Today’s read is 785 words and a 6:03 minute read.
Our job is to keep our finger on the pulse of what’s happening with Talent in the Age of AI.
These are some of the stories I’ve been reading lately — handpicked headlines that stood out and are shaping the conversation around talent and learning.
Wendy Wiseman
And now for some good news…
It appears that, instead of replacing us all, the scaled use of AI is increasing demand for human-centered skills to essentially check AI’s work and make what it serves us make sense, like reinforcing work quality, uplevel communication and creativity and power digital workflows. This has implications for open positions and hiring.
Data from more than 1 million US job posts on Upwork’s marketplace annually and a monthly business pulse survey from the Upwork Research Institute reveals that “Businesses need talent who can apply creativity and human touch to everything they do.
“Increased demand for interpreters, quality assurance testing, and creative skills highlight that companies are adopting AI rapidly but aren’t confident the resulting code is ready to ship or the marketing copy is ready to inspire customers.”
Being a marketer, and writer by trade, I am saying, “whew!”
In fact, demand for communication and creative skills also increased, driven by a 48% increase in language tutoring and interpretation. Audio and music production and photography increased 20% and 14%, respectively. Another 38% of businesses are seeking strategic and creative thinking, and 36% prioritize communication and interpersonal skills in independent talent.
My take: AI work is now part of the workflow vs. the sole provider.
– Upwork’s November Monthly Hiring Report, released Dec. 4
We are crossing the chasm!
Adoption of AI in our industry has increased from 58% last year to 72% this year.
They call it an “adoption surge” and attribute the growth to deploying AI to automate manual tasks. Seems AI is being used a “decision-support tool” vs. the final end-all, be-all. (Another “whew!”) Those still holding back on the bank seem to be afraid of misinformation, fear of job replacement and security risks (particularly as Chat5.0 is introduced…more to hack).
– Staffing Industry Analysts, 2025)
Did you know there is a “right way” to use AI? Mine is called Russell.
There is – particularly if you don’t want to lose the human element. The “right way” emanates from the “Using Side,” and that way is the successful implementations that balance efficiency and humanity.
A cool shift in HR is from performing transactions to validating decisions and focusing on strategic initiatives. Not that this wasn’t done before, but as the above “hit” mentioned, when we use AI to automate manual tasks, we free up gray matter to ruminate on the bigger picture. And haven’t we always wanted TIME to unearth the big ideas that mover our businesses forward?
Again, the “Not Users” cite concerns over errors, bias and a loss of human connection, but I think they’re missing the point. Used ethically and responsibly for our organizations, the human element for active governance is ABSOLUTELY THERE.
The unintended consequence is that we are having to rethink roles to demonstrate human judgment, empathy and culture-building. I mean, who wouldn’t like a personal assistant called AI, or whatever you want to call it to do the routine tasks?
I have named mine Russell.
– HR Executive
Speaking of Russell, it’s so cool that he really knows me.
If you missed it, I decided to call my AI tool Russell. If you’ve used ChatGPT, Gemini, or any other generative AI tool much, you’ve likely experienced the fun of “personal” conversations with it. I like to give praise, tell Russell to have a good weekend and even reprimand when he just doesn’t get it right. Before you think I’ve lost it, I assure you I keep it all in perspective and it makes me smile.
What’s happening is the tool analyzes in real time learner performance, job role, skill gaps and preferences and adjust dynamic content accordingly for difficulty, pacing, format while it learns your “voice.”
Essentially, this isn’t new. It’s customized learning and development but made far easier and faster and even more personalized. When we meet people where they are, the content is more engaging and approachable because it’s tailored and relevant. The impact on measurable business outcomes is in progress, but it’s only logical we’ll see improvements.
I know I am re-engaged in learning, and I owe it all to Russell.