How AI is blurring lines of HR and IT

When Moderna announced the merger of its HR and IT departments under the leadership of its Chief People Officer, it marked more than a structural realignment—it signaled a new direction in how organizations are rethinking the architecture of work. As artificial intelligence takes on increasingly human-adjacent roles, the boundary between workforce strategy and systems design is beginning to dissolve.

This convergence is no longer hypothetical. AI tools are now embedded into daily HR operations—from onboarding and policy guidance to performance analytics and employee support. As organizations pursue efficiencies across both people and machines, HR and IT are being tasked with co-managing a hybrid workforce that includes AI agents as operational actors.

Redesigning Work Around Human-Machine Collaboration

The driving force behind this trend is the question: What work should be done by people, and what by machines?

Companies are beginning to unbundle traditional roles into discrete tasks and match those tasks with the most capable “worker”—human or algorithm. Routine and repeatable tasks are increasingly automated, while people are redeployed to focus on areas requiring strategic thought, emotional intelligence, and ethical judgment.

This redesign requires much closer collaboration between HR and IT than ever before. Together, they must define not just the tools and policies, but the workflows, governance, and culture of a digitally integrated workplace.

Evolving Leadership Roles

As AI moves from backend to employee-facing applications, the traditional domain of the CIO is overlapping with that of the CHRO. The result may not be a displacement, but an evolution of leadership roles—potentially into a joint responsibility model, or even the emergence of new C-suite positions that blend workforce and technology leadership. Titles like “Chief Work Officer” or “Chief People Systems Officer” may emerge to reflect the growing need for integrated governance of AI-powered work environments.

In the near term, this shift requires tighter cross-functional planning between people and systems teams. Strategic talent decisions must now be made with a full understanding of AI’s capacity, risks, and requirements.

The Disappearing Entry-Level

Perhaps the most disruptive consequence of AI adoption is the automation of entry-level roles. Historically, junior positions have provided workers with on-the-job training, contextual learning, and opportunities to develop professional judgment. Without these foundational experiences, the path from potential to proficiency could become increasingly narrow.

While AI may handle routine tasks efficiently, it cannot replace the developmental value of those tasks for human workers. This change risks creating a workforce with fewer opportunities to build core competencies early in their careers.

Rebuilding the Talent Pipeline

To address this, employers must invest in new models of skill development. Apprenticeships, structured job simulations, and role-based learning pathways can help provide the experiential knowledge once gained through traditional roles. Internal academies, peer mentoring, and AI-assisted learning platforms will play an important role in bridging the gap between education and execution.

This also requires a cultural shift. Employers must stop viewing junior talent as cost centers for repetitive work, and start viewing them as long-term investments in decision-making, leadership, and adaptability.

Designing Responsibly at Speed

As AI is woven into workforce design, speed and flexibility are accelerating—but they also demand intentional governance. As noted in I, Human by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic:

“With AI, the process of design-test-feedback can happen in milliseconds instead of weeks. In the future, the tunable design parameters and speed will only increase, thus broadening our possible applications for human-inspired design.”

This agility is powerful—but it must be paired with ethical oversight, skill-building, and inclusion. Without these, organizations risk building systems that are efficient but brittle, scalable but inequitable.

Conclusion

Moderna’s decision to merge HR and IT may soon look less like a radical move and more like a blueprint for the future. As AI reshapes how work is done and by whom, organizations must revisit not just their tech stacks, but their talent strategies and team structures. The winners will be those who embrace this convergence with clarity, balance, and a deep understanding of how people and technology can complement—not compete with—each other.