The Role of HR in AI: Actors or Bystanders of Change?
Is the HR function a stakeholder in AI projects or a mere spectator?
According to the 1st Barometer of AI in HR in Canada (NexaRH and Parlons RH, 2026), HR acts mostly as a partner: its role is active on personal information protection (61%), change management and training (51% and 50%), but only 8% take part in steering the governance of AI projects.
Key figures on the role of HR in AI
For 3 out of 6 aspects of AI, HR most often acts as a partner, and sometimes as a decision-maker.
61% of respondents see HR in an active role on personal information protection.
51% and 50% of HR play an active role in AI change management and training.
8% of HR professionals help steer the governance of AI projects.
4% contribute to thinking about the company's revenue streams.
3.1 A function at the crossroads
HR actively positions itself or is naturally engaged in issues regarding personal data protection, skills development, and change management support.
Regarding personal data protection (PDP), Québec’s Bill 25 requires them to remain the owners of sensitive data concerning personnel information. As such, 23% report being decision-makers in personal data protection. Before any investment decision in HR technologies, the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is mandated by law in Québec. A genuine governance tool applicable to AI, this assessment applies to all companies. Consequently, within small and medium-sized organizations, HR leaders often become Responsible for Personal Data Protection (RPD).
AI acts as a stress test for leadership teams. Yet, it is noted that HR only plays an active role in technological, economic, and social disruptions half of the time.
Thus, to support AI skill development, HR is involved as decision-makers at 18% and as partners at 32%.
To support business units implementing AI, HR is engaged to facilitate change. Thirteen percent (13%) play a decision-making role in this area, and 38% act as partners.
While alignment is critical to staying agile and supporting augmented expertise, HR are not fully leveraged. The human expertise of HR remains an underutilized asset for the success of ongoing transformations.
3.2 Bringing HR out of the shadows!
Proximity to the decision-making team is lacking, even though HR can specifically contribute to workforce strategies, engagement, the design, and transformation of work and organizations.
The strategic role of HR is more relevant than ever, but it is not fully realized. Too often seen solely as a technical challenge, AI radically tests strategies, revenues, jobs, and skills, forcing the inclusion of the human factor in the acceleration equation.
Interview: Laurent Barcelo, Senior Vice-President, Innovation, COFOMO
“AI makes the HR function a central player, not just an intermediary.”
What maturity gaps do you observe between AI leaders and organizations that are just getting started? How can capacity be built more quickly?
The findings of the Barometer reveal a situation that strongly echoes the early days of the Internet wave. At the time, organizations showed great enthusiasm for a technology perceived as revolutionary, while their operational maturity remained largely embryonic. Today, a similar dynamic is unfolding with AI.
As was the case at the turn of the 2000s, there is also a clear divide between large organizations and SMEs. The former have the governance structures, systems and skills required to leverage AI effectively, while the latter, despite often having the most to gain, struggle to cross the threshold due to limited resources and poorly structured data.
To accelerate capacity building, organizations, and SMEs in particular, do not need to implement heavy governance models or complex architectures. Progress instead comes from a few structuring actions: clarifying simple rules for AI use in an HR context, ensuring a minimum level of order in essential data (roles, skills, training), and selecting one or two concrete use cases capable of easing the workload of teams.
Which technological or organizational risks remain underestimated today in HR AI projects?
Several risks can be observed in HR AI projects, but two stand out as being particularly underestimated.
The first is the tendency to confuse organizational adoption of AI with the use of off-the-shelf AI tools such as ChatGPT or Copilot. In a way, this is equivalent to believing that an organization has “entered the digital age” simply because it has a website. This can create a false sense of maturity that delays the real transformation initiatives.
Another point of caution concerns the gap between technological promises and operational reality. When too much weight is given to “dream sellers”, this gap can undermine teams’ trust and weaken adoption efforts.
How can collaboration between CIOs or CTOs and HR decision-makers be improved to build a coherent AI roadmap despite fragmented initiatives?
AI does more than introduce new tools, it is transforming roles, skills and learning models. It positions HR as a central actor rather than a peripheral contributor. In other words, it makes little sense to build a credible AI roadmap without HR having a full seat at the table.
IT teams can and must support this evolution from a technological standpoint, but they should not act as co-architects of the change itself. This clear division of responsibilities must be reflected in governance mechanisms; otherwise, the AI roadmap will remain misaligned with real human and organizational needs.
The 7 parts of the AI in HR Barometer 2026
Chapter 3. HR: actors or bystanders of change? (you are here)
Frequently asked questions
What role does HR play in AI projects?
According to the 2026 AI in HR Barometer, HR acts mostly as a partner. Its role is most active on personal information protection (61%), change management (51%) and training (50%).
Does HR steer AI governance?
Rarely. Only 8% of respondents say their HR department takes part in steering the governance of AI projects.
Why should HR get more involved in AI projects?
Because AI transforms jobs, skills and the organization of work. HR holds the expertise in human behaviour, ethics and compliance that is essential for successful adoption.
Source and methodology
Source: 1st Barometer of AI in HR in Canada, 2026 edition, published by NexaRH in collaboration with Parlons RH. Pan-Canadian online survey conducted from October 1 to November 30, 2025 among 336 respondents (80% HR professionals within organizations, 20% HR service providers), in French and English, complemented by a discussion workshop with HR vice-presidents on November 12, 2025.
Read the full overview: 1st Barometer of AI in HR in Canada 2026.
Next chapter: Risks and limitations: AI under close surveillance.
How to cite this barometer
NexaRH and Parlons RH (2026). 1st Barometer of AI in HR in Canada, 2026 edition. Survey of 336 HR professionals, October and November 2025. Available at: www.nexarh.com/en/post/ai-hr-barometer-canada-2026
Comments