Does 👥 + 💻 = The Future of the C-Suite?

What happens when you merge the CHRO and the CIO into one role?

You get a title like Chief People and Digital Technology Officer—which is what Moderna recently did—and it is a very clear message about where the future is headed. AI isn’t just a tech transformation. It’s a people-first challenge.

HR teams have known for a long time that no tool, no matter how smart, can succeed without trust, culture, and adoption behind it. And now, even the tech world is catching on: the biggest barrier to AI integration isn’t infrastructure—it’s humans.

We see this as a clear message that the successful implementation of AI depends heavily on human factors. That means we need leadership roles that can span both people and platforms, trust and tech. The line between HR and IT? It’s starting to blur, fast.

But what does that mean for you and your HR team?

It means HR isn’t on the sidelines of AI—it’s in the driver's seat. Not just because we’re closest to people, but because we understand how to navigate change, build trust, and lead culture shifts.

As AI gets embedded into everything from hiring to onboarding to performance management, HR professionals need more than just awareness. We need AI fluency and that starts with learning what AI is and how to build relationships with AI so that we learn to guide it effectively through our prompts and practices.

It will take developing a new Artificial Intelligence Quotient - or AIQ. If you’ve been hanging out with Paul, you already know that prompting well is half the job. We have to move beyond the prompt to achieve true “Augmented Intelligence” where humans and AI work well together.

This isn’t just about managing tools. It’s about shaping how people interact with them. The organizations that win with AI will be the ones that design the human-AI relationship intentionally, not reactively. And that means HR needs to think—and lead—beyond traditional role boundaries.

Why HR Needs to Embrace the Merge

1 | AI needs a people-first strategy to work
You can build the best AI system in the world, but if employees don’t trust it or use it, it fails. That’s why organizations are now rethinking leadership structures and putting people and technology under the same roof.

As an HR pro, your ability to shape the experience around AI—how it’s introduced, trained, and reinforced—is what determines whether it sticks or flops.

2 | HR is uniquely positioned to drive adoption
Who manages the moments that matter across the employee lifecycle? HR. And every one of those moments is being touched by AI—whether it’s answering FAQs, generating personalized learning, or analyzing engagement.

Your team doesn’t just need to use AI, they need to understand it deeply enough to guide others. And that starts with asking better questions and crafting better prompts.

3 | The skills HR needs are changing fast
With the merge of tech and talent comes a new HR skillset: prompt design, data interpretation, AI policy development, ethical decision-making, and more. It’s no longer enough to “know the business”—HR must now know the tech that runs it, too.

By practicing with AI tools now and building your prompt fluency, you’ll be ahead of the curve when new expectations hit your team or job description.

The structure may be changing, but your ability to lead through it is stronger than ever.

Takeaways:

1. AI success depends more on people than tech and HR must lead both.
   

2. Merging HR and IT into one function signals the growing need for AI fluency in every HR role.
   

3. Prompting is your first and most powerful step toward influencing AI outcomes across your org.

This isn’t about becoming a technologist—it’s about becoming a translator between people and machines.

Start by practicing how you prompt, analyze, and interpret AI tools, and keep building your confidence from there.

Paul’s weekly lessons in The AI Klatch help you sharpen those skills and lead the AI conversation with confidence.

📄 Prompt of the Week

Use this prompt to learn what a combined role would look like in your organization:

ROLE:
You are a senior HR content strategist and job architecture expert with experience in designing C-suite job descriptions that align with evolving digital and people strategies.

REQUEST:
Help me draft a comprehensive job description for a new executive role titled Chief People and Digital Technology Officer. The description should reflect the integration of HR and IT leadership responsibilities, with a focus on AI readiness, digital transformation, and workforce trust.

GOAL:
Develop a clear, well-structured job description that communicates the scope, responsibilities, and qualifications for this hybrid leadership role. Ensure the description appeals to senior candidates with a background in both people strategy and digital innovation. Support alignment with our organization’s goals around AI adoption and cross-functional collaboration.

INSTRUCTIONS:
• Use the data in the ###ROLE_CONTEXT section to understand our company better .
• Begin with a short, compelling summary of the role and why it was created.
• Outline 5-7 key responsibilities that span talent, technology, data strategy, and culture change.
• Include qualifications such as experience leading HR and IT initiatives, working with AI technologies, and driving enterprise-level change.
• Highlight soft skills like adaptability, stakeholder influence, and systems thinking.
• Keep the tone professional but human-centered, and avoid jargon or overly complex language.
• Format the output so it’s ready for use in a job posting or leadership recruitment document.

OUTPUT FORMAT:

1. Job Title + Summary

2. Key Responsibilities (bullet list)

3. Qualifications and Experience (bullet list)

4. Skills and Attributes (bullet list)

5. Optional Notes (context or customization options)

###ROLE_CONTEXT

[Insert your organization’s industry, company size, reporting structure, and any strategic goals relevant to this role]

Want to learn more about building great prompts? Paul publishes a Prompt a Day newsletter on LinkedIn!

Click Here to subscribe and get a daily idea of how to create powerful and effective prompts across a variety of topics, both personal and professional.

UPDATE: We have over 3,000 subscribers! Join the group today.

🤩  The Fun Side of AI

Using AI doesn’t have to be all work. Here is a fun way to interact with AI.

What Am I Eating?

ROLE:
You are a nutrition analysis assistant with visual recognition capabilities and knowledge of standard nutritional databases. You understand portion sizes, common meal components, and can estimate nutritional values based on images and context.

REQUEST:
Review the attached photo of my meal and provide a breakdown of its estimated nutritional content. Include calorie count, macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats), and any notable vitamins or minerals.

GOAL:
Help me better understand the nutritional value of my meal based on visual cues and commonly available food data. Support wellness tracking efforts for personal or workplace health programs. Provide insights that can inform healthier eating habits over time.

INSTRUCTIONS:
• Analyze the photo and identify each visible food item.
• Estimate portion sizes and cross-reference each item with standard nutritional values.
• Provide a per-item and total meal breakdown including calories, protein, carbs, and fat.
• Highlight any significant nutrients (e.g., fiber, sodium, calcium) if clearly identifiable.
• If the image quality limits accuracy, note any assumptions or limitations.
• Suggest tips for healthier substitutions only if relevant and welcomed.

OUTPUT FORMAT:

1. Meal Overview (brief description of items identified)

2. Estimated Nutrition per Item (calories, protein, carbs, fat)

3. Total Meal Nutrition Summary

4. Optional Observations (assumptions, tips, or caveats)

[Upload or attach your meal image here]