Paycom-sponsored piece: AI only helps HR if it decides
This TNW contributed article, labeled as not produced by the newsroom, argues that in HR and payroll, AI tools that merely speed up processes without removing decisions relocate decision fatigue rather than relieve it. It cites a Frontiers in Cognition review on the causes and effects of decision fatigue and a 2026 study reported by Harvard Business Review that coined "AI brain fry," linking heavy AI oversight to 12% more mental fatigue, with effects pronounced in HR, finance and marketing. It describes Paycom's approach: applying predefined rules to routine decisions such as time off, expenses, payroll and scheduling while leaving exceptions and judgment calls to people, with Paycom owning its data centers, servers and GPUs so clients face no additional usage or token fees.
It shows enterprise vendors pitching "automatic decisioning" over AI assistants, though the data and conclusions here come from a vendor-aligned source.