The Josh Bersin Company

HR Technology is on a collision course with AI companies, desktop productivity tools, and middleware providers. Where is all this going?

In this podcast I explain why this is a question of “back-end” vs. “front-end” and how the ERP software architectures of the past (present) are colliding with the AI tools and interfaces of the future. The bottom line is not “who wins” but rather how well do you think through the use-cases and employee experiences you want to provide?

Read this article for more details and stay tuned for a bunch of announcements this week that will bring much of this to your company.

Additional Information

Get Ready For A Wild Time In HR Technology

The World of Corporate Training Lurches Toward Enablement

Digital Twins Are Here, And They Make You More Productive

Get Galileo. We put ALL our research, case studies, and models in there. It’s like the Bloomberg Terminal, Encyclopedia Britannica, and HR Expert with new research, vendors, and case studies every day.

This week I discuss the AI, HR Tech, and consumer AI market in front of announcements next week at the Unleash Conference in Vegas.

I discuss how HR Tech is now becoming “Life Tech” (not just Work Tech) and the dynamics of big players like Microsoft, Oracle, Workday, SAP, ServiceNow, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and smaller vendors like Cornerstone, Findem, Lightcast, Maki People, Eightfold, WorkHuman and others who are vying for attention with their AI offerings.

Next week I’ll detail many of these announcements in my keynote and I hope to see many of you in Vegas at Unleash and the following week at Transform. So much to absorb and understand: we are here to help you sort it all out.

Additional Information

Layoffs at Atlassian, Block, Amazon are Misleading. AI Alone Is Not The Story.

The World of Corporate Training Lurches Toward Enablement

Oracle’s Earnings Prove That AI Infrastructure Is Eating Enterprise Software

Enterprise AI Architecture: Imperatives for 2026

Webinar: Watch a replay of Josh’s walkthrough of the 11 essential imperatives HR & business leaders need to know for success and progress in 2026.

Galileo Learn: Complete The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise learning program, and discover the hands-on skills required to navigate the redefinition of work, HR teams, and organizations in the era of superworkers and superagents.

Get Galileo: The Enterprise AI Agent for HR 

Chapters

(00:00:00) - All the HR Technology Announcements
(00:07:29) - Oracle's strategy for growth
(00:10:37) - Microsoft's Copilot, and More

Oracle’s earnings announcement yesterday demonstrates the company’s shift to a new type of enterprise “software” company, challenging companies like SAP, Workday, Salesforce, and many others. In this podcast I explain this shift, the history of Oracle, and where AI is taking the enterprise software market.

Here is the source article to read, and I look forward to further discussions on this topic with our clients and vendor partners.

Reference Information

Oracle’s Earnings Prove That AI Infrastructure Is Eating Enterprise Software

Nvidia Explains The New Software Stack (5-Layer Cake)

Oracle Earnings Announcement

 

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Analysts on Oracle's Earnings
(00:01:35) - Oracle's Rise to the Cloud
(00:08:43) - Oracle's Future in the AI World

Today I’m publishing a bonus episode with a discussion of the US Job Market and also explain why Anthropic’s new AI-Job destruction research is misleading.

I also discuss the whole idea of “job-task analysis” and why “AI exposure” (Anthropic’s methodology) doesn’t really reflect how AI transforms jobs, companies, and the economy.

Let’s discuss all this at Irresistible 2026 or read my substack article on this topic and we can discuss there.

Like this podcast? Rate us on Spotify or Apple or YouTube.

Additional Information

New Anthropic Report on Job Destruction Is Misleading (article)

Anthropic Report (from Anthropic)

US consumer confidence plunges to 12-year low (Financial Times)

BLS Jobs Numbers

Join us in Irresistible 2026, June 8-10 at USC, the world’s leading conference for HR Leaders and Teams. (Here’s the top 10 reasons to come!)

 

 

Chapters

(00:00:00) - President Trump on the American Economy
(00:04:54) - On the Job Losses Due to AI
(00:13:02) - Robots and Repair People
(00:22:40) - Steve Jobs: Jobs to Change
(00:24:05) - The Super Worker and the Future of Healthcare Jobs

This week I tackle the situation where AI tools are exploding everywhere while ROI and economic productivity is hard to find. I also discuss the “commoditization” of AI “features” and the shift in value to “AI applications,” which is good for all corporate buyers and users.

You’ll understand how important it is to build a long term strategy, despite all the experiments going on (contact us to see our HR Blueprint).

I also discuss the Galileo Everywhere strategy and how we’ve been expanding Galileo to support employees and leaders, not just HR.

Remember to come to Irresistible 2026, the world’s leading conference for HR Leaders and Teams. (Here’s the top 10 reasons to come!)

Additional Information

Enterprise AI Architecture: Imperatives for 2026

New Research: How AI Transforms $400 Billion Of Corporate Learning

Webinar recording: Watch a replay of Josh’s walkthrough of the 11 essential imperatives HR & business leaders need to know for success and progress in 2026.

Josh Bersin Podcast: Listen in as Josh provides much-needed guidance for understanding the biggest HR transformation in decades.

Galileo Learn program: Complete The Superworker Organization: AI Goes Enterprise learning program, and discover the hands-on skills required to navigate the redefinition of work, HR teams, and organizations in the era of superworkers and superagents.

Get Galileo: The Enterprise AI Agent for HR and Leadership (check out Galileo for Consultants!)

Chapters

(00:00:00) - HR & AI: The Vendor Market
(00:03:54) - A message about Galileo and the HR Conference
(00:06:10) - The Return on Investment of AI
(00:17:47) - Where's the Return on Investment in Tech?