AI can feel like a walking contradiction. On one hand, it’s the stuff sci-fi nightmares are made of. (Think The Terminator or The Matrix where machines take over.) On the other hand, it’s also the friendly, digital helper that drafts your emails, summarizes that 12-page article you’ve been avoiding and makes your day a little easier. It’s both a little scary and incredibly useful, depending on how you look at it.

That tension shows up clearly in the world of HR. Some hear “AI in HR” and imagine cold algorithms quietly making biased hiring decisions or leaking personal data. And unfortunately, that’s not just fiction. But when designed responsibly, AI can be one of the most valuable tools HR teams have ever had. It can handle repetitive, daily tasks like drafting HR communications, or more advanced ones like benchmarking benefit plans against industry standards. A game changer and time saver for any team.

So which is it for HR — scary or helpful? The honest answer: It depends on how it’s done.

AI that’s wrong should scare us all

AI in HR can be straight out of a horror film when done wrong. That is, when it’s trained on flawed, biased or incomplete data. Or when it doesn’t protect your private information. Add in the risk of hallucination, which is when AI makes things up to fill in its knowledge gaps, and it’s easy to see why people are nervous. Those are the moments when trust evaporates and AI in HR doesn’t seem so smart after all.

But when it’s done right, AI can be amazing. When it’s built on expertise — the kind that understands how HR really works. When privacy isn’t just an afterthought but a core design principle. And when it’s tailored to HR’s specific challenges and needs.

Not just smart — HR smart

For AI to truly be the smart choice for HR, it needs to be armed with credible and deep, domain-specific data. Think about it. When you’re enrolling employees in benefits, you need accurate pay data, benefit spend and utilization stats. A generic AI model like ChatGPT won’t have expertly verified, consistent and real-time data your organization can trust and stand behind.

Similarly, when you’re crafting job descriptions, you want to ensure they align with the latest best practice and legislation. AI with expert intelligence can connect to existing libraries, import corporate language and create descriptions that not only attract top talent but keep you on the right side of compliance.

AI for HR needs expert intelligence to be effective, and Expert is the all-around solution for the job. Expert is an AI assistant backed by the collective intelligence of WTW, a consulting firm with almost 200 years in the HR business. We’ve built up trust with clients across the globe, and that knowledge powers Expert. Knowledge, data and privacy you can’t find on ChatGPT.

This means Expert is not just smart, but HR-smart.

With that kind of foundation, AI stops being the villain in a sci-fi movie and starts being the reliable sidekick HR has always needed.