Report: Nearly One-Third of Companies to Replace HR Roles with AI

Research from AI Resume Builder finds that 30% of businesses intend to lay off staff in favor of AI in 2026, with a further 21% confirming that they have already replaced specific roles with the technology this year.

Largely, respondents confirmed that these changes will be quite wide-reaching, with 49% of employers that intend to replace staff planning to let go of between 10% and 45% of their current workforce. 7% of bosses said that 65% or more of their workforce will be affected, as per the report’s findings.

In recent months, a number of high-profile companies has made headlines by letting go of staff in favor of automation. This trend is unlikely to go away, with many believing that AI is a silver bullet solution to companies’ economic woes.

Nearly One-Third of Companies Planning to Replace HR With AI

New research from AI Resume Builder reveals that almost a third of companies are planning to replace HR employees with AI. According to the study, 30% of companies plan to replace staff with AI in 2026, while an added 21% confirmed that they had already replaced HR roles with AI this year.

The changes themselves will be pretty substantial, with a significant portion of respondents (49%) stating that between 10% and 45% of their current workforce could expect to be replaced by AI. A further 7% estimated that 65% or more of their staff would be affected.

The report surveyed 1,250 business leaders to better understand how companies plan to integrate AI into their workforce in 2026. The findings paint a bleak picture for employees everywhere, with a high proportion of senior leaders united in their belief that AI can replace sections of the workforce. Recently, it emerged that half of HR executives were already using AI in a bid to make better hires.

Customer Service Roles Most Likely to Feel AI Sting

Elsewhere, the report indicates that customer service roles are the most likely to be replaced with AI in 2026, with 54% of respondents in agreement. Administrative or clerical jobs are next up at 49%, followed by IT and technical support at 47%.

Reportedly, these functions already overlap with the areas in which AI is most commonly used, including data analysis (61%), summarizing meetings and documents (58%), and research (56%). Therefore, the leap to automation will be a lot smoother.

But rather than posing an existential threat to people’s roles, this shift presents an opportunity for many. According to Rachel Serwetz, career advisor at AI Resume Builder: “Professionals should start by learning the AI tools most relevant to their field. For example, if AI is adopted for customer service, administrative, or IT work, there will still be a need for people to manage and oversee those tools.”

Workers Under Pressure to Adapt in Evolving Climate

One thing that is certain is that employees will need to adapt in order to survive the shifting workplace climate. According to the report, the majority of business leaders (67%) already consider AI skills to be highly desirable and something they will look for as they make hires in 2026.

At the same time, bosses expect workers to be able to produce a higher volume of work because of AI. As per the report, 17% of respondents expect “significantly more” output, 36% expect “a lot more,” and 39% “a little more.”

All signs indicate that proficiency with AI is a great way to get ahead in the modern workplace. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to the best free AI courses that you can take in November. The writing is on the wall: workers who don’t take action soon risk being left behind.