HR professionals use ChatGPT more for marketing than HR work: OpenAI

Human resources professionals are using ChatGPT more frequently for marketing tasks than for traditional HR work, according to new findings from OpenAI, highlighting how AI is reshaping roles as HR teams take on broader organisational responsibilities.

The analysis found that 23% of occupational messages submitted by HR professionals to ChatGPT related to marketing tasks, making it the largest category. Engineering accounted for 18%, followed by finance at 16%.

The findings come as HR departments continue to shoulder wider business responsibilities while adopting artificial intelligence across everyday work.

Marketing tops ChatGPT use among HR professionals

According to OpenAI, HR practitioners are increasingly relying on ChatGPT to support work beyond the people function.

The breakdown of occupational messages submitted by HR professionals shows:

• 23% related to marketing.
• 18% focused on engineering.
• 16% involved finance.

OpenAI said the results demonstrate how AI is encouraging employees to combine responsibilities traditionally associated with different business functions within a single role.

The company also observed that cross-functional use of ChatGPT appeared more frequently in small businesses, where employees are often required to solve problems across multiple disciplines instead of delegating work to specialist teams.

Growing workloads are reshaping HR

The findings reflect a broader shift in the HR profession that has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to reporting by HR Dive, HR teams have increasingly been asked to lead initiatives extending beyond traditional people management, including diversity, equity and inclusion programmes, remote work policies and employee wellbeing strategies.

Research published earlier this year points to mounting pressure on HR teams.

Recent studies found:

• More than 40% of HR leaders surveyed by Perceptyx said their jobs had become more difficult over the previous year.
• 30% said they had considered leaving the HR profession altogether.
• 57% of HR professionals surveyed by SHRM believed their departments were understaffed.

The findings suggest HR teams are managing growing workloads while supporting an expanding range of business priorities.

AI is becoming part of core HR operations

OpenAI said artificial intelligence is no longer limited to administrative support.

According to the company, HR teams are increasingly applying AI to core people processes, including:

• Supporting employee pay decisions.
• Consolidating multiple employee handbooks during mergers and acquisitions.
• Managing information across complex HR documentation.

The company suggested AI could also expand HR's strategic role, with the function increasingly deciding which work should remain human-led and which tasks are better suited to automation.

Human oversight remains critical

While AI adoption is growing, effective use depends on more than writing prompts.

A study by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and KPMG, cited by HR Dive, found employees achieved better outcomes when they actively guided AI systems, applied judgement and reviewed outputs instead of relying on automation alone.

The research suggests organisations will increasingly value professionals who can collaborate with AI while maintaining human oversight.

As AI becomes embedded across business functions, the latest findings indicate HR's role is continuing to evolve beyond traditional people management. For many professionals, the function is becoming increasingly cross-functional, blending workforce expertise with broader business responsibilities supported by artificial intelligence.