One key test of Matt Jackson’s leadership was determining the optimal way to support a team member’s return from maternity leave. “I’ve never been on maternity leave,” he said. “I don’t know what I should say. I don’t know what I shouldn’t say.”

Jackson, the Chief Growth Officer at the mental health platform Unmind, turned to his company’s AI coach, which is trained on internal policies and empathetic communication. It took the AI only three minutes to provide the guidance he needed to start the reintegration process with care, he shared during an executive panel discussion at From Day One’s Atlanta conference. 

The session highlighted the need for organizations to establish metrics and key performance indicators to measure AI's impact on talent development, performance management, and employee well-being. 

Starting Where the Pull Is: AI in Career Development

At AGCO Corporation, a global agricultural equipment manufacturer, a common theme in engagement surveys was employees’ desire for clearer career paths and development opportunities. Creating static career ladders was impractical for a workforce of 25,000 employees worldwide.

“Even if we created one tomorrow, it would be extinct the next day because jobs are changing all the time,” Lori Goldberg, the VP of global talent at AGCO said. 

The solution was an AI-powered career pathing marketplace launched in October. The tool analyzes employees’ current roles and identifies skills they likely possess, which employees can then validate or revise, says Goldberg. It then directs them to internal career opportunities aligned with those competencies. However, deploying AI-powered HR tools requires overcoming challenges such as employee resistance and ensuring proper integration. Leaders must anticipate and address these obstacles to drive successful adoption, Goldberg says.

Coaching at Scale: Practice Makes Progress

One of the most significant applications of AI in HR is in coaching and manager development. Providing consistent, scalable training is a monumental challenge for large, diverse companies. 

Yulia Denisova, the VP of talent and development at the global sports merchandise retailer Fanatics, joined the company to find a patchwork of performance management practices across its 22,000-person workforce spanning 15 countries. Creating a unified system was step one; building capability was the next.

“We cannot run around flying on planes and be there to train 22,000 people. But AI can do that, and it can do it at scale,” Denisova said. Some new technology offers immersive scenarios where managers can practice difficult conversations, such as delivering tough feedback to an underperforming team member, using AI-powered avatars that provide real-time feedback, she says. Denisova notes how rapidly this technology has improved, going from basic simulations years ago to near-human holographic interactions today. 

“Back in the day, coaching was typically reserved for your senior executives, and it was often your frontline managers who really needed the coaching,” Robin Patton, the global head of employee relations at restaurant platform Toast Inc., said. AI coaching equalizes access. It offers judgment-free practice, which is particularly helpful for newer or anxious managers. 

The technology also allows companies to tailor scenarios to their specific values. Feeding AI tools a company’s cultural beliefs ensures guidance comes “in the language that we speak,” says Goldberg. 

AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement

The panelists were unanimous in their belief that AI’s role in performance management is to assist, not replace, human judgment. Patton outlined how Toast is exploring the use of AI to help managers draft more consistent, structured, and actionable performance reviews. This helps reduce unconscious bias and reduces the vague or legally risky statements that often plague manual reviews.

AI can also be helpful when utilized thoughtfully in promoting wellness. Unmind sits at the intersection of AI and mental health, one of the most sensitive human domains. Jackson addressed the elephant in the room head-on. “Whether we like it or not, AI is being integrated into mental health care,” Jackson said, citing a Harvard Business Review finding that in 2025, the second most common use case for generative AI was mental health companionship. There’s a severe global shortage of human providers, and artificial intelligence can offer 24/7, stigma-free support.

Jackson emphasized the importance of using clinically trained AI systems with ethical guardrails in mental health support, addressing concerns about safety, bias, and trust in AI-driven mental health care. 

“AI is the latest member of a multidisciplinary team,” Jackson said. When designed correctly, these algorithms can support therapy between sessions, provide access in therapist desert regions, and deliver modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy with consistent clinical precision. The human therapist’s role evolves to oversight, integration, and handling complex escalations.

Navigating Anxiety and Building Literacy

The rapid pace of change brought on by AI inevitably stirs anxiety. Session moderator Carrie Teegardin, a reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, noted that employees’ questions about AI policies reflect widespread uncertainty about the future. The panelists offered strategies for leading through this transition.

Jackson says leaders must frame AI as a friend and a tool for empowerment. “People will only be replaced by AI if they don’t learn how to use artificial intelligence in their role,” he said. Denisova also recommends people view AI as a team member to collaborate with. 

Goldberg described AGCO’s three-tiered approach: encouraging “citizen AI” for personal productivity, forming cross-functional teams to tackle large-scale business problems with artificial intelligence, and focusing on functional transformations, such as talent acquisition.

Patton encourages viewing technological change in historical context and focusing on enduring human skills. “Communication is still paramount, integrity, respect, civility, all of those skill sets are still paramount,” she said. 

One lingering concern among many employees and employers about artificial intelligence taking over routine, menial tasks is how junior employees will gain the practice needed to develop their skills. Denisova raised this concern, asking whether the pursuit of efficiency might erase the 10,000 hours of practice required to master a craft. The answer, the panel suggested, lies in intentionally redesigning how we learn on the job.

Goldberg urges human resources teams to partner up with information technology on strategic workforce planning and AI literacy for all. “Stay human, stay curious, and explore and experiment,” Denisova said. 

Ade Akin covers artificial intelligence, workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.