Episode 90: Should AI Ever Run Payroll? The Industry’s Newest Fault Line

AI may be advancing rapidly, but should payroll professionals trust it to calculate gross-to-net pay? In this episode recorded at the 44th Payroll Congress in Nashville, Tenn., Brent Skinner speaks with Karen Settembrino about one of payroll’s most consequential emerging debates. While AI can already support auditing, reconciliation, employee self-service, and anomaly detection, Karen argues that fully autonomous payroll calculations cross a dangerous line. The conversation explores the immense complexity behind payroll compliance — from jurisdictional rules and taxation to contractual obligations and overtime regulations — and questions whether AI can truly replicate the human judgment, institutional knowledge, and accountability that payroll demands. At the center of it all is trust: payroll isn’t just a calculation engine but a profoundly human responsibility tied directly to people’s livelihoods. Subscribe to HR.com YouTube channel: https://shorturl.at/dnDO4 ================================================================================ FOR MORE HR.com resources and content to stay updated or to help start or advance your HR career: https://www.HR.com/education https://www.HR.com/magazines https://www.HR.com/prepcourse https://www.HR.com/prime https://www.HR.com/researchinstitute https://www.HR.com/upcomingvirtualevents https://www.HR.com/upcoming_webcasts SOCIALS:   / hrdotcom     / hrdotcom     / hrdotcom     / hrdotcom