public discourse around AI centers on job displacement, Tabah warns of a more subtle but equally troubling issue: skill atrophy. As employees increasingly depend on AI tools to perform their tasks, their own proficiency in those tasks can diminish.
Gartner projects that by 2030, 30% of organizations may suffer from deteriorating decision-making due to overdependence on AI. Workers who lose hands-on experience become less capable of critically evaluating AI-generated results, increasing the risk of errors and poor decisions that could have legal or reputational consequences. Recent cases of flawed AI-generated legal documents highlight this danger.
Why Individual AI Use Isn’t Enough
Although some HR departments advocate for individual experimentation with AI, Tabah cautions against this as a standalone strategy. “Every team member has different judgment and risk tolerance,” he said. “Leaving AI adoption to individual discretion leads to inconsistent and unreliable outcomes.”
Instead, organizations must adopt a structured, top-down approach to AI use. This includes defining where AI should be implemented, setting restrictions, and establishing review processes. Clear governance and guardrails are essential to managing risks and ensuring consistent results across departments.
HR’s Pivotal Role in AI Integration
AI is no longer just a technological initiative—it’s a fundamental workforce transformation. This shift places HR at the heart of AI planning and execution. Tabah insists that Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) need to guide AI strategy in collaboration with IT, finance, and operations.
“Tech leaders are often focused on systems,” he noted. “But HR leaders understand how AI will reshape roles, performance expectations, and employee development across the entire organization.”
Start with Simple, Repeatable Tasks
For organizations beginning their AI journey, Tabah recommends targeting low-complexity, automatable tasks—particularly those at junior levels. These provide the best opportunities for early wins while minimizing disruption.
However, HR leaders should be prepared for initial dips in productivity. “Innovation is inherently inefficient at first,” Tabah said. “Employees need time to experiment and learn. Those early phases often show a decrease in efficiency before improvements emerge.”
He also advises caution when it comes to workforce reductions based on projected AI efficiencies. “Don’t cut roles in anticipation,” he urged. “Implement AI, observe where real efficiencies arise, and then make evidence-based decisions.”
Best Practices: Guided Use and Knowledge Sharing
The most successful organizations are those that provide structured guidance on AI use cases. Tabah highlighted companies that identify specific roles and tasks ideal for AI and then offer clear instructions on how to use the tools effectively. This approach encourages staff to explore further applications and share successful experiences, enabling the business to scale innovations across teams.
Conversely, a bottom-up model—where employees are given tools without guidance—tends to produce erratic results. While it may yield occasional breakthroughs, it lacks the consistency and reliability needed for sustained productivity gains.
“The companies achieving rapid AI uptake and measurable productivity improvements,” Tabah said, “are those that define priorities by job family, encourage experimentation within set boundaries, and capture learnings for broader application.”
What HR Leaders Must Do in 2026 and Beyond
Looking ahead, HR leaders cannot afford to be passive. Tabah calls on them to work closely with talent management, learning and development, and workforce planning teams. The goal is to identify where AI may create skill gaps and where it can safely enhance human efforts.
Cross-functional collaboration is key. HR must join forces with IT, finance, and corporate strategy to develop a comprehensive, enterprise-wide AI roadmap. As AI becomes a permanent fixture in daily operations, HR’s role will evolve—becoming either more integrated with IT or more reliant on it. “It’s unlikely HR will expand as an isolated function in the AI era,” Tabah noted.
Ultimately, the biggest challenge isn’t technological—it’s cultural. HR leaders must resist the pressure to chase AI trends blindly. Instead, they should take ownership of the governance, oversight, and capability-building needed to ensure AI enhances, rather than undermines, their workforce.
This article is inspired by content from Original Source. It has been rephrased for originality. Images are credited to the original source.
