ATLANTA — Global logistics corporation Transmark Holdings eliminated its 300-person human resources department last quarter, replacing them with an AI system that performs the department's primary function: declining employee requests for raises, time off, and accommodation while expressing algorithmic empathy.

The system, internally called "HR-GPT," was developed after executives realized that human HR representatives spent most of their time delivering predetermined rejections with varying degrees of apologetic language—a task well-suited to large language models.

"The AI actually does it better," said Chief Operating Officer Douglas Hennessy. "It never gets tired of explaining why this isn't a good time for a raise. It can generate infinite variations on 'we value you, but no.'"

Employees report minimal disruption. "I submit my vacation request, the AI denies it with a sympathetic message about business needs, and I move on," explained software engineer Patricia Gomez. "It's essentially identical to the old system, except I no longer feel guilty about bothering a real person."

The AI has proven particularly effective at handling complaints about workplace conditions, generating lengthy, concerned-sounding responses that acknowledge feelings while committing to no concrete action—a capability that required years of training in human HR professionals.

Transmark reports that employee satisfaction scores have remained unchanged since the transition, suggesting that workers derived no measurable value from human HR interaction beyond the reception of standardized responses to standardized requests.

The company retained three human employees to handle legally sensitive terminations, though executives note the AI could likely perform this function as well if regulators would permit it.

Other corporations have announced plans to adopt similar systems. "Our HR department was basically expensive middleware between employees and policy," noted one CEO. "The AI is cheaper middleware. The choice is obvious."

When asked whether an AI could adequately address complex interpersonal workplace issues, Hennessy shrugged. "Our human HR department didn't do that either," he said. "They just documented problems and protected the company from liability. The AI does that perfectly."