Economic turbulence doesn’t just force organizations to think about their capital — but also their workforce. AI is the new battleground for talent.
AI is quickly becoming a critical differentiator and an undeniable competitive edge for attracting and retaining top talent. G-P’s 2025 AI at Work Report found that 46% of executives were willing to switch jobs over AI availability or encouragement of AI usage. More than one-third (35%) of business leaders also say they would use AI tools, regardless of if they are authorized by their organization.
These results suggest that today’s talent wants the opportunity to show off their AI skills and expects organizations to provide both the technology and a culture of innovation to enable it. Emphasizing AI expertise in job postings signals that your organization embraces advanced tools and innovation, making it appealing to external candidates. The same clear commitment to AI can also impact retention by assuring current employees they’ll grow with a forward-thinking company.
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Here’s how organizations can take steps to proactively cultivate an environment where AI isn’t just present, it’s championed:
Build Trust Through AI Transparency
Studies are increasingly finding that a culture of shame is springing up around the use of AI. KPMG reported that 57% of office workers hide their use of AI at work, to the point where they take credit for AI-generated content. This may stem from fear of judgment or reprimand, fueled by unclear AI usage guidelines.
A well-defined AI policy can help set expectations from the top down. While G-P’s research found 92% of executives report their organization requires approval to implement a new AI product, ambiguities can persist regarding how these tools are being used. Without a clear company policy, employees might assume AI use is forbidden and resort to “shadow AI” — the use of tools without IT department awareness or oversight.
To ensure proper oversight and foster a culture where employees understand the potential risks of bypassing corporate AI governance, HR leaders should partner with peers across the organization to create an AI policy that clearly outlines the following areas:
- Permitted AI Usage: Define how and when AI solutions should be utilized.
- Approved Tools: Specify which AI solutions are permitted.
- New Tool Proposals: Establish a process for proposing and adopting new AI solutions.
- Sensitive Information Handling: Outline procedures for managing sensitive data when using AI.
- Disclosure and Attribution: Detail when and how AI usage needs to be disclosed or credited.
When the rules are consistent and clearly communicated across the organization, it fosters a culture of trust and transparency, reducing anxiety and enabling everyone to thrive. At the same time, forward-thinking employees will appreciate the opportunity to take the lead in working with IT and HR and partnering with other teams, to bring new tools to the organization and ensure seamless implementation, optimal functionality and alignment with tech strategy and employee development.
Bring “Shadow AI” Users into the Light
While a clear AI policy is crucial, it is equally important to understand why “shadow AI” emerges. It often stems from an employee’s desire for greater productivity or for advanced features absent in approved workplace tools.
One of the most effective ways to engage these users is to offer the advanced, personalized growth opportunities they’re actively seeking. As these users are already leaning into AI, meet them there with AI-powered learning experiences designed to accelerate their growth and career development. For example, AI can identify an employee’s skills gaps, recommend courses, predict career trajectories and help them navigate their growth within the company.
While these shadow users may be forging AI paths of their own, establishing a formal AI training program ensures all employees are equipped to grow with AI technology. Many organizations are already addressing this, G-P’s 2025 AI at Work Report indicates that 77% of organizations have formal AI training.
Given AI touches nearly every part of an organization, training cannot live in a silo but HR plays a critical role in shaping how it shows up for employees. This includes everything from partnering with IT to assess new AI tools for usability and risk, keeping training modules updated and relevant as tech evolves, embedding AI fluency into leadership development and designing programs that help drive employee engagement, not just compliance.
At G-P , we are focused on building AI fluency across the organization. An internal AI Council was created specifically to educate employees, ensure access to necessary tools and provide transparent visibility into our responsible AI usage across the business. Much like cybersecurity and phishing protocols, we emphasize critical thinking, helping employees identify potential misuse and understand that even seemingly minor actions, such as inputting sensitive data into public AI models, can have significant organizational consequences.
But this isn’t just about building skills, it’s about fostering a culture of innovation and shaping a workforce that is empowered and ready to lead the AI-driven world.
Drive Business Impact with AI in HR Strategy
As 91% of executives plan to scale up their AI initiatives this year, HR leaders are in a unique position to champion this transformation. AI unlocks HR leaders’ capacity to become more strategic business partners, helping foster innovation and shape organizations that are not only resilient and agile but also primed for sustained growth and long-term competitive advantage.
The emergence of specialized AI HR agents offers a powerful illustration of this potential. This technology offers immediate access to up-to-date, compliant information and guidance on complex global employment matters, such as navigating the intricate offboarding regulations in a specific country, as well as the ability to draft and edit documents, like a compliant international employment contract, eliminating the need for expensive legal reviews, template sifting and manual adjustments.
The value of AI extends far beyond talent strategies and time and resource savings, though those benefits are undeniably significant. This is about driving profound strategic business impact. AI is no longer optional for HR, it’s the force multiplier for scaling smarter, adapting faster and delivering lasting strategic impact.
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