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    Brain Circuits

    Spot the difference: Traditional AI vs GenAI for CHROs  

    by Didier Bonnet Published June 25, 2025 in Brain Circuits • 3 min read

    Many CHROs have yet to understand the implications of GenAI for their employees. Test your knowledge of how it differs from ‘traditional’ forms and check out the tips on integrating GenAI tools into the workforce.

    Welcome to your quiz Traditional AI vs GenAI: Spot the difference

    AI won’t benefit all employees equally. Assuming you train it on best practices, who is most likely to gain?

    A main imperative of ‘traditional’ AI was the need to hire people with highly specialized skills. How does GenAI differ in this respect?

    In terms of human capital, what should you focus on as a priority?

     

    How to integrate GenAI tools into the workforce

     

    Decide on the key elements of AI training

    • One size does not fit all. Some employees will need to focus on day-to-day operations, while others will use AI as a creative tool to support product development and innovation.

     

    Don’t abandon the tried and tested

    • Training should include a significant experiential component, allowing employees to adapt AI capabilities to their individual learning styles and roles, but without abandoning tried and tested development strategies.

     

    Support experimentation

    • Support workers in finding time to experiment with AI more broadly, share best practices with colleagues, and keep up with relevant developments.

     

    Remain sensitive to employee perceptions

    • The impact of GenAI will not be uniform across job functions or generations: communication and messaging matter, so make sure to lead with an augmentation mindset.

     

    Be aware of the implications of applying AI at scale

    • Be conscious of the ethical risks and dangers that employees will need to manage, such as the possibility of AI hallucinations.

     

    Key learning

    As CHRO, no one expects you to become a technical expert, but having a firm grasp of the fundamentals of GenAI will help you shape an intelligent approach to its adoption. The priority is to enable your employees to interact effectively with the technology, so they can better instruct GenAI to optimize results and drive business performance.

     

    Further reading

    Winning in the AI era: HR in the driving seat  

    Do you know the 6 superpowers that all chief diversity officers should have?

    The 6 essential competencies of chief diversity officers

    AI Is Reshaping Work—It’s Time For CHROs To Lead The Change

    Authors

    Didier Bonnet

    Professor of Strategy and Digital Transformation

    Didier Bonnet is Professor of Strategy and Digital Transformation at IMD and program co-director for Digital Transformation in Practice (DTIP). He also teaches strategy and digital transformation in several open programs such as Leading Digital Business Transformation (LDBT), Digital Execution (DE) and Digital Transformation for Boards (DTB). He has more than 30 years’ experience in strategy development and business transformation for a range of global clients.

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