Every so often, it’s worth stepping back and asking a simple question: Are we actually as advanced as we think we are? A recent piece in The Wall Street Journal revisited The Jetsons, the 1960s cartoon set in 2062, and compared its vision of the future to where we are today. It’s a fun exercise, but also a surprisingly useful one for anyone thinking about AI and the workplace.

Depending on how you look at it, we’ve come incredibly far – or not nearly as far as we expected.

The Jetsons imagined video calling as a futuristic luxury. Today, it’s so embedded in our daily work that we barely think about it. Platforms like Zoom and Teams have made face-to-face interaction across distances routine. In that sense, we’ve exceeded expectations.

But then there’s work itself. In the show, George Jetson worked just a few hours a week, pushing a button. That vision doesn’t feel so far-fetched when you consider what AI can already do. We’re seeing automation handle tasks that once required hours of human effort. In some cases, entire workflows are being compressed or eliminated.

Even the idea of “flying cars” isn’t as far off as it once seemed. Companies like Joby Aviation are already testing electric air taxis, including recent test flights between JFK and Manhattan that cut travel time dramatically. It’s not quite the Jetsons’ version of commuting yet, but it’s closer than most of us would have expected even a few years ago.

And yet, most people aren’t working less. If anything, many feel busier than ever.

AI is reshaping how work gets done. It can draft communications, analyze data, support decision-making, and even write code. In some organizations, employees are relying on it daily. In others, adoption is still cautious or inconsistent.

For HR leaders, that creates both an opportunity and a challenge.

The opportunity is obvious. AI can streamline administrative work, improve access to information, and support better decision-making. It can help HR teams operate more efficiently and focus more on strategic priorities.

The challenge is just as important. Technology alone doesn’t change an organization. The adoption of it does, which depends on trust, clarity, and leadership.

Employees are asking practical questions:

• What should I be using AI for?
• Where are the boundaries?
• How does this change my role?

Without clear direction, even the most advanced tools can sit underutilized or create confusion.

There’s also a broader point that the Jetsons example highlights. Technology evolves faster than systems, behaviors, and expectations. We may have the tools to work differently, but that doesn’t mean we’ve fully rethought how work should happen.

That’s where HR plays a critical role. We must go beyond just introducing AI tools; we need to help organizations rethink workflows, redefine roles, and build the skills needed to use these tools effectively. It’s about setting realistic expectations, not just chasing the next trend.

So, how far have we come with AI? Far enough that it’s already changing the way we work. Not far enough that it’s changing it automatically. That part still depends on us. The Jetsons got the technology right. The human side is still ours to figure out.