92% of CHROs expect deeper AI use at work

VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES — New SHRM research of 1,722 HR professionals found 9 in 10 chief human resources officers (CHROs) plan to expand AI use across their organizations this year, but fewer than half have yet implemented AI in their own HR functions.

CHROs are betting on AI — but implementation lags

Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, Chief Human Resources Officer at SHRM, pointed to the research as evidence that human-centered thinking still anchors AI adoption strategy.

“Our research shows investing in leadership and employee experience remains essential for organizational health,” Link said.

The survey found 92% of CHROs anticipate greater AI integration in workforce operations, while 87% forecast greater adoption of AI within HR itself. Yet only 39% of organizations have already adopted AI in their HR functions, and just 7% plan to launch it this year — leaving more than half without any AI in their core people function.

Nine in ten CHROs are planning for a more AI-integrated workforce while fewer than half have made that a reality in their own function — that gap is where the real implementation work begins.

Recruiting leads adoption, ethics follow close behind

“By blending technology with the irreplaceable value of human connection, leaders create work environments ready to adapt, grow, and thrive, regardless of what the future brings,” Link said.

Recruiting leads as the most common AI application, used by 27% of organizations, followed by HR technology (21%), learning and development (17%), and employee experience (14%).

Eighty-four percent of CHROs expect AI-specific upskilling to increase across their workforce over the coming year.

Fifty-seven percent of CHROs specifically named reducing bias in AI hiring tools as an expected workplace trend — a sign that ethical guardrails, informed by EEOC guidance on AI employment practices, are entering the CHRO agenda alongside adoption targets.

When more than half of CHROs plan for AI-integrated operations but fewer than half have implemented it, the gap between executive intent and ground-level execution defines the next phase of AI adoption.

BPO and offshore HR service providers are positioned at exactly the intersection SHRM’s data identifies — organizations that want AI-integrated HR functions but lack the in-house bandwidth to build them.

The 61% of organizations that have not adopted AI in HR represent a pipeline of potential outsourcing buyers who will need external AI-enabled HR capability before they can close that gap.

For Philippine BPO providers expanding into HR outsourcing, the SHRM data establishes both the demand signal and the mandate: clients already expect AI-enabled service delivery, and that expectation is accelerating.