Should the CHRO Become the Chief Technologist?

About This Episode

In this episode, I sat down with Sarika Lamont (Chief People Officer at Vidyard) to break down one of the most critical shifts happening in HR leadership right now. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: 97% of AI transformations are failing. It’s not the technology that’s broken. It’s because we—HR leaders—aren't leading them. AI transformation is fundamentally about behavior change, not tooling. And that means HR is uniquely positioned to own it. In this conversation, we unpack: 🔑 Key Topics: Why AI is evolving entry-level roles, not eliminating them (and the critical 20% gap everyone's missing) How the CHRO role has shifted from managing HR functions to owning the entire operating model The difference between automation, AI, and agentic AI (and why most organizations get this wrong) Why HR leaders need to become "Chief Technologists"—not engineers, but business-savvy innovators How to separate hype from reality when every AI vendor claims to solve everything The power of "building in public" for real AI adoption (not compliance) Why HR leaders must understand revenue, ARR, and cash flow to earn a seat at the table Practical steps CHROs can take today to lead AI transformation in their organizations ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro – why AI is changing HR 01:30 Guest intro – Sarika Lamont, CPO at Vidyard 04:48 Is AI really killing entry-level jobs? 12:35 Microsoft’s new HR model and “workforce acceleration” 14:11 How the CHRO role has changed in the AI era 15:44 Should HR lead AI transformation? 21:31 What CHROs should actually focus on with AI 25:32 Why HR leaders must become technologists 29:28 How to lead AI even without enterprise tools Core Takeaway: The CHRO role is evolving from "people function owner" to "Chief Technologist"—someone who understands how humans, systems, and business outcomes interconnect. If you're not getting hands-on with AI tools, building in public, and learning your business inside out, you're going to get left behind. Connect with Sarika:* LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarikalamont (She's actively building in public and always open to connecting on AI, HR, and organizational transformation) 🎧 The Human Capitalist is a podcast + newsletter at the intersection of AI and HR leadership. We talk about what actually works—grounded in real HR challenges, bold thinking, and practical advice. Subscribe to never miss an episode. Newsletter here: https://tinyurl.com/humancapitalist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices