SHRM Calls for Workplace AI Governance as U.S. Advances National AI Framework

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In response to the White House’s national framework for artificial intelligence, SHRM, the trusted authority on all things work, workers, and the workplace, issued the following statement: 

The White House has set a clear direction: accelerate AI innovation, expand access, and prepare the workforce. SHRM supports this approach and recognizes that AI is already transforming how work gets done across industries. 

As this national framework advances, it must prioritize workplace AI governance and provide practical guidance for implementation. Policy delivers results only when it works in practice—within organizations, through daily decisions, and in the experiences of workers. 

Employers are already integrating AI into hiring, training, workforce planning, and operations. This is where national strategy meets workplace reality and where clear standards are essential. 

SHRM research reflects this momentum. In organizations where AI was adopted by the end of last year, only 7% of HR professionals reported that their organization conducted layoffs due to AI. Meanwhile, 24% reported creation of new roles, 39% reported shifts in worker responsibilities, and 57% reported new upskilling or reskilling because of AI. 

AI + HI = ROI. SHRM advocates that artificial intelligence combined with human intelligence produces return on investment.

Organizations that pair technology with human judgment are driving productivity, strengthening their workforce, and enhancing global competitiveness. 

The framework’s emphasis on workforce development, employer-led training, and expanded access, especially for small and mid-sized businesses, is critical to ensuring innovation benefits the full economy. 

SHRM is uniquely positioned to guide policymakers in translating AI strategy into effective workplace practice by leveraging our expertise to ensure this tool is implemented in ways that are practical, responsible, and aligned with how work gets done. 

The United States has a clear opportunity to lead in AI by pairing innovation with workplace-centered governance that delivers for employees and employers. SHRM stands ready to partner with Congress and the Trump Administration to help develop legislation and operationalize AI policy in the workplace. 

SHRM Federal AI Principles

To help advance effective workplace AI governance, SHRM is advocating for the following principles in any national legislative framework: 

1. A Comprehensive National Workplace AI Framework: Establish a consistent federal framework for AI in employment that promotes innovation, provides regulatory clarity, and ensures uniform enforcement. 
2. Voluntary, Risk-Based Governance: Promote flexible governance grounded in recognized standards and supported by coordinated federal guidance. 
3. Limited Mandatory Requirements for High-Risk Use Cases: Ensure targeted transparency, human oversight, and appeal rights for certain “high-risk” AI use cases in the workplace — specifically those that are reasonably likely to materially affect employment.  
4. Safe Harbor for Responsible AI Adoption: Provide legal certainty for employers that implement recognized AI risk-management frameworks in good faith. 
5. Minimizing Employer Burden: Avoid unnecessary and overburdensome reporting, disclosure, and recordkeeping requirements that could hinder adoption. 
6. Workforce Readiness and Reskilling: Advance a national workforce transformation strategy focused on upskilling, reskilling, and job redesign. 
7. Stakeholder Engagement and Expertise: Ensure employers, workers, and workforce experts have a formal role in shaping practical federal guidance. 
8. Support for Small and Mid-Sized Employers: Promote scalable approaches that reflect the realities of smaller organizations and expand access to tools and resources. 

Effective AI policy is defined by how it works in practice. SHRM stands ready to work alongside policymakers to help ensure it delivers for both employers and workers. 

About SHRM

SHRM is a member-driven catalyst for creating better workplaces where people and businesses thrive together. As the trusted authority on all things work, SHRM is the foremost expert, researcher, advocate, and thought leader on issues and innovations impacting today’s evolving workplaces. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM touches the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally. Discover more at SHRM.org.