Everyone’s talking about AI, automation, and skills-based hiring, but under the surface, something unsettling is stirring. Talent Acquisition is standing at the edge of its next big transformation, and not all of it feels friendly. This session peels back the cobwebs on what’s creeping toward us in 2026, and what TA leaders can do to prepare before the lights flicker.

We’ll explore:

• AI Ghosts in the Machine: As artificial intelligence grows more powerful (and more reckless), will recruiters become strategic orchestrators , or the next jobs to be automated away?
• The Case of the Disappearing TA Teams: Budgets are shrinking, requisitions are rising, and the word “efficiency” is haunting every meeting. How do you protect the function from vanishing into HR generalism?
• The Curse of Candidate Fatigue: From endless screening bots to templated outreach, job seekers are tuning out. Can personalization be resurrected, or is authenticity the new superpower?
• Skills Gaps and Shape-Shifting Roles: Tomorrow’s workforce doesn’t fit yesterday’s job descriptions. We’ll discuss what “qualified” really means in a world of hybrid skills and AI-augmented work.
• The Budget-Slash Apocalypse: Finance keeps sharpening its knives. We’ll share survival tactics for proving value and securing investment when every dollar must scream ROI.
• DEI Under Siege: Backlash, new regulations, and political crosswinds are reshaping how organizations talk about and act on diversity. What happens when the language of inclusion becomes a compliance minefield?
• Tech Stack Graveyard: Point solutions are multiplying faster than recruiters can log in. Is 2026 the year of consolidation, or will the TA tech landscape become an overgrown graveyard of half-used tools?

Why Attend:
This isn’t just a scare-fest. It’s a strategy session disguised as a ghost story .  This is a fun chance to share what’s keeping them you at night and crowdsource real ideas to turn fear into foresight.