Brian Dickens
Chief Human Resources Officer University of Tennessee System
Seminars
Wednesday 24th June 2026
Panel: Redefining the CHRO Role in an Era of Disruption, Scarcity, and Sector Divergence
11:40 am
- Where are the greatest capacity constraints in your HR or talent function today, and which AI‑enabled use case could deliver relief without undermining trust?
- What guardrails do you need to define now (appropriate use, review thresholds, data boundaries) to ensure AI supports, rather than replaces, human decision‑making?
- What human capabilities (judgment, ethical reasoning, influence, collaboration) must be intentionally developed alongside AI adoption in your faculty and staff workforce?
- What near‑term indicators (time saved, consistency, service quality, adoption confidence) will you track to demonstrate value and guide responsible scale?
Wednesday 24th June 2026
Discover: Keeping Humanity at the Center of AI: How the University of Tennessee Is Using AI + Human Intelligence (HI) to Reinvent HR, Elevate Creativity, and Accelerate Talent Processes
9:20 am
- Turning AI anxiety into AI empowerment by introducing an AI + HI philosophy across HR, pushing teams to rethink every process from drafting job descriptions to screening candidates to creating internal training experiences through an innovation first lens that strengthens capability instead of replacing people
- Demonstrating what responsible, human centered AI looks like in practice by developing UT’s first AI generated CHRO avatar, complete with an original script, video and theme song, and using it to model future focused communication, accelerate training delivery, and build confidence in AI as a tool for creativity, not a threat to jobs
- Driving exponential efficiency gains across talent workflows by using AI to streamline application reviews, reduce repetitive work, generate job aids and announcements at speed, and improve the quality and consistency of hiring decisions, enabling HR to respond faster and more strategically across a multi-campus system
Wednesday 24th June 2026
Develop: How Can Higher Education Institutions Embed AI to Increase Capacity While Preserving Human Judgment and Trust?
10:20 am
- How can HR leaders in higher education introduce AI in ways that reduce fear and skepticism among faculty and staff while strengthening confidence in decision‑making?
- Which HR and talent processes in universities are best suited for AI enablement first, and where should human judgment remain clearly in control?
- How is AI reshaping skill expectations for faculty, staff, and administrators, and what risks emerge if institutions adopt tools faster than they redesign roles and capabilities
- How can institutions measure AI impact in higher education beyond efficiency, including quality, consistency, service experience, and trust?
