As Workers, Employers, and Organizations Integrate AI, SHRM Calls for a Clear, Practical Framework to Guide Federal Policy

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – As organizations increasingly integrate AI into hiring, training, workforce planning, and daily operations, SHRM, the trusted authority on work, workers, and the workplace, released The Path Forward: SHRM's AI Legislative Framework for the Modern Workplace, a new white paper outlining the organization's principles to guide federal policymakers as they develop AI policy impacting employers and workers.

"As workers, organizations, educational institutions, and policymakers evaluate how to adopt and implement AI, a fragmented policy patchwork creates complexity and uncertainty," said Emily M. Dickens, Chief Administrative Officer of SHRM. "SHRM's AI legislative framework provides a clear, practical policy foundation that organizations can rely on to support responsible innovation, protect workers, strengthen workforce readiness, and shape implementable guidance. We stand ready to work with the policymakers to advance a national set of policies to help organizations integrate AI responsibly, at scale, and in ways that drive productivity, opportunity, and long-term competitiveness."

The framework is built around eight core pillars, including:

1. A comprehensive national workplace AI framework
2. Voluntary, risk-based governance
3. Limited mandatory requirements for high-risk use cases
4. Safe harbor for responsible AI adoption
5. Minimizing employer burdens
6. Workforce readiness and reskilling
7. Stakeholder engagement and expertise
8. Support for small and mid-sized employers

Building on the findings from SHRM's The State of AI in HR 2026, released in March, the framework outlines a balanced, workplace-centered approach to AI governance — focused on promoting innovation, protecting workers, and providing clear, practical guidance for organizations of all sizes. The release comes as organizations rapidly integrate AI into hiring, training, and workforce management while navigating a fragmented and evolving regulatory landscape.

The framework is grounded in SHRM's guiding principle: AI + HI = ROI, where AI enhances, not replaces, human capability to drive organizational performance and workforce success.

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For more information and to access the full report, please contact: press@shrm.org.

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.