Yutaka Takagi
Principal Product Evangelist
isolved
Episode 62
HR's AI Dilemma: The Human Core Technology Must Never Replace
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleSeptember 3, 2025 · 12:14
Thesis
“Despite the relentless march of technology and AI in HR, the indispensable human elements of communication and empathy must remain at the core, guiding how we design and implement solutions to truly serve people.”
Show notes
Episode SummaryHow do we keep humanity at the heart of work as technology rapidly evolves? In this episode of Built by People, host Dave D’Angelo sits down with Yutaka Takagi, a 30-year veteran in HR and payroll technology, to explore the evolving role of tech in shaping people-centric workplaces. From early days coding DOS systems to advising global organizations on digital transformation, Yutaka brings a rare perspective that blends technical expertise with deep human empathy.
He shares pivotal career moments—from volunteering at a computer learning center to uncovering the surprising importance of analog office rituals—that shaped his approach to leadership. Yutaka also discusses how communication and empathy remain irreplaceable skills, even in an AI-driven future. Tune in to learn how thoughtful leaders can balance automation with humanity to build organizations that truly serve people.
Key Timestamps
[00:53] – Yutaka’s unconventional entry into HR tech through early IT systems
[02:17] – The intersection of people, business, and technology
[03:06] – Career-defining insights from the analog-to-digital shift
[06:37] – Learning resilience and adaptability from a tech failure
[08:51] – Yutaka’s vision for a human-centered legacy in tech
[10:34] – Why empathy and communication are our irreplaceable superpowers
Takeaways
Recognize the hidden value in human processes before automating them
Stay adaptable—tech will fail, but your ability to communicate must not
Keep people at the center of all digital transformation initiatives
Empathy and communication remain our most vital leadership skills
Prepare for AI, but don’t delegate the human impact to machines
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What you'll take away
- 1Always approach technology implementation with a human lens, recognizing that informal human connections can be crucial to organizational function, even if seemingly inefficient.
- 2Prioritize and develop strong communication skills, as they are an irreplaceable human superpower, essential for conveying messages effectively regardless of technological support.
- 3Ensure that automation and AI tools are designed and utilized to augment human capabilities and service, not to replace critical human-to-human interaction or empathy.
- 4Leaders should strive to leave a legacy of integrating human considerations and empathy into all technology decisions and conversations.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Pushes back against uncritical automation: highlights that a seemingly inefficient manual process (interoffice mail) fostered critical understanding of the workforce that digital workflows wouldn't capture.
- •Challenges the notion that AI can fully replace human attributes: asserts that communication and empathy are human superpowers that cannot be automated or delegated to AI.
In Yutaka's words
“Yeah, you know, my career really started several decades ago now, but it really started because, not because I knew anything about HR or payroll, to be honest, I couldn't spell it to save my life, but I, I was good with computers, right?”
Reveals his non-traditional entry into the HR technology field, driven by technical skill rather than HR expertise.
“But in fact, that carrying the paper back and forth was actually an enormously important aspect of how this organization got stuff done. And that was like a switch that early in my career that kind of flipped for me to recognize, oh no, this is about people.”
Illustrates a pivotal moment where he realized the critical value of human processes and connections over pure technological efficiency.
“And at that moment, I couldn't proceed. I just, I froze up, right? In that moment, because I was so reliant again, just so reliant on the technology that I forgot that at the end of the day, I need to be able to communicate.”
Describes a career-defining failure that taught him the fundamental importance of communication skills independent of technology.
“I would love for my legacy to be to always bring the person into those technologies. Technology conversations and to be, you know, thought of as, as sort of someone who was always sort of empathetic to that perspective of, of the human effect of technology.”
Articulates his core philosophy and desired impact as a leader in HR technology, emphasizing a human-centric approach.
“the human superpower is, I think, still to this day Communication and empathy, right?”
Highlights the irreplaceable human qualities that remain paramount even with the rise of AI and automation.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Organizations struggle to implement HR technology solutions that automate processes without inadvertently eroding valuable informal communication and human connection critical for workforce understanding.
- •HR leaders risk becoming overly dependent on presentation technology, leading to communication failures when technical issues arise and neglecting fundamental storytelling abilities.
- •Integrating new generations into the workforce necessitates a re-evaluation of how organizations think about people, business, and technology to maintain engagement and productivity.
- •Maintaining a human-first approach in HR is challenging amidst the increasing adoption of AI, digital workers, and other advanced automation tools.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Your career started several decades ago now in HR payroll benefits technology
WSJD Live: Career Journey
Itaga, can you tell us about a career-defining moment
What's Your Career-Defining Moment?
Hitaka has overcome numerous technical challenges in his career
Challenge of the Year
Yutaka hopes to leave behind a legacy as an HR leader
A legacy for human resources?
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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