Welcome back to this week’s P | A | C | T news, your newsletter by Tech Talent North.
As AI accelerates, hybrid work persists, and economic uncertainty grows, many HR leaders are asking: what does the future of HR really look like and how do we prepare our organizations for it?
From the rise of experimentation cultures to the risk of hesitation holding organizations back, the challenges ahead demand courage, clarity and leadership rooted in trust.
That’s why this week, we sat down with Rocky Ozaki, Founder & CEO of The NoW of Work. With a background spanning corporate leadership, startup tech, and organizational transformation, Rocky brings his honest perspective on what it takes for People & Culture leaders to guide their organizations through this new era.
His insights shed light on why HR must embrace a more modern, strategic identity, how AI adoption is as much about culture
Key takeaways:
- AI adoption = culture transformation. It’s less about tools and more about trust, communication, and leading transformation.
- Experimentation beats perfection. There are no guaranteed wins in AI, instead progress comes from learning fast and failing forward.
- Experimentation beats perfection. There are no guaranteed wins in AI, instead progress comes from learning fast and failing forward.
Why Hesitation Is The Real Risk
Rocky has watched organizations wrestle with AI adoption and sees hesitation, not complacency, as the real barrier.
“I used to think the biggest impediment was complacency. But what I’ve realized is that it’s actually hesitation and a lack of courage to make tough decisions.”
In an era where technology is evolving exponentially, leaders who hesitate risk falling behind faster than ever before. For HR, the lesson is clear: waiting for the perfect AI solution or the perfect plan is not an option.
A Culture Of Experimentation
If hesitation is dangerous, experimentation is the antidote.
“You must create a culture of experimentation…there are no slam dunks or silver bullets in AI today.”
For Rocky, the future belongs to organizations that normalize failure as part of progress.
AI tools are still evolving, and many won’t deliver exactly what they promise. But rather than seeing this as a roadblock, HR can model the kind of experimentation mindset that unlocks learning, agility, and innovation across the business.
The Modern HR Mandate
Rocky is clear-eyed about where HR has been and where it needs to go.
“Respectfully speaking, it’s my view that HR has historically been one of the slowest departments to adopt technology data and analytics… We can never take the people out of people and culture. That’s why you exist.”
In his view, modern HR means stepping away from administrative tasks and toward shaping the employee experience. AI and automation can and should take on transactional work. What remains is HR’s true superpower: building safe, human-centered workplaces where talent thrives.
“For the foreseeable future, every organization is going to win with people. So, understanding what the modern employee experience [is]… making people feel safe; even in the context of AI Adoption.”
This isn’t about removing the human touch, instead it’s about elevating it.
HR At The Center Of AI Adoption
Rocky sees AI as an inflection point for People & Culture leaders:
“AI adoption is more about culture and transformation and change management as it is about the technology. What do HR and People & Culture leaders generally excel at? People say they’re great at culture transformation, change management… Who better to lead that?”
In other words, HR doesn’t just deserve a seat at the table in conversations about AI adoption, it should be setting the agenda.
“Raise your hand if you’re excited about it, raise your hand to be an AI champion… help to cascade the frameworks for broad adoption, solving real human problems within your organization.”
By anchoring AI adoption in culture and communication, HR can ensure that technology enhances human potential rather than replacing it.
The Line Is Being Drawn
Rocky is optimistic about organizations’ ability to adapt but he doesn’t shy away from the reality that some will be left behind.
“The companies that are leading the way, the first movers, the fast followers, they’re going to leave everyone else in the dust really quickly here.”
The differentiator won’t be technology alone. It will be leadership, specifically, leaders willing to build cultures of trust, experimentation, and adaptability in the face of exponential change.
“This is why a framework for adopting AI is so important and I’ll be sharing this framework at TTNW 2025”
What This Means For People & Culture Leaders
The message for HR is both a challenge and an invitation.
From policy driven to culture driven. From hesitant to courageous. From transactional to transformational.
Rocky’s perspective points to three imperatives for HR leaders today:
- Lead AI adoption as a culture initiative, not a tech rollout.
- Build experimentation into your DNA, failure is learning.
- Double down on employee experience, where people feel safe, innovation follows.
For HR and People & Culture leaders, this moment is an opportunity to redefine what leadership looks like in the age of AI.
As Rocky reminds us, the future of HR isn’t about doing less, it’s about doing what only people can do best: shaping trust, building culture, and ensuring technology serves humanity.
Editor’s Note: Rocky Ozaki will also be delivering the closing keynote at Tech Talent North Western Edition. Don’t miss the chance to hear his powerful insights live as he helps HR leaders reimagine their role in leading the AI era.
