Digital HR: How AI and technology are changing work

Photo by Aidin Keranrekab, Unsplash, 2025.

 How will AI and digitalisation change HR work?

HR isn't "going digital" – it is digital. From recruitment funnels to learning to workforce planning, data now forms the trails of employee experience. Add on artificial intelligence, and suddenly, everyday HR choices can be faster, more personalised and fairer.

Where AI and digital tools change the work?

• Recruitment. Digital platforms already automate job distribution and scheduling; AI adds pattern-spotting that can surface adjacent skills. The OECD's multi-country surveys find employers and workers broadly positive about AI's effects on performance and working conditions, while still cautious about job loss, so transparency and design choices matter.
• Learning & careers. Digital learning makes development on demand. AI can recommend content and internal gigs as skills evolve, provided human oversight and clear opt-outs happen. OECD Policy brief work shows skill demand is shifting, which is exactly why personalisation helps.
• Workforce planning. Scenario modelling and skills inventories are going mainstream in planning cycles. The win is speed and alignment across HR, Finance and Operations.
• Employee services. Self-service portals and chat interfaces raise responsiveness and consistency for employees and managers.

AI has rules

If you operate in or hire from the EU, the EU AI Act is now a planning reality. It has come into force with prohibitions and AI-literacy duties applying from 2 February 2025, with some transitions. HR-relevant use cases in recruitment, work allocation, monitoring and evaluation are flagged as high risk, demanding documentation, oversight and human controls.

For a digestible employer lens (and timelines in one place), these legal and specialist summaries by Clifford Chance and Hunton are handy complements to the official texts.

Digitalisation and AI transformation at work need to happen responsibly, transparently, and with the courage to set boundaries when speed collides with fairness. The organisations that master this balance will win talent and performance today as well as define what "good work" looks like in the future. How ready is your HR team to take on the use of artificial intelligence?

References:

European Commission. (2025). AI Act: Regulatory framework for AI (application timeline). https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/regulatory-framework-ai

Clifford Chance. (2024, August 1). What does the EU AI Act mean for employers? https://www.cliffordchance.com/content/dam/cliffordchance/briefings/2024/08/what-does-the-eu-ai-act-mean-for-employers.pdf

Hunton Andrews Kurth. (2024, November 26). The impact of the EU AI Act on human resources activities. https://www.hunton.com/insights/legal/the-impact-of-the-eu-ai-act-on-human-resources-activities

Artificialintelligenceact.eu. (2025). Implementation timeline for the EU AI Act. https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/implementation-timeline/

OECD. (2025). Using AI in the workplace (Report). https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2024/03/using-ai-in-the-workplace_02d6890a/73d417f9-en.pdf

OECDa. (2024). The impact of AI on the workplace: Main findings from the OECD AI surveys of employers and workers. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/the-impact-of-ai-on-the-workplace-main-findings-from-the-oecd-ai-surveys-of-employers-and-workers_ea0a0fe1-en.html

OECDb. (2024, November). How is AI changing the way workers perform their jobs and the skills they require?https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2024/11/how-is-ai-changing-the-way-workers-perform-their-jobs-and-the-skills-they-require_842aa075/8dc62c72-en.pdf

CIPD. (n.d.). HR technology. PM Insight. https://pminsight.cipd.co.uk/hr-technology