PwC Cyprus adviser calls for HR to take central role in AI-driven business transformation

Nicosia, Cyprus. HR must move from a support function to a central role in business transformation as companies adapt to AI-driven change, according to Andreas Papadopoulos, Senior Manager Advisory at PwC Cyprus. He said the workforce is increasingly decisive in whether business reinvention succeeds.

Workforce at the centre of change

Drawing on recent PwC studies, Papadopoulos said HR must become a core engine of transformation, with skills, its operating model and responsible AI adoption central to its mandate.

Referring to PwC’s 27th Annual Global CEO Survey, he said future skills, workforce adaptability and culture are among the main barriers to transformation, but can also be powerful accelerators when managed effectively.

Papadopoulos said CEOs increasingly see AI adoption as a redesign of the business model rather than simply a technology rollout. That shift requires changes to roles, capabilities and ways of working, with HR helping leaders bring in people with the right skills, use AI to create business value and make processes more efficient.

Redesigning roles and skills

Papadopoulos said HR should be at the forefront of two strategic areas, identifying how roles and skills will evolve as the first. He called for a move from traditional headcount planning to “workforce architecture”, with roles and processes redesigned around what can be automated and where people are essential to value creation, innovation and customer experience.