A Gartner, Inc. survey of 105 HR leaders on June 21 revealed that just 5% of HR leaders report their function has already implemented generative AI, while another 9% reported they are currently conducting generative AI pilots.

“More than half of HR leaders surveyed by Gartner said they are currently exploring how they can use generative AI with nothing in place yet,” said Dion Love, vice president of advisory in the Gartner HR practice. “Conversely, 14% of HR leaders are not planning to use generative AI in the near-term.”

HR leaders responding to the Gartner survey said that HR operations – administrative tasks, policies, document generation – and recruiting, including job descriptions, are the most prioritized use cases within their organizations currently.

“Progressive organizations will begin to broaden how they use generative AI – for instance, our June 21 survey revealed more than one-quarter of HR leaders are planning to use generative AI to develop personalized career development plans,” said Helen Poitevin, distinguished vice president analyst in the Gartner HR practice.

HR’s Role in Their Organization’s Generative AI Plans

Gartner’s survey revealed that of the 167 HR leaders who responded, more than 60% are participating in enterprise-wide discussions around their organization’s use of generative AI. Fifty-eight percent of HR leaders reported that they are collaborating with IT leaders and 45% are collaborating with their organization’s legal and compliance function to explore the potential use cases.

“HR expects to take a leading role in the evolution of generative AI; 35% of the 133 HR leaders who responded to Gartner’s survey expect to lead their organization’s enterprise-wide AI ethics approach,” noted Poitevin.

Generative AI Within HR

Among 177 HR leaders surveyed, 84% believe that generative AI will make existing HR activities more productive, while two-thirds think generative AI will eliminate redundant activities within the function.

“Our survey revealed that most HR leaders expect a decrease in headcount within the HR function once generative AI is implemented due to the increased efficiency,” said Love.

Learn more about Generative AI from Gartner Experts in the Gartner Generative AI Hub.

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