Imagine, then, that you start your workday. At 9:00 AM, you have a scheduled “interview” with a new candidate. But it’s not a typical recruitment interview—it’s a demo of a new AI agent that you need to evaluate before deploying it to your team. You look at it exactly as you would a human candidate—assessing its competencies, learning speed, and adaptability to the organizational culture. You know it’s not just a tool, but a new kind of employee whose effectiveness will directly impact the people in your team.
At 10:30 AM, you’re onboarding two employees. The first is an experienced analyst from Kraków, and the second is this very digital AI agent. Your team has been composed of both humans and digital employees for several months. You’re aware that these two “species” operate differently, requiring different management methods and communication styles. Your company has encountered a diversity that you hadn’t known before – alongside the complexity of human character traits, personalities, expectations, and ambitions, there is now a completely new type of employee. Employees who, just a few years ago, you couldn’t have even imagined.
According to Gartner’s forecast, by 2026, 80% of businesses will use generative AI or will be developing their own autonomous AI systems (source). Are you ready? Do you have the competencies?
Digital Workforce – A New Breed of Employee in Your Organization
AI agents aren’t easier to handle simply because they operate logically and process information quickly. They’re fundamentally different. What’s obvious to humans—emotions, irony, or the subtlety of social relationships—is abstract to AI. Meanwhile, what’s easy for AI, such as lightning-fast data analysis, can be stressful or difficult for humans. As the HR department, you must not only integrate people with different characters but also create a cohesive ecosystem for collaboration between humans and autonomous AI agents – two entirely different “species” operating in the same organism.
The Psychology of New Collaboration: Man vs. Machine?
Integrating AI into professional life has deep psychological implications, which are already becoming noticeable. First, there’s the emergence of “technostress”, or the tension resulting from the constant pressure to adapt to new technology. Employees may feel overwhelmed by the amount of change and increasing performance expectations. According to studies published in the “Journal of Applied Psychology”, such phenomena lead to a higher risk of burnout and decreased job satisfaction.
But that’s not all. Employees may also experience loss of autonomy and control. Until now, humans made decisions about their work independently; now decisions are taken over (or shared with) AI. As shown by analyses from MIT Sloan Management Review, many people experience feelings of helplessness and diminished motivation when their own decisions are replaced with intelligent agent recommendations.
The Crisis of Professional Identity Emerges When AI Does Your Job
Increasingly, people are facing a phenomenon called “professional identity crisis.” What happens to an expert, who has been valued for their intuition and experience, when AI suddenly performs their tasks faster and more efficiently? Research published in the “Journal of Organizational Behavior” suggests that this can lead to a deep sense of diminished self-worth and, in extreme cases, the loss of the sense of purpose in work.
Imagine a manufacturing company where long-tenured managers observe AI making decisions regarding the production process, decisions that were previously reserved solely for them. Such a situation can dramatically affect their self-esteem, morale, and engagement.
The New Sociology of the Company: How AI is Changing Hierarchies and Relationships
The emergence of autonomous AI agents presents not only a psychological challenge but also a sociological one. AI is impacting traditional social hierarchies in companies. As shown by studies from Harvard Business Review, AI systems are becoming new centers of influence – people who are able to work effectively with AI may gain prominence. This can lead to entirely new social dynamics and conflicts arising from the undermining of existing power relations.
Additionally, more frequent interactions with AI may erode interpersonal skills among employees. As shown in research from the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, individuals who regularly communicate mostly with machines lose empathy and natural social skills—making it more difficult for them to engage with other people later on.
Psychology of New Relationships: How AI Will Change Humans?
One of the biggest challenges for HR departments might not be the technical deployment of AI, but the psychology of people collaborating daily with autonomous agents. Organizational psychologists are already warning that frequent interactions with technology are significantly changing our social behaviors. What will happen when most of our workday is spent with AI instead of another person?
Imagine an employee with low agreeableness, high extraversion, and high neuroticism. This is a dynamic person, but also impulsive and easily irritated. In a typical work environment, this person generally controls their emotions—they know that on the other side stands a person who will react emotionally, negatively judge them, or socially “punish” them for inappropriate behavior.
But how will their behavior change when most of their professional interactions are with autonomous AI agents? Will they still control their emotions, knowing that a machine will not judge, take offense, or escalate the problem? The lack of this “social control” could lead to the reinforcement of impulsive and aggressive behaviors, which will become their norm. As a result, when this person starts working with humans again, they may cause conflicts and misunderstandings on an unprecedented scale.
On the other hand, introverted employees with high neuroticism, who were previously “balanced” by social expectations, were compelled to overcome themselves, develop social competencies, or open up to others. But what will happen when they mostly work with AI – unconditionally accepting, emotionless, and non-judgmental? Such individuals may withdraw even further into themselves, and the negative traits of their personalities may be amplified. Re-engaging in relationships with humans will become particularly difficult, stressful, or even entirely impossible for them.
Paradoxically, the widespread introduction of AI may deepen personality extremes. Negative traits, previously suppressed by social norms, may sharpen significantly. This means a completely new category of challenges for HR departments will emerge – the need to quickly identify such risks, understand their causes, and effectively counteract them.
Let’s illustrate this with examples of possible situations in companies:
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Imagine a consulting firm that implemented an advanced AI assistant for project management. Although the employees’ initial reaction was positive, after several months, they began to feel intense stress due to the constant pressure of adapting to the AI’s suggestions and a sense of losing control over their own decisions.
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In the customer service department of a large telecommunications company, a chatbot AI was implemented to handle basic queries. Employees’ initial resistance eventually transformed into positive adaptation – their role evolved towards more demanding tasks based on empathy and creativity, which AI cannot provide. However, this process required substantial psychological support to assist employees in this change.
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In an international manufacturing company, an AI system was introduced to optimize production. Employees, especially those with long tenures, whose expert knowledge was previously crucial, felt threatened. AI started making decisions faster and more effectively than they did, leading to a significant professional identity crisis and reduced job satisfaction.
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In a tech startup, developers began to use AI tools intensively to generate code. Initially, productivity increased, but over time, part of the team began to experience a decline in satisfaction—they felt that their role had become limited to overseeing the machine, diminishing their sense of autonomy, creativity, and professional fulfillment.
These sample scenarios clearly show that the relationship between humans and machines is not just about technology or efficiency—it also brings new psychological challenges for HR departments, which will need to prepare their organizations for an entirely new dimension of collaboration.
The Risk of New Social Inequalities
Finally, the introduction of AI may lead to deepening inequalities among employees. Gartner’s report suggests that individuals who quickly master AI-related skills will become more valuable to companies. Meanwhile, those who fail to keep up with technological changes may become marginalized, creating new forms of social division, this time based on technological competencies – the “AI capital”.
IT as the New HR? Jensen Huang’s Vision
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, surprised the business community during his presentation at CES by boldly stating that the future of IT departments will revolve around what we currently associate more with HR duties. According to his vision, IT departments will soon be responsible not only for maintaining technology but also for managing digital workers – that is, autonomous AI agents. This is not just about technical system maintenance but the full process of “recruiting,” onboarding, training, and even performance evaluation of such digital agents. Huang used this comparison to show that AI will no longer just be a tool, but a full-fledged “employee” for whom someone must take responsibility. Someone must choose them, assess their effectiveness, develop their skills, and even, in some cases, “fire” them if they fail to meet expectations.
This comparison is not accidental. According to Huang, digital workers – just like humans – require clear evaluation criteria, continuous skill development, and alignment with the organization’s culture. It’s exactly like hiring a person – with the difference that instead of reviewing CVs, you review technical parameters and AI algorithms. A digital worker must align with the company culture, learn quickly, and be “compatible” with other AI agents and human employees. All of this requires skills typically associated with HR – understanding team psychology, relationship dynamics, and a broad organizational perspective. In other words, IT departments will need to acquire completely new competencies, which until now have been associated only with HR.
This is not, however, a distant future. Companies already exist that are widely using digital workers. For example, in Amazon, advanced AI algorithms manage logistics processes, creating precise delivery schedules, optimizing courier routes, and managing inventory based on purchase forecasts. Another example is Autodesk, which already uses AI agents to assist designers in generative product design. Digital workers can independently generate thousands of design variants based on initial assumptions, leaving humans to only evaluate the best results. Such solutions show that Jensen Huang’s vision, although it sounds futuristic, is already becoming business reality.
Critical Voices: Why IT Alone Is Not Enough?
However, the vision presented by Jensen Huang has been met with sharp criticism from experts in organizational management and work psychology. Ethan Mollick, an expert from Wharton Business School, warns that entrusting IT departments with tasks related to “recruitment” and “management” of digital workers could prove to be a significant mistake. According to him, understanding technology alone is certainly not enough to effectively manage such a complex change as the integration of humans and AI. Mollick emphasizes that the key challenges lie not in technical issues but in the psychology of people, organizational culture, and the ability to manage change. In other words, technical competence in IT departments is not enough when issues related to fear, resistance, or interpersonal conflicts in the team arise.
Deborah Perry Piscione from the Work3 Institute calls this vision an “irony,” pointing out that IT departments are the ones most often facing problems with the so-called human factor. IT tends to treat technology as a goal in itself, often ignoring the human aspects that turn out to be crucial when deploying AI. Piscione emphasizes that the successful implementation of autonomous agents in a company depends less than 30% on technology and more than 70% on the ability to adapt teams, manage employee emotions, and communicate effectively. These issues cannot be effectively managed solely by the IT department – HR specialists, who understand how to integrate new technology into organizational culture and manage the psychology of change, will be essential.
These critical voices clearly indicate that despite Huang’s fascinating vision, IT alone will not be enough to effectively manage digital workers. It is HR departments – with their psychological knowledge, communication skills, and understanding of social processes – that will be key to the success of implementing autonomous AI agents.
AI in HR – Time to Stop Celebrating the Little Things and Start Developing Real Future Competencies
There is no doubt that artificial intelligence will soon be present in every aspect of a company’s operations – from marketing to finance to production. HR departments are no exception. Right now, many people in HR celebrate when AI automates their document processing, creates images for presentations, or quickly filters CVs in ATS systems. But are these really the areas that HR specialists should be celebrating? Does the ability to make slides faster or automatically process documents develop the key “HR” competencies?
Of course, these solutions are necessary and make daily work easier – but they are just as important for accountants, marketers, or sales analysts. From the HR department’s perspective, they are merely operational details that don’t strengthen the key competencies needed for the future. It’s like being happy because you have a better printer – it helps, but it doesn’t determine how good an HR specialist you are.
The most important task facing people management specialists today is the active, proactive implementation of AI solutions in typically “HR” areas: soft skills, interpersonal relationships, organizational culture building, change management, and talent development. The future doesn’t belong to those who can only scan CVs faster with AI, but to those who can use artificial intelligence to better manage relationships, not only on a human-to-human level but also human-to-AI.
The challenge and the competency of the future for HR departments will be the ability to navigate a world where humans, digital employees, and robots collaborate daily. Soft skills will no longer be reserved solely for human relationships – their adaptation to a completely new reality is essential: conversations between humans and machines, integrating AI into the team, and managing new forms of conflict that we haven’t experienced before.
HR must quickly develop its competencies in using AI in the soft areas of people management because these will decide the future of the entire sector. An HR specialist who in a few years will still only celebrate the fact that AI makes slides faster will be a specialist of the past. However, those who today consciously gain experience in using artificial intelligence to manage relationships, emotions, and culture will become invaluable professionals of the future.
The choice is yours – do you want to be an AI user, or the HR leader of the future?
So, Where Do You Start?
You’re probably wondering now: “Where exactly should I start to be a step ahead of other HR departments that are only waking up to this new reality?” If you’re serious about gaining practical skills in using artificial intelligence in the soft areas of people management, you need to act boldly and proactively. It’s not about more solutions that speed up document formatting or scan CVs faster – anyone can do that already. You need tools from the “cutting edge” category that truly develop future competencies. There are not many solutions like this yet, but fortunately, they are emerging in the market. One of the best examples is Empatyzer.
Empatyzer is a solution created specifically with HR professionals in mind – those who understand that the future belongs to soft skills supported by AI. On the one hand, you get a tool that allows you to gain new competencies because you experience firsthand how intelligent management of relationships and emotions works. On the other hand, you bring real business benefits to your company, which your management is expecting from you.
Empatyzer is built on three pillars, which perfectly address the needs of HR of the future:
The first pillar is an intelligent AI chat that functions as a personal coach available 24/7. This virtual advisor knows the user’s personality, working style, and the organizational context of the team. This allows it to give personalized advice in real-time, helping managers solve real management problems right when they arise, not a week after the crisis, at the next training.
The second pillar is personalized micro-lessons that are delivered to each employee twice a week in the form of short, 3-minute email messages. These are not general tips but concrete advice tailored to the recipient – their strengths and weaknesses, the specifics of their team, or current communication problems. Employees receive ready-to-use action techniques, example phrases, and conversation scenarios that they can apply immediately.
The third pillar is a professional diagnosis of personality and cultural preferences. Through an analysis of their own traits and style, each employee can understand their position within the organization, how to communicate effectively with the team, how to leverage their natural talents, and how to better navigate a changing work environment, including working with digital employees.
One of Empatyzer’s greatest strengths is its ease of implementation – the entire process starts in less than an hour, with no need to integrate any systems. Additionally, the solution does not create additional burden for HR – employees use the tool independently without generating new administrative duties. This unique approach makes Empatyzer deliver immediate results to the business – both financial and developmental.
It’s also worth looking at this from a purely business perspective. Currently, huge financial resources are being spent on traditional training, which only reaches a small part of the team, and even then, it often doesn’t produce lasting results. Empatyzer is a revolution in this regard – for about 10% of a traditional training budget, you can support 100% of employees, from top managers to new interns. It works without trainers, training rooms, travel expenses, or work interruptions. AI works 24 hours a day, adapting to each employee’s schedule, no matter their location. Research clearly shows that such modern solutions increase team productivity by up to 12-14% annually, which, in a company with 100 employees, translates to a savings of even 12 full-time equivalents per year. This is not theory – these are measurable results.
Empatyzer is a tool that employees love – 77% of users recommend it, 73% are satisfied with the implementation, and almost 60% confirm a real increase in their competencies. This is not just another online tool – it’s a modern training and coaching platform aimed at real development of people’s soft skills and effectively supporting HR in managing the future.
In conclusion – don’t wait until AI in HR becomes the standard in every company. Start now with solutions like Empatyzer that provide real future competencies, experience working with advanced artificial intelligence, and business results that your management has been waiting for. This is the best time to be the change leader in your company, rather than following behind.
It’s Time to Level Up
The new reality has already arrived – this isn’t futurism, it’s the everyday reality where we’re starting to manage not only human diversity but also a completely new breed of “employee,” the digital workforce, i.e., autonomous AI agents. If you want to remain a significant player in HR, if you want to have a real impact on the business, you must understand that your role is dramatically changing. Diversity and inclusion are reaching a level we’ve never known – it’s no longer just about culture, gender, age, or personality, but also about the fundamental difference between humans and digital employees. Managing human relationships takes on a new meaning and requires entirely new psychological and social competencies.
AI can no longer just be a tool for faster document processing. That’s not enough. If you want to play a key role in your company, you must use artificial intelligence to build relationships, develop soft skills, and manage organizational culture. It’s the HR competencies supported by advanced AI that will determine whether the business sees you as a strategic partner or continues to view you as a cost easily replaced by an algorithm.
So reach for the latest, most innovative solutions – like Empatyzer – that will give you real experience in soft areas, where AI intersects with psychology, empathy, communication, and change management. Business is waiting for HR to finally take a significant position, stop being marginalized, and start delivering real value to the entire organization.
This is no longer a matter of choice, but a necessity. HR that doesn’t invest in real future competencies today will lose its relevance tomorrow. But those who recognize AI as a tool for strategic management today will be at the center of the company, not only caring for people but also understanding business needs and effectively responding to them. The choice is yours – which side of this revolution will you be on?
