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Today, Moderna made headlines - not for a new vaccine, but for something that might be just as transformative: they've merged their Technology and Human Resources functions into a single department.

That's right. One org. One leader. One unified approach to talent and tech.

Tracey Franklin, formerly CHRO and now Chief People and Digital Technology Officer, is now overseeing both domains. It's a role that seems to blend workforce planning, automation strategy, and org design - all influenced heavily by Moderna's collaboration with OpenAI. The company has over 3,000 tailored GPTs running across its business, and its actively redesigning roles based on what should be done by humans versus what can be automated.

If you're leading Talent Acquisition, this should stop you in your tracks.

What Happens When HR and Tech Merge?

This isn't just about flattening the org chart. It's about rethinking what work even looks like.

When you tie workforce planning directly to your tech roadmap (especially with generative AI in play) you're no longer just forecasting headcount. You're actively deciding what should be human work and what shouldn't be. Moderna's "virtual HR AI agent" replaces what would traditionally be a junior HR analyst. GPTs now handle everything from clinical trial design to regulatory responses. The line between human and machine work is no longer just blurred, it's being re-drawn.

Opportunities... and Tension

From a TA perspective, there are both major upsides and real risks here.

The Upside:

• Faster, more data-informed org design.
• Reduced friction between functions.
• Streamlined recruiting for roles that actually align with the future of work.
• The change to make hiring smarter, not just faster, because it's backed by integrated systems.

The Risks:

• Eliminating junior roles may break the traditional career ladder. Where do future leaders cut their teeth?
• Over-reliance on automation can risk culture fit, nuance, and empathy in people decisions.
• If not managed carefully, these changes can erode trust or feel like cost-cutting disguised as innovation.

What It Means for TA Leaders

This kind of integration forces a fundamental shift: HR and TA can't sit downstream from tech anymore. If you're not in the room when decisions about automation, AI, or systems design are made, you're missing the moment to shape the workforce itself.

At CXR, we've hosted dozens of conversations in our community forums about workforce planning and TA tech stacks. In fact, we're working on the final drafts of full-blown panel-driven research papers that are slated for publication very soon! One recurring theme in all of these discussions? Frustration that tools are chosen without TA input - or worse, that org design happens in a vacuum. Moderna's model turns that on its head. It's a seat that the intersection of strategy, tech, and people.

And while this model won't work for everyone, the signal is clear; the convergence of AI and HR is no longer theoretical. It's operational.

So Here's the Question

What if your company merged HR and Tech today? Would you be ready? Would your team's voice be represented? Or would the future of your workforce be designed without you?

I hope this sparks a fresh conversation inside your organizations - and continues them within our CXR community. We'll be bringing this topic forward in upcoming roundtables and research projects, and I'd love to hear where you stand.