Written by a European Head of Global Mobility in the technology sector

The world of work is in constant flux. Globalisation, evolving employee expectations, and the rapid pace of technological innovation are reshaping how organisations manage their international talent. At the forefront of this transformation is GenAI, a technology with the potential to revolutionise Global Mobility (GM) from a complex, administrative burden into a streamlined, strategic advantage. For HR and GM professionals, keeping abreast of these changes isn't just about efficiency; it's about maintaining relevance in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

GM is a labyrinth of legal, tax, immigration and logistical complexities. Managing international assignments, remote workers and cross-border projects has traditionally been a labour-intensive process, fraught with manual tasks, fragmented data and the ever-present risk of non-compliance. Enter GenAI, offering a new paradigm with the promise to simplify these intricacies and unlock unprecedented strategic value.

In this third part of my series, I confront a critical question: What happens if the GM industry - both in-house functions and external providers, falls behind in this AI revolution? In my opinion, the consequences are stark, extending far beyond mere inconvenience. I will explore the perils of stagnation, the potential for AI to be a powerful agent of positive change, and the choices facing our industry as we stand at a pivotal fork in the road.

The peril of stagnation: what happens if we fall behind?

So, to my question - what happens if the industry, both in-house functions and external providers, falls behind in the AI revolution? There are several considerations worth exploring:

• Irrelevance and marginalisation: as other functions within the enterprise - Finance, HR, Supply Chain - embrace AI for strategic advantage, GM, if stagnant, could find itself relegated to an administrative, transactional role. Budget allocation may dwindle, influence could wane and our seat at the strategic table - that we have worked so hard to gain - could be lost. My concern is that we become viewed as a cost centre, not a value driver.
• Exacerbated compliance risks: AI's ability to monitor evolving regulations, flag compliance risks in real-time, and even predict issues, has the potential to be a game-changer. Without it, I believe that more manual processes could become overwhelmed by the sheer volume and complexity of cross-border work. If this were to happen, it would lead to more fines and penalties. It could even result in reputational damage, as regulatory bodies become increasingly sophisticated in their oversight.
• Talent attrition and dissatisfaction: The modern workforce, particularly Gen Z, expects seamless, tech-enabled experiences. If our mobility processes remain manual, they may appear frustrating alongside other, slicker processes. If we cannot offer instant support via intelligent agents or personalised journey mapping, I think that we risk alienating talent who demand efficiency and personalised support.
• Loss of competitive edge: Organisations that leverage AI for predictive analytics, optimised cost forecasting, and enhanced employee experience have the opportunity to become more agile, more attractive to talent, and potentially more successful in the global marketplace. Those lagging could be outmanoeuvred and could struggle to compete for the best global talent or to deploy their workforce with the necessary speed and precision.
• Erosion of Trust: In an era of heightened data privacy concerns, reliance on outdated, insecure systems for managing sensitive employee data may erode trust, both internally and externally. In my experience, AI, when implemented correctly, offers robust security protocols and transparent data handling. Without it, we risk breaches that could impact our employer brand.

The positive consequences: AI as agent, not overlord

The narrative around AI often defaults to fear: AI taking over jobs. I believe this is a profound mischaracterisation, particularly for GM. In my opinion, the positive consequence of embracing GenAI is not about replacement, but augmentation. I think AI should be viewed as a powerful agent, a force multiplier for our existing human expertise.

• Strategic empowerment: By automating repetitive, administrative tasks (visa applications, expense tracking, compliance checks), AI can free GM professionals to focus on strategic talent advisory, complex problem-solving, and genuine human connection. We can transition from data processors to strategic partners, capable of providing real-time insights that drive business decisions.
• Enhanced employee experience (AI as a Service Agent): Imagine AI-powered chatbots providing instant, personalized support 24/7, guiding assignees through every step of their journey, answering complex tax questions, or suggesting local resources. This could elevate the employee experience from transactional to truly supportive and empathetic, leading to higher satisfaction and retention.
• Predictive foresight: AI's ability to analyse vast datasets allows for unparalleled predictive analytics. We could forecast market trends, anticipate visa delays, optimise housing solutions, and identify potential assignment failures, enabling proactive intervention and better outcomes. This would move us from reactive problem-solving to proactive risk management.
• Unlocking ROI: With AI, I believe we can move beyond simply tracking costs to truly measuring the ROI of every assignment. By correlating assignment data with talent development, retention, and business outcomes, AI provides the granular insights needed to justify investments and refine strategies, proving our value to the C-suite.
• Innovation in service delivery: For the relocation industry, I believe GenAI presents an unprecedented opportunity to innovate beyond traditional service models. AI can drive hyper-personalisation, intelligent routing of inquiries, dynamic policy interpretation, and seamless integration across various service lines, creating differentiated offerings that meet the demands of the modern mobile workforce.

Further impacts on the relocation industry: a fork in the road

The introduction of GenAI presents a dichotomy for the relocation industry: a fork in the road, that may lead either to transformation or obsolescence.

• The positive case (AI as an Agent): Relocation providers who proactively integrate GenAI into their core offerings will not merely survive; they will transform. They could become lean, efficient and strategic partners to their corporate clients. By leveraging AI for predictive insights, automated compliance, and personalised employee experiences, they can deliver more value at a lower cost. This will cement their role in the evolving mobility ecosystem, shifting their identity from service providers to technology-enabled solution architects, capable of handling scale and complexity with unprecedented precision.
• The negative case (AI taking over from stagnation): Conversely, providers who fail to adapt may face disruption. I believe that their manual, high-cost models will be undercut by agile, AI-powered competitors or even by in-house corporate solutions that leverage readily available AI tools. In this scenario, AI won't literally "take over" their jobs in the traditional sense; rather, their lack of AI adoption could render their services uncompetitive, driving clients away and ultimately leading to their irrelevance. The market is likely to demand the efficiencies, transparency, and insights that AI provides, and those who cannot deliver could simply be bypassed, their business models rendered unsustainable.

For me, the choice is clear. We can either lead this transformation, leveraging AI as a powerful agent to elevate our function and the services we provide, or we can remain passive, watching as the industry reshapes around us, leaving us in its wake. I think the time for deliberation is over; the time for decisive action is now.