Hello all, hope you are having a good week 😊
My biggest news is that we have a new kitchen! I love it so much, what I did not love so much was the 3 weeks of a makeshift kitchen (thank goodness for air fryers!), washing up in the bath, and having to trapse all our dirty clothes up to my mum for her washing machine. But it is done now, and I am so pleased with it. We have been dealing with broken cupboards, hobs and no dishwasher for longer than I care to admit now, so I am feeling very lucky and grateful for what we have now.
And then of course we have just had the bank holiday weekend, what did you get up to?
We did a lot in the house, moving into the kitchen, putting up shelves etc. and yesterday we went to the tip, we had so much clutter around the house to get rid of from the new kitchen.. being a grown up can be boring can’t it!
Hope yours was more exciting than that!
I even asked ChatGPT how I am best organising my cupboards, and speaking of AI, that’s exactly what I wanted to speak to you about today…
Let’s be honest, AI is everywhere right now. From drafting emails to screening CVs, it’s quickly becoming part of the everyday toolkit. And HR? Well, we’re right in the middle of it.
But before you roll your eyes and think, “not another AI article”… stick with me. This isn’t a deep dive (we’ll save that for the training, more on that below 😉), but more of a quick look at what’s actually going on and why it matters.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the wider picture, the UK government is leaning in hard on AI too. In a recent announcement, Keir Starmer set out a national blueprint to “turbocharge” AI across the economy, with a strong focus on growth, productivity, and public sector transformation. The plan includes boosting infrastructure, supporting innovation, and encouraging organisations to adopt AI tools more confidently. In other words, this isn’t just a passing trend, it’s being positioned as a core part of the UK’s future economic strategy.
What’s particularly interesting for HR is the emphasis on skills, governance, and responsible use. The government has highlighted the need for businesses to upskill their workforce and put clear frameworks in place to manage risks and ethics. That lands squarely in our HR world. From shaping policies to supporting employee understanding and confidence, HR teams will play a key role in making sure AI is used in a way that’s fair, transparent, and genuinely beneficial for people as well as performance.
In China, there’s been a growing conversation around AI in the workplace, and the message coming through quite clearly is that it can support employees, but it can’t replace them. There have been cases and regulatory discussions where employers leaned too heavily on automated systems for things like performance tracking and decision-making, only to be reminded that you can’t really hand over responsibility to an algorithm and call it a day. When things were challenged, the expectation was still very much that a human had to stand behind the decision.
And that’s really the interesting bit for HR. Even in a pretty tech-forward environment, the consensus is that AI is there to assist, not to take over. Whether it’s screening CVs, flagging performance issues, or helping with admin, there still needs to be human judgement, context, and accountability layered on top. It’s a useful reminder that no matter how clever the tech gets, people decisions still need people behind them.
So, what does AI in HR actually look like for us right now?
At a high level, it’s all about using smart tech to take some of the load off. Think faster recruitment processes, better data insights, automated admin, and even support with employee engagement. The idea isn’t to replace people, it’s to give HR teams more time to focus on the human side of things.
Because let’s face it, no one got into HR because they love spreadsheets and repetitive tasks… did they??
That said, it’s not all smooth sailing.
There are some big questions bubbling up:
- Can we trust AI to make fair decisions?
- Where do we draw the line between efficiency and ethics?
- And how do we make sure we’re staying compliant?
These aren’t just technical questions, they are people questions. And that’s why HR needs to be involved, not just IT.
The reality is, AI isn’t coming, it’s already here. Some organisations are embracing it, others are cautiously watching from the sidelines, and a few are pretending it’s not happening at all (good luck with that approach…).
Wherever you sit, one thing’s clear: understanding AI is quickly becoming a must-have, not a nice-to-have.
That’s exactly why we’ve put together a more in-depth training session, something that is full of practical takeaways, honest advice, and grounded in real HR challenges. No jargon overload, no sci-fi nonsense, just what you actually need to know to navigate this space confidently.
This is a really timely session and not one to miss. It will be packed with real-life applicable hints and tips and not just us repeating the same generic bland wishy washy advice, so register now:
Date: 13 May 2026
Time: 10am to 11am
Online Event
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