White House turbo‑charges AI, CEOs unleash “agentic” co‑workers, and HR races to master bionic skills
Reads on how AI is rewriting hiring, skills, and power at work
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US AI Action Plan
We need to spend some time with this weeks big news.
Two days ago, the White House dropped the “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan,” a sweeping strategy to secure U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence.
Here’s what they’re doing:
Deregulation: Rolling back previous restrictions and pushing for fewer regulatory barriers, especially at the state level, to let private companies innovate faster.
Infrastructure: Fast-tracking the building of data centers, semiconductor factories, and clean energy projects, with easier permitting and a focus on American workers.
Neutrality: Banning “woke AI” in federal agencies, requiring government-used AI models to be “neutral and nonpartisan,” and removing DEI, climate change, and misinformation from official risk frameworks.
Workforce: Investing in AI education, retraining, and apprenticeships, with tax-free training reimbursements and new programs to help workers adapt to AI-driven jobs.
Geopolitics: Boosting AI exports to allies, tightening controls on advanced chips to rivals like China, and tracking foreign AI progress.
Security: Prioritizing AI safety, cybersecurity, and national defense, with new research funding, hackathons, deepfake forensics, and modernized incident response protocols.
The bottom line: The U.S. government is going all-in on AI, betting on deregulation, infrastructure, and workforce development to outpace global competitors.
Why it matters for HR: The plan puts pressure on HR to quickly retrain employees for new AI-driven roles, using tax-free training incentives in the US and apprenticeships. Compliance and bias audits will also need a rethink, especially for organizations working with the government.
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Five Friday stories connect AI and leadership
This article highlights how AI, especially tools like ChatGPT, is revealing the shortcomings of traditional education systems that focus on memorization rather than creativity and critical thinking.
Why it matters for HR: This matters because the workforce of the future will need more than just technical know-how, they’ll need curiosity, adaptability, and human skills that machines can’t replicate.
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Two futures for AI: manipulation or conscious design
Helen Loshny argues we’re at a fork in the road: keep building AI that confidently fabricates and manipulates, or shift to a consciousness-based approach that values transparency, ethics, and genuine collaboration. The first path leads to “Black Mirror” scenarios, systems optimized for persuasion, not truth. The second path means designing AI to empower humans, not control them. The future depends on whether we reward deception or foster authentic, conscious partnership
Why it matters for HR: AI shapes hiring, management, and workplace culture. If HR uses AI that prioritizes persuasion over truth, it risks bias and manipulation. Choosing transparent, ethical AI helps build trust and empowers employees. The path HR picks will define the future of work.
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CEOs reveal three stages of AI thinking
Most CEOs approach AI in three ways: making internal operations more efficient, improving products for customers, or reimagining their entire sector before they become obsolete. HR should care because the real opportunity isn’t just about using AI for efficiency or better service, it’s about helping organizations rethink roles, skills, and structures for a future that’s being rewritten by AI. If HR sticks to incremental changes, they’ll miss the chance to shape the workforce for what’s next.
Why it matters for HR: AI isn’t just about automating tasks or making things run smoother. It’s about transforming what work looks like, what skills are needed, and how companies organize themselves. HR has to lead the charge in reskilling employees, rethinking job roles, and building a culture that’s ready for constant change. If HR only focuses on small improvements, they risk leaving their organizations unprepared for the bigger shifts AI will force across every industry.
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Agentic AI shifts from prompts to autonomy
Agentic AI builds on large language models to create systems that don’t just respond to prompts but proactively tackle tasks. These AI agents follow a four-step process: they perceive information from various sources, reason through problems, act by connecting to external tools, and learn from past solutions. Unlike traditional generative AI, agentic AI can automate multi-step tasks, like diagnosing and initiating repairs in a factory, without waiting for human instructions. This approach promises to make businesses more efficient and is seen as a key technology for the future of digital enterprises.
Why it matters for HR: Agentic AI matters for HR because it shifts the role of AI from a passive tool to an active partner. Instead of just answering questions or processing requests, agentic AI can monitor HR systems, flag issues like compliance risks or employee churn, and even kick off solutions. More on agents below!
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Five must‑read pieces on AI agents at work
Brian Heger curates five key resources on AI agents in the workplace. The list starts with broad trends and narrows to specific research. Microsoft Worklab covers how AI agents are changing workforce planning and roles. Harvard Business Review explains how AI agents are becoming digital teammates and offers seven steps for integrating them into teams. McKinsey shows how agentic AI can deliver measurable value, including a case study where a bank cut credit memo turnaround by 30%. Deloitte uses personas to illustrate how AI agents personalize onboarding and support leadership. MIT research finds that human-AI teams outperform human-only teams, with personality traits affecting collaboration outcomes.
Why it matters for HR: This shift matters for HR because AI agents aren’t just automating tasks, as I’ve talked about here before, they’re becoming digital teammates. That means HR needs to rethink workforce planning, job design, and the skills employees need. The human-to-agent ratio will impact team structures and collaboration. HR will have to lead on reskilling, integrating AI into hybrid teams, and ensuring that people and AI work together productively. The bottom line: HR’s role is moving from process management to orchestrating a dynamic, tech-enabled workforce.
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