Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer the stuff of science fiction. As the technology matures, organizations across every sector are embedding AI into processes that range from recruitment to performance management and from budgeting to product design. This transformation is not only technical—it is profoundly human. Laith Saud, founder of Human After, argues that AI is not a productivity tool; it represents a new kind of relationship that mediates every interaction in the workplace. According to Saud, the relationship between employer and employee, manager and subordinate, and worker and task will all be influenced, filtered, or even governed by intelligent systems.
For Human Resources (HR) leaders and board advisors, this shift has far-reaching implications. HR executives are uniquely positioned to manage AI as part of the labour force, yet they risk being displaced by information or technology officers. Boards, for their part, are no longer satisfied with custodians of yesterday’s workforce; they want interpreters of tomorrow’s. This article draws from Saud’s thought leadership and other research to explore how HR leaders and board advisors can harness AI, embrace human-centred leadership, and build strategic partnerships with boards.
AI as Relationship, Not Tool
One of Laith Saud’s most provocative ideas is that artificial intelligence is not a glorified spreadsheet. Many executives make a category error when they treat AI solely as a productivity tool; Saud contends it is a new kind of relationship. This paradigm shift requires HR leaders to rethink the way they design work. AI will mediate the relationship between employer and employee, manager and subordinate, and worker and task. Instead of simply automating tasks, intelligent systems will interpret human behaviour, predict outcomes and influence decisions—a dynamic that demands ethical and cultural oversight.
HR’s Strategic Role in the AI Relationship
Saud believes that HR departments are uniquely suited to govern this new relationship. Legal functions can set boundaries; IT can build infrastructure; operations can deploy tools. But none of these functions are designed to manage the complex, intimate, and consequential relationships that will develop between humans and intelligent systems. HR professionals have long been the guardians of culture, interpreters of human motivation, and designers of organizational trust. AI doesn’t eliminate these responsibilities; it amplifies them.
Every algorithm introduced into hiring, evaluation, or workforce planning carries implicit cultural assumptions and power dynamics. If left unchecked, those assumptions can reinforce biases or exacerbate inequities. HR leaders must therefore interpret, shape, and communicate these dynamics so that AI becomes a force for good rather than a mechanism for dehumanization. To treat AI merely as an instrument is to ignore its mediating power; HR leaders who grasp this will become stewards of the future social fabric of work. Those who fail to evolve risk reducing their departments to compliance offices that implement someone else’s vision.
Board Advisors as Interpreters, Not Custodians
Saud warns that boards don’t want custodians of yesterday’s workforce; they want interpreters of tomorrow’s. AI integration is not a routine upgrade; it is a civilizational shift that will reorganize the very architecture of labour relations. Every layer of the employer–employee relationship—from recruitment and evaluation to governance and culture—will be mediated by AI systems that interpret, predict, and influence human behaviour. HR executives must claim ownership of this transformation. If they don’t, other departments—typically legal or operations—will define the parameters of AI integration through the narrow lenses of compliance and efficiency.
Boards are looking for leaders who can articulate AI’s implications not as a technology story but as a human story. Board advisors who can interpret how intelligent systems reshape organizational values, structures, and trust will be indispensable. Those who see AI purely as a software adoption risk outsourcing the heart of HR to technical functions.
HR and Board Dynamics in the AI Era
As AI becomes pervasive, the visibility and importance of Human Resources at the board level are steadily increasing. A recent article from AIHR notes that enhanced governance oversight and recognition of HR as a strategic contributor are driving this rise. Yet for many chief human resources officers (CHROs), managing the HR–board relationship is a new experience; many report feeling unprepared for board expectations, and 39% wish they were more prepared to engage with boards.
The CHRO’s Four Agendas
According to AIHR, the CHRO at the board level is owner of four distinct agendas:
- People strategy and risk agenda – The CHRO champions the people strategy, helping the board understand the employer brand, market positioning regarding talent and skills, and the risks that must be managed to ensure a productive environment. This includes risks such as AI-driven changes to work, remote-work complexities, and socio-political unrest.
- Talent, skills, and sustainability agenda – As custodian of talent and skills, the CHRO keeps the board informed about approaches to sustainability, attraction, and retention of critical skills. The rise of AI means organizations must constantly develop digital competencies and address skills gaps.
- Culture, engagement, and productivity agenda – The CHRO clarifies the desired organizational culture and employee engagement, showing the board how specific HR initiatives drive productivity.
- Workforce diversity agenda – The CHRO promotes diversity and inclusion, ensuring the board understands workforce dynamics beyond demographic data.
These agendas illustrate why HR belongs in the boardroom. In fact, a Spencer Stuart survey cited by AIHR found that 93% of 200 surveyed CHROs regularly attend board meetings and 81% are actively involved in CEO succession. This growing presence underscores the strategic importance of HR in guiding AI adoption and workforce transformations.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite improved representation, clarity regarding the CHRO’s role remains a challenge. Many boards still view the CHRO primarily as a manager of people risks, focused on compliance. Some CHROs themselves are uncertain about how to engage with the board and which topics to present. Additionally, board composition influences understanding of the HR agenda; more than 27% of board members come from financial backgrounds, and they often prefer recruiting former CEOs or CFOs. Such boards may not fully grasp HR’s value, leading to exclusion from critical conversations or dismissal of HR suggestions.
For board advisors, these challenges highlight the need for strategic communication. Advisors must help boards see AI and HR not merely as cost centers but as strategic levers for innovation, culture, and risk management. Laith Saud’s insights on AI as a relationship provide a human-centred narrative that can bridge gaps between technical and human considerations.
Laith Saud’s Leadership Philosophy and Board Advisor Perspective
Beyond his work on AI and HR, Laith Saud has built a reputation as a thought leader who blends philosophy, social science, and leadership. His academic career began at the University of Chicago, where he studied philosophy, social science, and history. Saud’s background in martial arts, taught by his father Sabah Saud, instilled discipline and strategic thinking—qualities that influence his approach to leadership.
Saud co-founded ManAfter in 2017 with colleagues from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. In his words, he founded ManAfter not only to help men but to help everyone involved in family life—whether during divorce or parenting. He believes all challenges are responsibilities and that responsibility requires leadership. He teaches people how to be leaders in their own lives, making the world better for everyone. This philosophy translates to the workplace: leadership is about taking responsibility for complex challenges, including the integration of AI.
His Human After platform offers succinct insights to help HR executives navigate the future of work. The site emphasizes that HR executives are uniquely positioned to manage AI as part of the labour force while being vulnerable to displacement by information and technology officers. Saud’s scholarly background lends credibility to his ideas and positions him as a board advisor who understands both the technical and human sides of AI.
Case Study: Redefining HR for an AI-Mediated Workforce
Consider a multinational manufacturing company, Acme Industries, where the board is debating whether to implement a predictive analytics platform to automate performance evaluations. The chief technology officer frames the platform as a productivity tool that will cut administrative hours. HR, however, is concerned about algorithmic bias and employee trust.
Drawing on Laith Saud’s perspective, the board advisor reframes the conversation: the predictive analytics platform is not just a tool; it is a relationship mediator that will influence the bond between manager and employee. The advisor encourages the board to appoint HR as the owner of the AI relationship, responsible for ensuring that the algorithm reflects the company’s values and does not reinforce existing power imbalances. A cross-functional team led by HR conducts a bias audit, integrates an ethics review into algorithm development, and implements a feedback loop with employees. During implementation, HR holds workshops to teach managers how to interpret algorithmic recommendations as one input among many, not as directives. The board now sees AI as part of the company’s social contract and recognizes HR’s strategic role. As a result, employee trust in the system remains high, and performance evaluations become both data-driven and human-centred.
This example illustrates how board advisors and HR leaders can apply Saud’s approach. By emphasizing Artificial Intelligence as a relationship rather than a tool, they can design governance structures that protect culture and ethics while leveraging AI’s efficiency. Such a case also demonstrates the four CHRO agendas: people strategy (aligning AI with culture), talent and skills (developing digital literacy), culture and engagement (inviting employee feedback), and diversity (auditing for bias).
Future Outlook: Integrating AI and HR with Human-Centred Leadership
The next decade will see Artificial Intelligence continue its march into HR processes: generative AI will craft personalized learning plans, predictive analytics will anticipate workforce needs, and conversational agents will answer employee queries in real time. Yet the ultimate promise and peril of AI lie in its ability to mediate relationships. As AI shifts from administrative assistant to co-decision maker, HR leaders must be fluent in both human and machine languages.
Preparing HR Executives for AI Integration
- Develop AI literacy and ethics frameworks – HR executives should invest in education to understand how algorithms operate, the biases they may contain, and how to build fair systems. Leveraging AI ethically requires cross-disciplinary skills in data science, sociology, and law.
- Elevate HR’s role on boards – Boards must recognize that HR is not merely a compliance function. CHROs should insist on regular board attendance and lead discussions about talent, culture, and technology strategies.
- Frame AI decisions as human decisions – Instead of positioning AI as a replacement for human judgment, board advisors should emphasize AI’s role as a partner that informs—but does not dictate—decisions.
- Champion diversity and inclusion in AI systems – As AI moves deeper into HR, ensuring that algorithms do not perpetuate bias must be a top priority.
- Cultivate continuous learning – AI’s rapid evolution requires a growth mindset. HR professionals and board advisors should continuously scan technological trends, participate in cross-functional teams, and invest in upskilling programmes that keep them ahead of disruptions.
Broader Implications for Leadership and Society
AI’s integration into Human Resources heralds broader cultural shifts. In Saud’s view, the future of work will be negotiated not only between humans but between humans and intelligent systems. This negotiation extends beyond the workplace, influencing education, governance, and community life. Leaders must therefore adopt a human-after approach—recognizing that technology should serve human wellbeing, not the other way around. This perspective echoes Saud’s personal philosophy: leadership is about teaching people to be responsible and to lead in their own lives.
Conclusion
Artificial Intelligence promises extraordinary efficiency, insight, and innovation, yet its real power lies in its ability to reshape human relationships. Laith Saud’s Human After philosophy urges us to view AI not as a tool, but as a relationship. For HR leaders and board advisors, this means shifting from transactional management to stewardship of a new social contract. By embracing AI as a mediator of relationships, championing ethical and inclusive systems, and positioning HR at the strategic heart of organizations, leaders can ensure that AI enhances rather than diminishes our humanity. The future of work will belong to those who act as interpreters of tomorrow’s workforce—translating between humans and machines to build workplaces that are productive, equitable, and deeply human.
