What if AI didn’t just reshape jobs, but reshaped how we think about work itself? Many organisations are rethinking the way that work get’s delivered, whether that’s through skills-based approaches or changes in strategic workforce planning. AI is central to conversations on this topic and is the core of this discussion on the HR on the Offensive podcast, where Chris Howard is joined by fellow LACEr Gemma Ryall as they speak to Dr Nicola Millard, Principal Innovation Partner at BT Business on AI transforming the workplace.
How is AI impacting both the nature of work and the way we interact with it?
Nicola distils successful technology adoption into a simple but powerful framework, the three U’s:
- Useful
- Usable
- Used
If a tool doesn’t meet all three criteria i.e., it doesn’t help people do their jobs, isn’t intuitive to use, or lacks visible adoption by peers—even the best tech will fail to gain traction.
Can AI be trusted?
Nicola notes how seasoned professionals only begin to trust AI when they’ve had a hand in shaping or validating its outputs. Without that trust, AI-generated content—especially from generative models—can suffer from what Nicola calls “sludge”: convincingly wrong information that gets recycled into future learning.
HR professionals need to start looking at where AI can and cannot augment human roles. Critical thinkers in a business need high-level training for emergencies, while, for example, customer-facing employees need AI to support their judgment, not replace it. Our TRUSTED framework for AI is a great guide for how you can effectively implement AI into your organisation.
AI isn’t here to replace people; it’s here to enhance how people work—if we’re thoughtful about how we implement it. Listen now to learn about the impact of AI on the workplace.
Nicola also spoke at a TED Talk about her three U’s of digital adoption which you can watch here.
