HR May Need 'Robot Relations' As AI Reshapes Workplaces

According to CNBC, companies may need to add a new workplace function to handle disputes involving AI systems and robot co-workers as automation spreads through offices and factories. Brookings Institution senior fellow Darrell M. West said employee concerns in the AI era will center on interactions with AI agents, cobots and large language models, and argued that businesses will need to supplement human resources with "robot relations." The article cites a California bill that would ban the use of "robo bosses" for firing or disciplining workers, a July lawsuit against Meta over AI-assisted layoff decisions, and a May survey from United for Respect showing Walmart and Amazon workers are increasingly worried about automated HR decisions. It also notes that the International Labour Organization says algorithmic management is growing across industries and that 90% of U.S. managers in an OECD survey said their firms had adopted at least one tool to instruct, monitor or evaluate workers.