Each week, as SHRM’s executive in residence for AI+HI, I scour the media landscape to bring you expert summaries of the biggest AI headlines—and what they mean for you and your business.
1. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Keynote at CES 2025
What to Know: Jensen Huang’s CES 2025 keynote address contained several key points, particularly regarding the future of work and the integration of artificial intelligence in the workplace:
- AI as the New Workforce: Huang emphasized the growing role of AI agents in the workplace, predicting that by the end of 2025, 30% of companies will have “digital employees” making meaningful contributions to enterprises. This shift has significant implications for HR professionals, who will need to adapt their strategies to manage and integrate these AI workers alongside human employees.
- IT to Become “HR for AI Agents”: One of Huang’s most striking statements was that IT departments would evolve to become “the HR department of AI agents in the future.” This suggests that HR professionals may need to collaborate more closely with IT departments or even develop new skills to effectively manage AI workforce integration.
- Project DIGITS and Democratization of AI: Huang introduced Project DIGITS, a $3,000 personal AI supercomputer designed for developers and AI enthusiasts. This democratization of AI technology could lead to more widespread AI adoption in various industries, potentially changing job roles and required skill sets across organizations.
- Cosmos World Foundation Models: NVIDIA’s introduction of Cosmos, an open-source platform for developing world foundation models, could accelerate the development of more sophisticated AI systems for robotics and autonomous vehicles. HR professionals should be aware of these advancements, as they may impact workforce planning and skills development in industries such as manufacturing and transportation.
- Implications for HR Professionals:
- Workforce Planning: HR professionals will need to reassess workforce composition, considering the integration of AI agents alongside human employees.
- Skill Development: As AI becomes more prevalent, there will be an increased need for upskilling and reskilling programs to ensure employees can work effectively with AI technologies.
- Recruitment Strategies: HR may need to adapt recruitment processes to identify candidates who can work well with AI systems and in AI-augmented environments.
- Employee Relations: Managing the relationship between human employees and AI agents will become a new challenge for HR professionals.
- Ethical Considerations: HR will play a crucial role in developing policies and guidelines for the ethical use of AI in the workplace.
- Performance Management: New systems may be needed to evaluate and manage the performance of both human and AI workers.
Why It Matters: By staying informed about these technological advancements, SHRM Members can better prepare their organizations for the future of work and ensure smooth integration of AI technologies in the workplace.
2. The Future of Jobs Report
What to Know: The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights significant workforce disruptions by 2030. While the global job market is projected to see a net increase of 78 million jobs, this comes with a stark displacement of 92 million existing roles—representing a 22% shift in current employment. Front-line jobs—including farm work, delivery driving, and construction work—are expected to grow, alongside renewable energy and health care roles. However, lower-skilled and clerical jobs, as well as roles directly challenged by AI (e.g., graphic design), face steep declines. The report also predicts that 40% of workplace skills will need updating by 2030 as AI reshapes work.
Why It Matters: The downside of AI-driven workforce transformation is clear: Massive job displacement and skill mismatches threaten organizational stability and employee well-being. HR professionals must address these challenges head-on by prioritizing reskilling initiatives, managing transitions, and preparing workers for the dual demands of technical and human skills. Without targeted action, organizations risk widening inequalities, underutilizing AI’s potential, and falling behind in the race for innovation.
3. What Companies Succeeding with AI Do Differently
What to Know: A 2023 follow-up study by MIT and McKinsey, surveying over 100 companies, highlights the widening gap between AI leaders and laggards. Top performers excel in governance, partnerships, cross-department collaboration, and data management, achieving performance levels 3.8 times higher than the bottom half. These leaders report shorter AI investment payback periods and reduced implementation barriers; they also focus on high-value, low-risk AI initiatives.
Why It Matters: AI leaders are pulling ahead because of better governance, partner networks, and robust data systems. Their ability to deliver value faster and at a lower cost reflects lessons learned and maturing AI solutions. For laggards, catching up requires focusing on four critical areas: leadership commitment, strategic partnerships, functional collaboration, and precise data management.
4. AI Boom in Central Washington: Workforce Dynamics
What to Know: Central Washington state’s AI-driven data center construction boom has created lucrative but temporary job opportunities for electricians, with workers earning up to $2,800 weekly during projects. However, the employment benefits are short-lived, as data centers require only minimal staffing after completion, leading to uncertainty about long-term workforce stability. (Related: President-elect Donald Trump recently announced a $20 billion investment in building data centers across the United States.)
Why It Matters: As we look toward how jobs evolve, paying close attention to the duration of jobs will be important.
Extra Credit:
- In an article for Financial Times, the author describes her previous skepticism that AI will radically remake labor markets in the short term—and the diverse use cases for AI that changed her thinking.
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