Employers appear to be growing more certain about the decision to use AI agents to replace employees, and human resources jobs are not safe from this eventuality. A new survey revealed that 30% of companies are hoping to replace HR with AI next year, with 21% claiming that they have already replaced specific roles with AI in 2025. The desire to automate work is simple enough to understand, eliminating paperwork and human error where possible. The problem arises when we start to remove the human aspect of people-facing roles. With the resistance we’ve witnessed to AI-based customer service operations, we expect that a total replacement of HR roles with AI may still be a while away.
The preoccupation with the AI bubble shows no signs of slowing down as employers double down on their desire to replace HR with AI. (Image: Pexels)
Employers Want To Replace HR with AI by 2026: Is This a Feasible Strategy?
Not a day goes by that artificial intelligence doesn’t make an appearance in one form or another, whether it’s the scattering of AI technology in all our apps and services, or the constant stream of reports either overestimating or undermining its capabilities. The possibility of AI taking over traditional responsibilities has already been teased, with many signs pointing to businesses having already started to replace entry-level roles with AI. Layoffs have also dominated the conversation this year, with businesses claiming to have increased their investments in this novel technology.
Now, a survey from AI Resume Builder found that 1 in 5 companies have replaced some jobs with AI already in 2025, with 3 in 10 planning to do so in 2026. The survey also claims that 59% of its respondents believe that AI will replace 10% of their existing workforce. Additionally, 10% of companies expect that AI could replace 50% or more of the employee headcount.
These numbers are unsurprising and match up to previous reports from organizations that claim that many jobs are set to evolve thanks to the new technology. Some have painted this as a benefit for employees, suggesting that this change could help simplify the repetitive parts of their job to free them up for creative pursuits, but this reasoning has done little to placate employees.
With Predictions of AI Replacing Employees in 2026, Which Jobs Are at Risk?
Administrative and customer service roles face the greatest risks due to the conveniences of task automation, with IT and technical support following closely behind. This is unsurprising as a range of companies, from Salesforce to Vercel, have already begun making transitions towards relying on AI agents to replace support team employees. AI tools have seemingly proven themselves in data analytics and assistant-based roles, and the temptation to utilize these strengths is hard for employers to resist.
The survey also found that 30% of respondents plan to replace HR with AI, and much like with the previous findings, we have seen evidence of this take shape. AI tools have been employed in various stages of the recruitment process, from filtering out candidates to interviewing them. Some of these experiments with AI have been unfruitful, turning potential applicants away at once, but employers are determined to make it work.
With limited AI regulations in place to govern the use of AI in hiring and employment, employers have managed to continue their experiments unfettered. IBM is a leading example of a business that has explored HR roles and their AI replacements in great detail, and it has found some success with the transition, even announcing its own layoffs recently. The evidence of companies planning to replace roles with AI is there to see, and yet we may be overestimating what is achievable with the AI we have today.
Can AI Perform HR Jobs?
With time and some refinement, it is conceivable that AI could perform most jobs with some degree of ease, even if there is the occasional risk of errors and hallucinations. The question is, should organizations plan to replace HR with AI? It’s certainly a risky proposition. Although the image of HR teams has evolved from being employee confidants to the primary villains in the workplace, there is something to be said about the human touch and connection they bring to their roles.
The sense of empathy and understanding that shines through during hiring often makes employees feel more at ease and able to perform to their best. Their diplomatic but sensitive approach can resolve conflicts within the workplace. Even when it comes to firings, no one likes a clinical, formulaic email to get the job done. There are a considerable number of HR jobs that can be performed by AI, but overestimating the capability of the technology and rushing to sweep employees away may be risky.
AI will inevitably replace some human employees in the coming years, maybe as early as 2026. Despite these unpleasant predictions, replacing all HR functions with AI, or all functions of any specific department with technology may be detrimental to the well-being of the organization and its dwindling workforce in the long run.
Do you think it’s healthy to replace HR with AI entirely? Share your thoughts with us. Subscribe to The HR Digest for more insights on workplace trends, layoffs, and what to expect with the advent of AI.