HR Brew // Morning Brew // Update

June 04, 2026

Hey there, HR pros. To get employees interested in AI, some companies have encouraged workers to “play” with the technology just as they would in a sandbox.

But playtime is getting expensive, as workers rack up serious bills for their AI usage. Uber is the latest company to put a cap on AI, limiting monthly spending to no more than $1,500 per worker for certain coding tools.

The AI sandbox was fun while it lasted.

In today’s edition:

The p(AI)pal encyclical

Back to school

Legislative lowdown

—Adam DeRose, Courtney Vinopal

TECH

Grok, the pope, and an employment attorney walk into a bar

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Pope Leo XIV weighed into the debate about AI in the workplace in his first encyclical released last week. The Chicago-born Bishop of Rome had some stern warnings about the rapid expansion of AI in the world of work and the risks it poses to humanity.

“Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed,” the pope said in his address. “The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences, and indicating paths forward for humanity. Artificial intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion, and death.”

The concerns raised by the Vicar of Christ mirror many of the moral and ethical debates already happening in workplaces all across the US, as employers and their HR teams navigate how employees experience and produce work with AI.

The roughly 40,0000-word encyclical, one legal expert told us, could introduce a new and potentially complicated dimension for HR leaders to navigate: religious and moral objections to workplace AI use.

For more on how the pope’s stance on AI may affect HR professionals, keep reading here.—AD

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TECH

Learn to lead

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Flight attendants kindly remind travelers ahead of each commercial flight to “put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others.” A similar logic is behind a new executive leadership program for HR leaders.

The UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business is partnering with the California-based HR technology and consulting firm Konnect on a new certification program, billed “The Future of HR: AI Strategy & Leadership.” The program aims to equip senior HR pros and C-suite people leaders with the needed foundational AI knowledge and strategic frameworks to embark on a human-focused AI transformation.

The program launches in July and is aimed at HR executives, CHROs, and other senior people leaders as HR teams increasingly take on the intersection of workforce transformation and AI adoption.

AI is appearing in new ways across the workforce, and conversation has largely centered around tools and productivity gains. But the new program positions HR executives as the strategic designers of a broader enterprise AI strategy and workplace transformation.

For more on how the program aims to help HR leaders steer AI transformation, keep reading here.—AD

COMPLIANCE

Legislative lowdown

Francis Scialabba

In 2024, Colorado made history by becoming the first US state to pass legislation regulating AI use in the workplace, among other settings.

But history didn’t pan out as planned. The 2024 law was ultimately axed following pushback from members of the business community and governments, including the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s xAI.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a new bill on May 14 that repeals and replaces the 2024 legislation. Here’s what employers should know about that law, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

For more on what the new legislation will require of employers, keep reading here.—CV

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WORK PERKS

A desktop computer plugged into a green couch.

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Software maker Box plans to hire about 100 additional employees this year, bringing headcount to more than 3,000. This includes 13 roles created specifically because of AI, including an AI solutions manager and an AI platform leader. (the New York Times)

Quote: “The risk of enterprises switching to cheaper models is existential and, frankly, escalating.”—Matt Rogers, a software engineer who previously worked on Apple’s iPhone and iPod products, said employers may soon look to move away from AI tools like Claude due to cost concerns (Axios)

Read: Meta is adding guardrails to a controversial program that aims to train AI by tracking employee behaviors such as mouse movements and keystrokes. Workers can now pause tracking for 30-minute intervals or request to opt out of the program, according to an internal memo. (Reuters)

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Written by Adam DeRose and Courtney Vinopal

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