AI superworkers ‘coming on like a freight train.’ Are you ready?

Could this be the year of the “superworker”? According to industry analyst Josh Bersin, the impact of AI and the subsequent rise of superworkers is one of the top five challenges for HR in 2025. “This is going to really change the innerworkings of our companies,” said Bersin, calling it a “massive topic” that HR leaders will need to consider as they execute workplace planning this year.

What makes a superworker? Bersin’s firm identifies this as an employee empowered by AI, enhancing their value, productivity and output by mastering AI tools in an AI-supported workplace, The Bersin team is clear that in this scenario, AI is not about replacing jobs; it is about empowering superworkers, leading to higher-value roles, better pay and increased business value—not just cost savings.

What is an AI superworker?

In a recent podcast, Bersin described how the superworker function not only affects pay and job design but also “decompresses structural barriers” within the organisation, giving employees access to enterprise-level AI tools. This approach could allow these employees to participate in projects that previously might have fallen outside their traditional job descriptions, which seems to position this mindset as a skills-based workplace enabler.

He made a thoughtful distinction between AI that runs automation—which has largely driven developments in the HCM and ERP markets since the 1970s and ‘80s—and AI that helps individuals improve their personal performance.

The latter is “coming on like a freight train,” said Bersin. He shared that 90% of business spokespeople his firm has heard from recently report some type of AI-based project happening in their workplace.

HR Executive reporting has found that company-wide AI initiatives aimed at ramping up personal-level AI usage revealed strategic planning and roll-out efforts. As change accelerates, organisations like the financial company Citizens are restructuring their workforce and using HR technology to meet new demands. “We can’t hire for everything,” CHRO Susan LaMonica told HR Executive in 2024. “We must be intellectually curious.”

In addition, consulting firm PwC has emphasised social learning by creating workshops that teams can conduct either on their own or with guidance from expert “superstar” users. Since the programme’s lauch through late 2024, the workshops have received over 800 requests, with more than 500 already completed, Leah Houde, PwC’s Chief Learning Officer told HR Executive.

The rise of the AI superworker

These success stories emphasised the benefit of the “super” theme. Call them superworkers, superusers or superstars; the idea is the same. These are employees using AI to amplify what happens at their desks to increase productivity, improve their experience and benefit their organisation. Conceptually, the sky is the limit in terms of the benefits of super-sizing, because each person constantly mines the tools depending on the outcome they seek.

The strategic benefits, particularly within HR teams, are still being surfaced and “transparently exposed” by AI, Bersin said. He emphasised that the impacts of superworkers are still in the early stages, particularly at large employers, but he expects that this will be a hot topic this year and advises HR leaders to put this concept on their radar.

Catch Josh Bersin’s keynote, The AI Era Has Arrived, at HR Tech Europe 2025. Register now.

About the Author: Jill Barth is HR Tech Editor at HR Executive, where this article was first published.