Preparing for AI from a People Perspective
Last updated November 12, 2025
There’s no question that AI is already automating tasks and replacing people in the workplace. The big question is are employers and employees ready for this monumental shift?
The following are some questions that you need to start asking regarding your workforce and your culture:
- Do your role descriptions still match the work being done?
- Are your employees prepared for augmented roles (collaborating and co-working with AI) rather than being replaced?
- Do you have policies and governance around AI usage, data privacy and confidentiality?
- How will you maintain culture, trust and inclusion when technology shifts how work is done?
From a people and HR consulting standpoint, this isn’t about replacing humans with machines, it’s about rethinking how humans work with machines, and how your workforce strategy adapts.
A Practical HR Playbook for Employers
Here’s what you can do now to steer your business into the AI-transformed future:
- Audit Roles & Task Exposure
- Define Clear AI Usage Policies
- Invest in Upskilling & Role Redesign
- Communicate and Manage Change
- Pilot, Measure, Scale
New Roles Worth Watching
As some jobs shrink, others grow. Key areas to watch:
- AI/ML engineers, data scientists, automation architects
- Human-AI collaboration roles (prompt engineers, AI oversight managers)
- Ethics, governance and data privacy specialists
- Upskilling trainers, workforce redeployment strategists
- Roles combining human judgement, values and relational insight, for example, culture leads, inclusion officers, human-in-the-loop roles
AI will reshape how work gets done but it won’t mean the end of human talent. For employers, the question isn’t “Will AI replace people?” but rather “How will we adapt our roles, teams and strategy so people thrive alongside AI?”
At Vertical Bridge HR, we believe meaningful people-practices can’t be outsourced to algorithms. Our goal is to help companies build engaging workplaces where technology supports, while people lead. If you’re looking for guidance on integrating AI responsibly, redefining roles, or building future-ready teams, let’s talk.