Rachel Skudder
Rachel Skudder, Director of Remedy HR, led a workshop on how AI and human intelligence can complement each other to improve recruitment, performance management, employeewell-being, and decision-making—while keeping people at the heart of HR.
She began with a powerful reminder: people must remain central to every HR process.
“Ancestry, our human lineage, history and our divinity, sets us apart from AI or any invented system or model, and is the basis of our intergenerational heritage, regenerative and transformational power and sovereignty over our hearts, minds, souls, spirits and bodies.
We encompass a unique human dimension and weave stories of life, love, loss, values, beliefs, ethics and the whole range of conscious and sentient experiences that shape our heritage and identities, allowing us to connect deeply with one another and the world around us in ways that algorithms and machines can never fully replicate.”
Rachel shared four guiding principles for managing HR in the age of AI:
1. Don’t abdicate your humanity.
Lead with your Human Intelligence. Use AI to amplify—not replace—your capacity for connection, empathy, and wise judgment. People need people first and foremost.
2. Start with Wonder!
Imagination, curiosity, and playfulness drive intelligence and original thought. AI cannot create like you can.
3. Creativity and the Innovation Value Chain
Quoting Aneesh Raman: “Disrupt yourself or be disrupted.”
Diversity, critical thinking, and open dialogue foster innovation. Encourage divergent thinking, safe talanoa, and respectful disagreement. Use AI as a catalyst, not a crutch.
4. The 8 C’s
In today’s innovation economy, “soft skills” are more vital than ever. These human qualities distinguish us from machines and prepare us to adapt in a rapidly evolving workplace:
- • Creativity
- • Curiosity
- • Critical Thinking
- • Courage
- • Compassion
- • Communication
- • Connection
- • Collaboration
Rachel concluded with a timely quote from Einstein:
“…imagination is more important than knowledge.”