Could AI wellbeing officers help HR teams support employees in the AI era?

As AI transforms the workplace, a proposed AI wellbeing officer could help HR teams address employee anxiety, strengthen governance and ensure the human impact of AI adoption remains a number one priority.

Speaking recently with HR Leader, Neal Woolrich, who is a director in Gartner’s HR practice, highlighted the potential need for AI wellbeing officers in the workplace.

As AI continues to reshape Australian workplaces, organisations are confronting a new challenge of how to manage the impact of the technology on employee wellbeing.

From fears of job displacement, and concerns regarding ethical AI usage to questions around trust and governance, the human implications of AI emergence is becoming inevitable.

As such, the emerging concept of an AI wellbeing officer reflects this notion, ultimately giving organisations a deeper understanding and focus towards supporting employees, and ensuring AI implementation caters for both business priorities and the wellbeing of the workforce.

The rise of the AI wellbeing officer

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in the workplace and continues to advance its capabilities, a new organisational role is emerging to consider its impact on employees.

Woolrich recommended that the wellbeing officer could sit between HR, IT and leadership, helping organisations cater for any mental health issues and strengthening governance.

The proposed concept is occurring as a dedicated response to the increasing effects of AI on the workforce.

“I've heard recently of organisations that are thinking about creating a new role titled something like an AI wellbeing officer,” Woolrich said.

“So how does the implementation of artificial intelligence across our workforces affect the wellbeing of employees and what can we do to lead that?”

“I suspect whether it's a dedicated role or just an activity that human resources teams pick up, it might be an IT function that picks up that role of AI wellbeing officer wherever it sits.”

As a whole, Woolrich noted that the function would provide an employee-focused counterweight to the priorities driving AI adoption, and clear governance and accountability would be imperative to making it an effective function.

“An AI wellbeing officer would be a useful focal point within organisations to address those concerns and ensure organisations have a robust AI governance framework in place,” Woolrich said.

“A strong governance framework is necessary, both for the sake of the organisation and the person filling that role.

“Clearly define the role and its responsibilities, have clear reporting lines, define metrics for success, and resource the role appropriately.”

Managing employee AI anxiety

For many employees, the immense adoption of AI can bring a sense of ambiguity surrounding job security in the future, workplace change and whether technology is being used responsibly.

A clear driver for the wellbeing officer role is the uncertainty around how employees feel about AI affecting their jobs.

“There is a great deal of employee anxiety around AI - 40 per cent of employees fear they will be replaced by AI in the next five years, and employees are concerned about whether their organisation is using AI ethically and responsibly,” Woolrich said.

With the scale and speed of AI adoption, Woolrich noted that employers may need to move beyond a business as usual approach to employee wellbeing.

“It is another indicator that AI’s impact is spreading so rapidly and profoundly across the workforce that a business-as-usual approach is not sufficient, and organisations need to take extra steps to address it,” he said.

“Sometimes we default to business as usual or our top down instincts kick in without really consulting employees.

“So try and take that empathetic, humanistic approach to the employee experience and that will hold us in good stead in a pretty challenging environment.”

Ultimately, as Woolrich highlighted, having to address AI anxiety lies within the broader responsibility to support employees through a period of significant change in the workplace.

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