Artificial intelligence is no longer a novelty in Maldivian workplaces. From drafting emails and presentations to analysing data and automating routine tasks, AI tools have quietly become part of everyday work life across corporate offices, state-owned enterprises, and even small businesses. Yet despite this widespread usage, AI is still failing to meaningfully change how most organisations in the Maldives operate.
The gap lies between usage and impact. Many employees are experimenting with AI daily, often on their own initiative, but organisations themselves are not seeing corresponding shifts in productivity, innovation, or organisational structure. AI is being used tactically rather than strategically. It helps individuals work faster, but rarely reshapes how work is designed, decisions are made, or talent is developed.
This disconnect is particularly relevant in the Maldivian context, where organisations already face tight labour markets, skills shortages, and high reliance on a small pool of experienced professionals. In such an environment, AI should, in theory, be a force multiplier. Instead, it risks becoming just another productivity hack layered onto existing pressures.
For HR leaders, the challenge is not whether employees are using AI, but how that use is supported, governed, and aligned with organisational goals. Many Maldivian professionals are already engaging in what could be described as informal or unsanctioned AI use, selecting tools they believe fit their roles better than those officially provided. This reflects a broader reality: technology is moving faster than internal policy, procurement, and training cycles.
The real opportunity for HR lies in recognising that AI adoption rests on three interconnected pillars. The first is skills. AI literacy, practical training, and role-specific upskilling remain uneven across organisations. Without deliberate learning and development strategies, AI remains underutilised or misused. The second is mindset. If performance metrics, targets, and leadership expectations do not encourage thoughtful AI use, employees will continue to treat it as optional or experimental rather than integral to their work. The third is tools. Employees need access to reliable, secure, and relevant AI systems that align with organisational needs, not just consumer-grade tools adopted out of convenience.
This raises a delicate but necessary conversation around governance. HR and leadership teams must balance data protection, confidentiality, and compliance with the reality that employees will continue to explore new tools independently. Blanket restrictions may feel safe, but they often push AI use further into the shadows. A more sustainable approach involves listening to how employees are already using AI, understanding what genuinely improves performance, and then formalising those practices within clear boundaries.
The stakes are only set to rise. As AI tools become more advanced and autonomous, employees will increasingly move from doing the work themselves to supervising, validating, and refining outputs generated by intelligent systems. This will fundamentally change job design, accountability, and performance evaluation. Organisations that delay addressing this shift may find themselves reacting too late, constrained by outdated policies and mismatched skills.
In the Maldives, where organisations are often smaller and hierarchies tighter, HR has a unique opportunity to lead this transition with clarity and intent. AI does not need to be a grand transformation overnight. But without a coherent strategy that connects people, technology, and purpose, it risks becoming a missed opportunity rather than a competitive advantage.
