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Why HR needs to reframe AI as a tool, not a threat

Published: 16 June 2026

As AI adoption accelerates across Canadian workplaces, employee anxiety is becoming a growing concern, with many workers worried automation could reshape or replace their roles. According to Jean-Nicolas Reyt, associate professor of organizational behaviour at 91˿Ƶ’s Desautels Faculty of Management, HR leaders need to acknowledge those fears rather than dismiss them.

Reyt said employees are right to question how AI will be used, especially when companies frame transformation around efficiency. “Cutting costs isn’t really the main motivation of most employees,” he said. He added that organizations should position AI as a “Copilot” — a tool that supports workers while keeping humans in control — rather than something that simply replaces the work they do. 

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