'AI is not just a tech challenge — it’s a human opportunity,' says HR leader

Industry expert shares advice on how to keep workplace curiosity, creativity alive in age of AI

'AI is not just a tech challenge — it’s a human opportunity,' says HR leader

Predictive scheduling sets shifts in seconds, chatbots interview applicants through the night, and algorithms flag likely resignations months ahead.

These kinds of tools promise sharper productivity, but raise a basic question: How do employers keep curiosity and creativity alive while code absorbs routine work?

The World Economic Forum (WEF) reports that 60 per cent of workers will need new skills before 2027, including those driven by AI adoption, yet fewer than half of companies have budgeted for that training.

HR leader Deepali Jain shares insights on how organisations can move beyond AI ambition to build cultures that people champion—not fear.

“People want to be seen, heard, and valued, and that doesn’t change and has no boundaries whatsoever,” says Jain, advisory council member at the Harvard Business Review, who worked previously at Accenture, Deloitte, and PwC.

The expression of that need varies by context, she said, citing international experience. “In Japan, silence is a sign of deep respect, whereas in the U.S., there’s a lot of candor and feedback, and you know that is respected and valued.”

Both styles spring from “the core of the human need of belonging and growth and learning," Jain says.

Building curiosity culture in HR 

Curiosity flourishes when it is rewarded. “We can’t just say that we value curiosity and then we go ahead and penalize failure by virtue of our systems or KPIs,” she says.

Instead, leaders must model their intent: “It’s very powerful in a meeting to say, 'I don’t have the answer. And what do you think is possible here?'” 

Jain emphasises the importance of modeling vulnerability: “Make your team feel like they’re in charge, and let them see that it’s okay not to know, because even I, as a leader, don’t have the answers and I’m constantly learning.”

She adds that employers must normalize safe-to‑fail experiments, especially with new technology. 

“Share stories when people actually fail at trying something new, but something good comes out of it… That tells the whole organisation that it’s safe to be curious.”

That admission flips passive listeners into active co-designers. Celebration must follow. “You have to showcase behaviours that you want reinforced,” she explains. "If you want curiosity, you must nurture it.”

AI adoption strategies for diverse organisations 

Not all organisations start from the same place, says Jain: “At the end of the day, it’s all about meeting people where they are."

For example, digital native companies may need to slow down and ensure their rapid changes still consider employee feelings, while long-established manufacturers may need to explain new technology in simple language, so staff don’t feel intimidated.

Diagnosis comes first, she says: “Knowing where a culture and an organization stand and what would work the best in terms of executing that curiosity or that mindset for that culture” frames the rollout plan.

Jain shares that readiness surveys, leader focus groups, and pilot workshops expose unspoken fears and spotlight local champions. 

Authenticity is critical. “In my experience, sometimes the leadership circles are themselves resistant; they might say but don’t believe in it,” she warns. “Leader or not, you have to believe in the fact that, yes, AI is here to stay.”

HR's role in ethical AI governance 

“It’s not just about implementing AI tools. HR is the steward of employee experience,” Jain says, asking questions such as "Does the software augment human capability or replace it?” and “How transparent are we with our employees?” 

Answering requires a cross-functional task force: “HR can truly partner with legal, with tech, with operations… chart out all the ethics, the inclusivity, the impact that can get created,” she says.

After mapping bias risk, privacy rules, and downstream job design, leaders can “reframe that AI narrative," Jain says. "It’s not about making people redundant, it’s about making people remarkable.” 

Openness cements trust. Advance briefings, opt‑in pilots, and searchable FAQs let staff test features safely and raise concerns early. When employees see their input shape the rollout, skepticism evolves into support, she says.

Reskilling strategies for future-ready workforces 

In any new tech introduction, project blueprints often show which roles may vanish months before launch, yet “there isn’t enough thought given in terms of how this change will come about,” Jain warns.

Employers must “proactively reskill, upskill, and find ways for them to get into other opportunities,” she says, or risk hollow pledges that drain morale. 

Jain applauds Singapore’s proactive stance: “They give a lot of support, to encourage reskilling and upskilling.” 

She also highlights the policy gap elsewhere. 

“I don’t think any country in the world today has a legal framework around reskilling or upskilling. Perhaps we should also ask these questions then: Is there a need to bring in some legal, regulatory landscape?” Such mandates, she argues, could move this agenda from being optional to essential. 

Building a legacy for future leaders

Jain’s leadership philosophy distils into several questions: “Am I making a positive impact? Am I learning? Am I having fun?” and, most recently, “Am I creating space for others to lead? Because it’s about the legacy that I’m leaving behind.”

She says that same philosophy guides her approach to technology, framing AI as an amplifier rather than a rival. “It is not man OR machine. It is man AND machine… That partnership, I believe, is formidable."

HR’s task is to help employees feel safe to experiment, stumble, and grow inside that partnership, Jain says: “While AI might take over many tasks, the human skill of lifting others is what will truly differentiate us.”

AI is not just a tech challenge—it’s a human opportunity, she says.

“The question isn’t whether AI will change our workplace. It’s whether we will re-humanise it in the process.”