The Rise of the Robot Talent Manager: Why the CTO Is Becoming the New HR

May 25, 2025

Back in the 1990s, HR managers were mostly administrators. They placed job ads, processed paperwork, and chased signatures. They were rarely seen as strategic contributors - until the world of work changed.

As businesses became more dynamic and talent became harder to find, HR evolved. The best HR leaders stopped being just compliance gatekeepers and started becoming strategic partners. They helped shape workforce planning, ensure the right people were in the right seats at the right time, and aligned hiring with long-term business goals. In forward-thinking companies, HR had a seat at the leadership table.

Now it’s the CTO’s turn.

As AI rapidly reshapes how work gets done, many organisations are waking up to the fact that “robot employees” - AI agents, copilots, and automation tools - are becoming part of their workforce. While some enterprises are hiring Chief AI Officers (CAIOs), the reality is that in most mid-sized companies, it’s the CTO who will be expected to lead the charge.

And just like HR in the ’90s, their job is evolving fast.

Yes, there will still be infrastructure to maintain, systems to integrate, and cybersecurity to oversee. But increasingly, the CTO’s role will also be to work alongside business leaders to understand what parts of their workflows can be enhanced (or fully handled) by AI - and help them “hire” the right AI agents.

Think of it as talent management for robots.

The functional managers will still be responsible for output - just like they are with human team members. But the CTO will be the one who guides what’s possible, helps the business experiment safely, and ensures each AI agent is equipped, integrated, and effective.

In this new reality, the CTO becomes the bridge between innovation and execution. The strategic partner. The enabler of efficiency, not just the guardian of tech.

Here’s where we come in.

Our job is not to replace the CTO - it’s to support them.

We help functional managers across HR, finance, marketing, sales, operations and beyond get up to speed quickly. We show them how to spot AI opportunities, adopt AI tools responsibly, and build practical workflows that save time and boost productivity.

In short: we make sure your AI “hires” don’t sit idle.

So if you’re a CTO who’s starting to feel like you’re being asked to manage both people and machines - without much support - let’s talk. We’ll help your business build capability where it’s needed most, while you focus on leading the charge.

The future of work is collaborative - between humans, AI, and the people who understand both.