AI in HR: What can you use AI for in employee matters?
Short answer
AI can do a lot in HR: meeting notes, draft letters, rotas and answers to questions about the staff handbook are typically minimal risk. But AI that helps with promotion, dismissal, allocating tasks based on behaviour, monitoring or evaluating employees is high-risk under Annex III of the AI Act. Emotion recognition in the workplace is prohibited. Health and trade union membership are sensitive data, and employees and their representatives must be informed before high-risk AI is put into use.
The risk depends on the task
| HR task | Risk |
|---|---|
| Notes from a staff meeting | Low under the AI Act – but often sensitive data |
| Answers to questions about the staff handbook | Limited (chatbot) |
| Proposed rota that a manager approves | Low |
| Bonus, promotion, warning, dismissal | High-risk |
| Productivity monitoring | High-risk |
| Reading employees' emotions | Prohibited |
Solutions for your situation
See how GoalCube is used for employees, managers, temps and freelancers and former employees.
What to do
- Split up the uses.Texts and plans are low risk; decisions about people are high-risk.
- Keep health data out of the AI.Or separate it from the name.
- Tell your employees.And their representatives, before high-risk AI is put into use.
- Let managers decide.Bonuses, warnings and dismissals are decided by people.
- Don't monitor emotions.It is prohibited.
What the law says
- Annex III, point 4(b), AI Act
- Decisions affecting work relationships, task allocation, monitoring and evaluation.
- Article 26(7) AI Act
- Informing employees and their representatives before use.
- Articles 9(2)(b) and 88 GDPR
- Sensitive data in employment, and processing in the context of employment.
Questions and answers
Can we use AI to draw up rotas?
Yes. A proposal that a manager approves is low risk. Allocating shifts based on behaviour or personal traits is high-risk.
Can we monitor employee productivity with AI?
That is high-risk and requires a legitimate purpose, information to employees and proportionality. Emotions must not be read.
Sources
Written by The GoalCube editorial team. Last updated 11 October 2026. GoalCube helps you follow the EU AI Act and GDPR. It is not legal advice.
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