Imagining AI at work: the impact of polarized imaginaries on AI use in human resources management

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate how polarized imaginaries about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) for work impact AI practices in Human Resources Management (HRM). In doing so, this study provides insights into the influence replacement narratives have on AI use, showing that AI imaginaries can be understood as social practice imaginaries emerging from the present. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on 20 interviews with HRM practitioners in Italy and two organizational observations with companies using AI in the recruitment process. The use of interviews and observations together has allowed to gather information about both HR practitioners’ expectations and emerging practices. Findings The results show that HR practitioners negotiate replacement narratives against the backdrop of their own experience in using AI. Learning is adopted as a strategy to protect themselves from replacement, while popular fears and hopes are delayed as the current AI capabilities do not fulfill their promises. AI becomes a useful tool allowing them to dedicate themselves to meaningful tasks contributing to their self-actualization. From these emerging practices stems an alternative imaginary of AI, positioning workers’ wellbeing at the center of automation. Originality/value This study challenges narratives on the future of AI for work by providing empirical evidence of their negotiation by workers and intersecting them with research on social practices. By doing so, it proposes an alternative imaginary of the future of AI in the workplace that moves away from traditional expectations about replacement and invites reflection on workers’ needs.