HR Headliner June 2025: Don’t Let ChatGPT Drive You Off a Cliff

Don’t Let ChatGPT Drive You Off a Cliff

AI is a great tool… trust but verify!

In May 2018, an Oregon truck driver was missing for four days and had to walk 36 miles through the snow when his truck got stuck after his GPS mapping device sent him up the wrong road. In July 2024, a Utah man was stranded on a mountain for three hours after following a Google-suggested shortcut. And in January 2025, a Colorado man’s car got stuck at the bottom of a ski trail after following Siri’s driving instructions “to a tee.”

What do these unfortunate adventures have to do with our work in HR? They’re examples of how trusting the internet, and especially AI tools like ChatGPT, without using critical thinking skills can steer us far off track!

It’s becoming more and more common to use AI for a wide variety of HR tasks. We can write policies and job descriptions, generate training agendas, research compliance questions… the list goes on. These tools can be extremely helpful, but they shouldn’t be copied and pasted into formal company documents or used to make a complex employment decision without double checking the message. California employment law questions should get special review, because we know our state’s requirements are often different from federal law. The “AI Overview” at the top of your Google search often blends multiple online sources or adds a dash of federal law, creating confusion and potentially pointing you in the wrong direction. For example, a search for information about paying overtime to seasonal employees for a recreational program seems to indicate that short-term operations could be exempt. This is a federal rule, but there is no such exemption in California.

We asked ChatGPT if exempt employees are entitled to paid holidays, and the response seems clear at first, but could actually lead to confusion. Based on the table below, if the company does not offer paid holiday benefits, does the exempt employee receive pay for a holiday…or not? Further, this states that leave banks such as vacation can only be deducted in full-day increments, which is inaccurate.

Next, we asked ChatGPT if an employer could require a doctor’s note as a condition of approving paid sick leave. The AI recognized California’s protections regarding the use of state-mandated PSL, but uses a 3-day time threshold, which is not part of our current law. Employees are entitled to use up to five days or 40 hours of PSL per year, and we cannot require medical certification as a condition of using any available sick time.

In some cases, the AI information may simply be outdated, as shown by this response to a search about paycheck deductions. Effective January 1, 2025, California’s minimum wage is $16.50 per hour, but the AI Overview still cites $16.00.

A 2023 HR Morning article describes the risks well: “While the AI could handle linear, straightforward questions, its answers became unreliable as questions got more complex. In almost all cases, the answers ChatGPT provided were missing necessary nuanced details and in some cases ChatGPT completely fabricated reference material that did not exist at all.”

We’re not suggesting that HR professionals avoid using AI tools! There can be many helpful benefits of this growing technology. But it’s important to remember that ChatGPT is not a replacement for your own critical thinking. As this Harvard Business Impact article describes, a rushed project or decision (especially one using flawed online guidance) rarely leads to the best result. Slow down, look for possible errors or confusion, and consider whether the information really applies to your business.

And, remember that the Consultants at Sierra HR are available to really listen to the nuances and details of your HR issues and provide legally-compliant resources and individual guidance. We promise to never leave you stranded!