100,000 Hours Saved: When AI Hits the Earnings Call
EY maps how jobs are changing. Chipotle cut hiring time by 67%. And HR is still asking for permission to experiment.
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Now on to the update!
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🧠 Topics I’m engaging with
AI and productivity, EMEA leaders see tangible ROI
A new IBM study, The Race for ROI, shows that two-thirds (66%) say AI has already driven significant productivity gains. 41 % expect a return on their AI investment within a year, and the gap between large companies and SMEs is widening fast. The study covers 3,500 senior business leaders across 10 countries, highlighting that organizations aren’t just automating tasks, they’re redesigning business models and decision-making processes around AI.
Why it matters for HR:
This points to a structural shift, productivity is no longer just about headcount, but about human-AI systems. The challenge for us is to translate “AI productivity” into redesigned roles, smarter learning pathways, and measurable impact on performance. Many firms still run AI as pilots in silos; “that team over there is testing…” but the next wave will be about scaling adoption and redefining what value creation actually looks like. Those who build people strategies that mirror this shift will be the ones who truly see ROI.
How companies are preparing people for the shift
EY has started rolling out internal AI tools that give employees a personalized view of how their jobs are changing, what’s likely to be automated, where their skills still add value, and what new capabilities they’ll need next.
I think EY’s approach stands out here because it connects strategy and learning in a tangible way. They’re not just talking about “AI readiness.” They’re mapping how each role is transforming and what the employee can do to stay relevant. Around half of EY’s 406,000 global employees have engaged with it, and all new recruits take the training as part of their onboarding process.
Why it matters for HR:
You might think I’m sounding like a broken record here but I’ve seen this fail a hundred times. Most HR teams treat AI literacy as a campaign, not an operating model. They buy licenses, book a few sessions, and call it transformation. I hope EY is paring this up with solid learning intatives and plans around this as well because it’s one thing to say “you need these skills” and another thing to say “this is how you add these skills”. We talked about it briefly last week as well, there’s a paradox right now where companies are asking for AI competency and yet are reluctant to train for that competency…
AI and productivity at scale: Citigroup’s numbers
In its Q3 2025 results, Citigroup reported more than 1 million automated code reviews and 7 million uses of its two enterprise generative AI tools year-to-date, roughly three times higher than the previous quarter.
CEO Jane Fraser reiterated that these tools are freeing up around 100,000 developer hours every week.
Why this matters for HR
Citigroup’s example shows what AI productivity looks like when it moves beyond pilots. The gains aren’t coming from “AI initiatives, they’re coming from redesigning workflows, roles, and value creation itself.
For us this raises a new question: how do you measure capacity, skills, and performance when a significant share of work is done by AI? (Lot’s of questions around this in this weeks update…more on this later.)
But I believe that those to ask themselves these questions and those who start to build their people strategies around questions like this, not just tools, will be better off.
Recruiting with AI, the quiet power shift
Half of hiring managers now use AI to screen candidates. Seven out of ten candidates use it to write applications or prep for interviews. (Study is based on a survey of 1,000 American job seekers and 500 HR-managers)
The hiring process was never perfect, but this changes the game completely.
Recruiters think they’re evaluating authenticity, while candidates are optimizing prompts to get past automated filters. It’s like two AIs playing chess, and neither side realising it.
Why it matters for HR:
We’ve seen people going back to in-person interviews to circumvent people using AI in interviews. I wonder what this will lead to in the future? The system we have now (most of us that is) is built on old assumptions that a candidate applies / is sourced and then put through a funnel of events. Will that work going forward? What is knowledge about a job in the AI-era? Will it look different for different roles? Is basic knowledge with great prompting skills the only skills people need?
I don’t have clear answers but would love to read more thought pieces around novel approaches to hiring when everyone is using AI, both candidates and organizations.
AI in high-volume hiring
Speaking of recruiting and AI, Chipotle used a conversational AI assistant, Ava Cado, built with Paradox, to support its seasonal hiring push in February 2025, around 20 000 frontline roles. The results were striking: application completion jumped from roughly 50 % to 85 %, and time-to-hire dropped from 12 days to just 4.
Why it matters for HR:
This case captures something many HR teams still miss when they talk about “AI in hiring.” It’s not about replacing recruiters, it’s about removing friction. Every extra click, every long form, every unanswered question drives candidates away. Chipotle used AI to close that gap and keep the experience human-centric through automation. For HR leaders, this is a reminder that conversational tools can be more than branding gimmicks; they can rebuild broken candidate journeys and deliver measurable business impact. (see point above on re-thinking the process!)
⚙️ Tools to try
Jinna.ai - An AI assistant that handles everyday admin, writing, and research tasks. It can automate emails, summarize content, and support back-office or HR operations.
GitLaw - An AI tool for drafting, reviewing, and managing legal documents. Useful for HR or compliance teams that need quick contract or policy reviews.
Ancher - A personal “Chief of Staff” assistant that organizes your information, helps you stay focused, and surfaces relevant updates throughout your workday.
Softr - A no-code platform for building internal tools and automated workflows, such as HR dashboards, onboarding portals, or employee directories.
🔁 Important updates
Denmark pushes new anti-deepfake law
Part of a growing European trend to address AI-generated misinformation.
Australians worry about staying relevant in the AI era
Workers are increasingly anxious about how to remain employable as AI accelerates.
Europeans like AI but want stricter rules (!!)
A new EU survey from YouGov shows strong public support for AI combined with a demand for tighter regulation.