Taking the Plunge: My Journey Creating the First AI-Hosted HR Podcast

You know what’s funny? After 20+ years in HR, I thought I’d seen it all. But here I am, running what might be the wildest experiment of my career: an HR podcast hosted entirely by AI. I named it “HR Spoonfuls with Alex and Ivy,” and let me tell you, it’s been quite the ride.

I didn’t do this just to be different. As I am watching AI reshape everything around us, I realize we HR folks need to get our hands dirty with this technology. Not just read about it – actually work with it. And what better way than jumping in headfirst?

Let me share what I’ve learned so far – the good, the bad, and the honestly surprising.

The Good Stuff First

I’ll admit it – when I first “met” Alex and Ivy (our AI hosts), I was blown away. These digital dynamos never sleep, never call in sick, and never have an off day. For our global HR community working across time zones, that’s huge.

Here’s what really knocked my socks off: During the creation of one episode, Alex crunched data from 5,000 companies in minutes. Minutes! That kind of analysis would’ve taken my team weeks. And when it comes to touchy subjects? These AI hosts don’t bring personal baggage to the table – no axes to grind, no hidden agendas.

Plus, my wallet’s pretty happy. No studio rentals, no scheduling nightmares, no last-minute cancellations. For smaller HR departments watching their pennies, this could be a game-changer.

The Not-So-Great Parts

But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The biggest issue? You can’t replace the human touch with ones and zeros. There’ve been times when Alex and Ivy’s responses to emotional workplace situations felt about as warm as a corporate handbook. Even though they do a pretty good job at faking human sentiment, they can spout facts all day long, but they can’t truly understand what it feels like to handle a difficult termination or help an employee through a crisis.

I’ve also become something of a bias detective. While AI might not have human prejudices, it’s got its own quirks. I’m constantly checking to make sure Alex and Ivy aren’t accidentally perpetuating stereotypes or making unfair assumptions based on their training data.

And don’t get me started on data privacy headaches. Keeping sensitive information secure while feeding our AI hosts enough data to be useful? It’s like walking a tightrope.

Then there’s the elephant in the room: jobs. As someone who’s created an AI podcast, I can’t ignore the question – what does this mean for human HR professionals? It keeps me up at night sometimes.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Here’s what I’ve figured out: It’s not about AI versus humans – it’s about AI plus humans. Think of it like a partnership. AI can be our super-powered research assistant, crunching numbers and spotting patterns. But we need human hearts and minds to make sense of it all and apply it to real-world situations.

We can’t just sit back and let AI happen to HR. We need to roll up our sleeves and help shape how this technology fits into our field. That means keeping a close eye on bias, protecting privacy, and always, always making sure the human perspective isn’t lost.

I started this podcast as an experiment, but it’s turned into something bigger – a sometimes-heated conversation about the future of our profession. And trust me, it’s a conversation we all need to be part of.

Let’s face it – AI isn’t going anywhere. But neither is the need for human wisdom in HR. The magic will happen when we figure out how to blend the best of both worlds.

I’m still learning every day from this adventure, and I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with AI in HR. After all, we’re in this together!

Lisa Smith, SPHR, SCP, is a senior HR consultant with over 20 years of experience and the creator of AIforHRHub.com and HelpDeskforHR.com.