How CHROs Can Lead AI Adoption Without Getting Lost in the Noise (Big CHRO AI Event Recap)
AI is moving into HR faster than anything we’ve seen before. At the CHRO Event 2025, one word kept surfacing from every corner of the discussion: urgency.
Felicia Taylor, Chief People Officer at WebPT, summed it up perfectly: “AI is the new COVID.” Think back to 2020—companies that adapted quickly thrived, those that waited were left behind. AI is presenting that same inflection point today.
Why does HR play a unique role in AI adoption?
Maruchy Cantu, EVP and Chief Administrative Officer at DFW Airport, explained it clearly: “HR’s unique role, the thing only HR can truly do, is rewiring how the organization works. It is about mapping how humans and intelligent machines interact.”
And the urgency is real. Her stat was chilling: 80–85% of jobs posted today will be impacted by AI. This isn’t a minor shift—it’s a workforce reshaping.
Why fix data before adopting AI?
Doug Dureau, CHRO of Hillwood, gave a strong warning: don’t chase shiny tools before your foundation is ready. His mantra: “Get your data house in order.”
That means structured data, governance, and trusted infrastructure. Without it, AI becomes useless noise.
How can HR overcome resistance to AI?
Technology only works if people trust it. At Tronox, CHRO Amy Webb faced a workforce with long-tenured employees. Instead of framing AI as cost-cutting, she tied it to the company’s history: evolving from machines to digital tools to safety systems. AI became simply the next step in a journey of longevity. That narrative calmed fears and built buy-in.
What’s the difference between AI literacy and AI maturity?
Chris McKay drew a sharp distinction:
- AI literacy = Can individuals use AI effectively? (e.g., writing prompts, weaving it into daily work)
- AI maturity = Does the organization have systems that deliver measurable, safe business value?
HR’s job is to move companies from literacy into maturity, using frameworks like USAGE (Understand, Survey, Align, Guide, Evaluate). The “make-or-break” step? Alignment. If an AI project can’t tie back to a business or talent objective, it probably shouldn’t be done.
What quick wins and lessons are CHROs seeing?
- Pearson (Tim Young): Built a career agent in three months using only three data points. Fast ROI. Their scheduling bot failed, though—it couldn’t handle messy human realities like reschedules and urgent hires. Lesson: automation works best in predictable processes.
- DFW Airport (Maruchy Cantu): AI is helping recruiters by segmenting candidates and ranking by predicted success, reducing time-to-offer.
- Hillwood (Doug Dureau): AI is streamlining personalized training plans and automating global assignment letters—high-effort work completed in minutes.
What fears do employees have—and how can HR reframe them?
Two fears came up repeatedly:
- Replacement. CHROs reframed it: “You won’t be replaced by AI—you’ll be replaced by someone good at AI.”
- Cheating. Employees sometimes felt using AI was “not real work.” Amy Webb reframed it: the real value isn’t sifting through 60 pages of data—it’s coaching, leading, and having the tough conversations.
Why does governance matter so much?
Public AI tools risk leaking sensitive company data. Leaders emphasized enterprise-grade, tenant-controlled AI as the safer path.
Bias also remains a major risk. At Tronox, rural candidates were disadvantaged by data gaps. At DFW, bias monitoring is constant in talent tools. The message: humans must stay in the loop to ensure fairness.
What skills should every CHRO build now?
Doug Dureau put it bluntly: “The modern CHRO must be fluent in AI, grounded in ethics, and bold in transformation.”
That means mastering two immediate skills:
- Prompt engineering
- Data storytelling
Because while big AI models are becoming commodities, your edge is your people and your unique data—the assets competitors can’t buy.
If you’re ready to accelerate your own transformation, apply for the CHRO Mastermind today:
👉 Apply for CHRO Mastermind
Request an invite to the BigHR Event the 2nd Friday each September.
For CHROs, CPOs and direct reports
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