Darwinbox launches AI-native HR platform Cortex, aims to move beyond traditional HCM software

Human capital management (HCM) platform Darwinbox on Tuesday launched Cortex, an AI-native HR platform that the company says has been built from the ground up for the AI era, marking a shift from traditional HR systems that primarily store employee information to platforms that can understand, reason and act on organisational data.

The Hyderabad-based company said Cortex embeds AI into the core architecture of its HCM platform instead of layering AI capabilities on top of existing software. The platform is being rolled out initially with pilot customers and technology partners, including Microsoft, Slack and Glean.

Moving beyond systems of record

Darwinbox said conventional HR platforms largely function as systems of record that store employee data and process transactions. While recent AI tools have made these systems easier to search and automate, they still lack the ability to understand how an organisation's people, policies, workflows and decisions are connected.

"Legacy HCM with AI bolted on is still legacy. With Cortex, we reimagined the entire HCM experience from the ground up and pushed the boundaries of what AI can do for HR through a series of innovations, including the first Context Graph in the category," said Jayant Paleti, co-founder and co-CEO of Darwinbox. "This is not an incremental evolution of HCM; it defines a new category."

The company said Cortex is built on four core architectural layers—a Signal Layer, Context Graph, Cortex Agent Platform and Experience Layer—which together enable AI to detect patterns, understand organisational context, automate workflows and operate across workplace applications such as Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Copilot, Slack and Glean.

Pilot rollout begins

According to Darwinbox, Cortex is being launched with a select group of global design partners, including automotive technology company Visteon Corporation and AI-powered healthcare platform Transcarent, which are working with the company to apply the platform to workforce management challenges.

"You can't reason well over something you can't see clearly. Cortex is the first HCM built on a Context Graph—a live, unified map of the organisation's people, policies, workflows and decisions. With that understanding at the core, the platform can reason, anticipate and act," said Chaitanya Peddi, co-founder and co-CEO of Darwinbox.

Founded in 2015, Darwinbox serves more than 1,400 organisations and 4.5 million employees globally through its cloud-based HCM platform.