Ripple effects | CHROs cannot afford AI inertia as experts warn of skills & culture 'atrophy'

In 2024, an IMF Director described the potential impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and work as a “tsunami.”

A warning deep into 2025 about AI’s mere “ripple effects,” accompanied by a picture of a softly stirring lake, may therefore feel a tad lukewarm.

But the metaphor, used by Harsh Kundulli and Katie Sutherland for their keynote at Gartner’s London Symposium earlier this week, was carefully chosen.

As employers try to figure out exactly how, where, when, and why to use the technology, headlines with conflicting verdicts on AI’s impact only add to the headache, leaving many feeling like the best option is to just wait and see, letting other, more pro-active colleagues or competitors take the lead.