4 out of 5 HR professionals confident AI will boost job performance

HR professionals are extremely confident in what AI can do with productivity and performance heading into 2025.

A new report from the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) has revealed the overwhelming confidence that HR professionals have when it comes to AI. According to The State of AI in Australian Human Resources report, 86 per cent of the Australian HR professionals who were surveyed predict that AI will improve productivity.

Alongside this, more than four out of five (81 per cent) agreed that it will undoubtedly boost overall job performance.

However, this overconfidence is not devoid of some initial concerns around AI, with data and security risks while using AI in HR management still being at the forefront of concerns, with 66 per cent highlighting this issue, followed by concerns about AI’s reliance on poor-quality data (49 per cent).

“HR professionals have an opportunity to lead the way in terms of AI adoption, but in order to do this, they need to upskill and remain fully up to date with the latest developments in order to contribute fully to the strategy and direction of the organisation,” said AHRI chief executive Sarah McCann-Bartlett.

“It’s also important to note that adopting AI alone won’t automatically lead to productivity gains. We have seen the adoption of automation and AI for some time now, but this has not translated into additional productivity growth for the Australian economy.”

Some of the other key findings from the report are as follows:

• When asked about productivity, 86 per cent of respondents agreed or somewhat agreed that AI will improve output per hour.
• Eighty-two per cent of respondents disagreed to some extent with the notion that they might lose their jobs because of AI, and 65 per cent of HR practitioners disagreed to some extent with the view that AI will lead to job losses in their organisation.
• AI in HR is primarily used for operational tasks, indicating there is a significant opportunity to leverage AI capability strategically.
• The potential for AI to alleviate workplace stress is widely acknowledged, with 62 per cent agreeing it will help reduce stress for employees.

“To unlock its full potential, organisations should adopt a suite of complementary HR practices, such as widespread investment in training, information sharing, employee consultation and empowerment as well as ethical guidelines, to ensure AI adoption is both productive and equitable,” said McCann-Bartlett.