This article investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) is represented and discussed in Swedish professional human resource management (HRM) magazines. It explores the social consequences of these representations, particularly how they influence perceptions of human responsibility and decision-making in HRM. Based on a discourse analysis of articles in professional HRM periodicals published between 2018 and 2025, the study contributes to critical debates on the role of discourse in shaping perceptions of AI in the workplace. The analysis reveals that, beyond the well-known opacity of AI systems, a more subtle and problematic form of black-boxing occurs: the discursive erasure of democratic processes of human involvement in AI-assisted HR decision-making. This may not only limit HR professionals' ability to question and influence AI-driven processes but also undermine the democratic values that support fair and inclusive HRM practices embedded in the structures of Swedish labour market traditions.