People need to come first when integrating AI

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July 2, 2026

People need to come first when integrating AI – report

Embedding AI in your organisation has to be about creating the right experience for your employees not just the technology, a report has argued.

In fact, the organisations making the most progress in terms of AI integration are the ones using this new technology to remove friction rather than simply replacing people, the report, The Human Edge in the Age of AI, has emphasised.

The research, from The Talent Labs and Uplifting People, examined AI use at five key organisations: BMS Group, BT Group, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Deloitte, and Kantar.

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The biggest concern with AI for many, it was found, was not so much bias or AI ‘hallucinating’ as their organisation losing its human connection.

Focusing on the human experience rather than the technology effectively reframed the AI conversation, the report argued: “The question isn’t which tool to buy, but what experience you’re trying to build before you buy anything,” it stated.

The organisations getting this transition right weren’t choosing between AI and the human touch, they were designing in both, it added.

“Not one contributor frames AI and human connection as a trade-off. They all treat the human moments as something that must be actively protected, not survive by accident,” the report argued.

Within this, both pre-boarding and onboarding of new employees remains absolutely critical. Three-quarters (74%) of the HR leaders sampled said the manager-leadership connection was the most important activity for company integration.

“Before investing in AI platforms or onboarding tools, invest in manager readiness,” the report emphasised.

Pre-boarding, or preparing new joiners for their first day, was the biggest missed opportunity in onboarding.

“New joiners are at their most anxious and most impressionable before day one. Most organisations use this window to send forms. The best use it to begin the human experience,” the report said.

To that end, the HR profession’s biggest fear around AI fear was not bias, it was about its impact on people, with 68% of respondents feeling the biggest risk of over-relying on AI was “making candidates feel like numbers”. This was against 21% who cited unintentional bias. “The public debate about AI in HR is focused on the wrong risk,” the report therefore argued.

In the foreword to the report, Andy Doyle, chief people and agent officer at the marketing data and analytics company Kantar, said: “The choices we make today – the opportunities we create, the standards we set, the way we choose to apply AI within our own function, will shape the future of work far beyond our current organisations. They will influence how fair, human and empowering work feels for future generations.

“This is not simply about efficiency or innovation; it is about stewardship. Professions are defined by how they respond at moments like this. HR has a powerful opportunity to shape what comes next, and that responsibility should not be taken lightly,” he added.