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There are many challenges the modern HR leader might reasonably be expected to face, large-scale redundancies; return to office mandates; whacky well-being initiatives and unpopular leadership diktats all among them.
But… robots? In the workplace? Really? Well, it seems incredible to say, but we’re already a quarter of the way through the 21st century, so…yeah, of course. Why not? For some, it’s already a reality.
As robotics reshapes workforces, HR leaders are being asked to address safety, trust, and employee engagement in an increasingly automated environment.
More than three-quarters (77%) of global technology executives now trust robots to carry out core workplace functions, according to new research from embedded software provider QNX. Yet as businesses accelerate automation initiatives, many are encountering gaps in workplace readiness and employee confidence.
The findings point to a widening disconnect between organisational ambitions and the structures required to implement robotics safely and effectively. With 71% of firms either using or planning to adopt robotics in the near term, and one-fifth of the workforce projected to be automated by 2034, the implications for HR strategy are profound.
While the global robotics market is expected to grow from $51billion this year to $163.9billion by 2030, nearly one-third of executives surveyed admitted that their organisations are not prepared for the shift to automation. For chief people officers and business leaders, the headline reads that the future of automation depends as much on human alignment as it does on technological advancement.
Safety and trust remain decisive factors
Trust in robotics is primarily being driven by perceptions around improved safety, risk mitigation and performance reliability. These, according to QNX, are the key reasons behind growing executive confidence in deploying robotics at scale. Automation was named the most common application (50%), followed by production (46%), support functions (36%) and high-risk tasks (28%).
Despite this momentum, acceptance levels vary sharply depending on the context. Executives are far more likely to support robotics in traditional industrial roles such as assembly (77%), material handling (73%) and logistics and delivery (70%) than in customer-facing or sensitive areas.
From resistance to readiness | Successfully managing change in the workplace
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Only 55% are comfortable deploying robotics in customer service environments. Acceptance is lower still in maintenance (63%) and medical procedures (51%), highlighting that confidence in automation is not uniform across the organisation.
Those discrepancies expose key challenges for HR leaders. Employee perceptions of safety, ethical deployment, and role displacement risks differ dramatically depending on the task and team affected. There’s a need for tailored communication, scenario planning, and values-based leadership at every stage of robotics integration.
Notably, 29% of respondents reported having already experienced a robotics-related safety incident. A further 58% raised concerns about the cybersecurity risks that come with deploying automated systems into core business operations.
Then, of course, there’s the strange case of the Korean robot that “killed” itself by jumping down a flight of stairs. It seems you might even have to throw robot welfare into the mix. Although, that should probably be in the remit of the IT department.
Confidence in the use of robotics is not just a technical issue but a cultural one and HR plays a critical role in bridging any gap between the two.
“Trust is fragile and can easily be broken if robotics are built and deployed without the necessary foundational software to make them performant, safe, secure and reliable,” said Jim Hirsch, Vice President of General Embedded Markets at QNX.
Confidence in robotics is not just a technical issue but a cultural one and HR will have to play a role in bridging the two.
HR’s leadership role in robotics transformation
If the unremitting rise of AI technology is anything of a yardstick, then the introduction of artificially intelligent robots into the workplace seems somewhat inevitable.
According to the QNX report, 90% of executives say that technological advancements are pushing robotics into the mainstream, with 86% citing improved safety features as a key factor.
But while engineering teams may be building the machines, it is HR departments that must help ensure the workforce evolves alongside them. One of the most pressing findings from the report is that 92% of respondents believe employees must be involved in robotics planning.
Automation is no longer a back-office project managed in isolation by operations or IT. It is now a workforce transformation initiative, requiring cross-functional ownership and a people-first approach.
It will require open engagement with staff about what robotics means for their roles, investment in new training pathways, and clear policies for deployment ethics, risk mitigation and accountability. Especially important given the differences in how automation is perceived across departments.
The lessons of artificial intelligence - where poor communication and unclear outcomes have sometimes led to pushback - are particularly relevant. Robotics presents similar challenges, with the added dimension of physical risk and proximity to workers. Proactive planning and transparency are critical.
For chief human resources officers, the challenge is to avoid a narrow focus on technical outcomes and also consider how robotics affects organisational culture, workforce identity, and long-term skills strategy. Automation is not just about efficiency, it’s about rethinking how work is done and who does it.
As its use becomes more widespread, business leaders are being urged to ensure that ethical deployment, employee trust and workforce preparedness are all central to their strategy.
The future has already arrived, but while robotics may promise significant gains in productivity and risk management, those gains will only be realised if the human side of the equation is also prioritized.
