GoKawiilBrookings scholar proposes 'Robot Relations' function as AI reshapes workplace disputes
Darrell West of the Brookings Institution argues companies will need a new HR-like function, which he calls 'Robot Relations,' to handle worker grievances involving AI agents, chatbots and cobots. He says today's HR systems, built for disputes between human colleagues, are not designed to manage friction between employees and the AI tools increasingly embedded in daily work.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
As AI moves from a support tool to a de facto coworker, disputes over blame for errors, mandatory AI use, and algorithmic scheduling will multiply, creating a governance gap that current labor and HR frameworks were never built to close. Companies that ignore this risk losing employee trust and facing unresolved conflicts as automation deepens across industries, from factory floors to office software.
- Brookings fellow Darrell West coined 'Robot Relations' to describe a proposed HR successor function for AI-era workplace conflicts.
- Human employees increasingly face disputes with AI agents, cobots and scheduling algorithms rather than just human coworkers.
- Traditional HR systems, designed for an industrial-era workforce, are seen as unequipped to resolve AI-related workplace grievances.
Source: cnbc.com — Trevor Laurence Jockims, 2026-09-20
Published there as: “The 'robot relations' department may become reality in workplace of the future”
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