This week I’ve been going deeper on AI use cases.
Researching, testing, comparing ideas, throwing some out the window and narrowing it down to a few great ones.
Loving it.
But the best part is coming out of all that work with a clear view of what is actually worth implementing.
So for this issue, I wanted to keep it simple:
For a CHRO, these are the five AI use cases I would implement first.
Daily Brief Agent Start the day knowing what deserves your attention.
Start your morning like POTUS. A good Daily Brief Agent scans your calendar, open tasks, relevant messages, deadlines and outside information, then gives you one short view of the day ahead.
For a CHRO, that could mean an executive meeting, an employee issue needing attention, a benefits deadline and a conversation that must be prepared for.
You start the morning knowing where your attention is needed instead of piecing the day together from email, calendar, notes and task lists.
Priority Review Check whether your time matches your priorities.
Most leaders can tell you their priorities. Their calendars sometimes tell a different story.
A Priority Review compares the priorities you have set with where your time actually went.
If developing leaders is important but almost none of your calendar reflects it, you need to adjust course. The same is true if urgent tasks have quietly taken over the few priorities that matter most.
Red-Team Coach Pressure-test an important decision before your peers and leaders do.
Give the Red-Team Coach your proposal, the supporting evidence and the decision you are leaning toward.
Then have it push back.
Which assumptions are weak? What would the CFO question? What evidence is missing? What is the strongest case against your recommendation?
Lawyers are already using AI to search for authority that weakens their own case.
The same is much needed for a CHRO. Important decisions get a serious challenge before the meeting.
Gratitude Reminder Notice the people whose work deserves recognition.
A Gratitude Reminder watches the information already flowing through your day and surfaces people who have stepped up, helped someone or done exceptional work.
It might catch the person who solved a problem quietly, helped another team or carried more than their share during a difficult month.
The AI does not thank them for you. It makes sure you notice.
Business Analyst Ask your data questions in plain English.
Instead of starting with a dashboard, report or spreadsheet, start with questions.
Which locations changed most over the last six months? Where are costs moving unexpectedly? Which employee groups are seeing the biggest changes in turnover?
Oracle is already using AI to turn ordinary business questions into data queries, analysis and reports.
This is the hardest system on the list because the AI needs reliable access to approved data. When done well, it gives a leader a much faster route from a question to the evidence behind it.
Where I would start
I would start with one. Get it working. Use it for a couple of weeks. See what is genuinely helpful and what is just noise.
Then add the next one.
That is also how I would approach the bigger list of 40. You do not need an AI use case for everything. You need a few good ones that earn their place in your day.
Best,
Henry Kaerki
Founder, Wellhana
- Google Workspace — The 5 AI agents I tell every executive to build first, September 24, 2026
- OpenAI Economic Research — How workers are unlocking new ways of working, September 16, 2026
- Google DeepMind / MIT FutureTech — AI in Science: Early Insights, September 2026
- OpenAI / Oracle — How Oracle turns days of work into minutes, October 8, 2026
- Harvey — Motion to Dismiss Workflow, October 7, 2026