Yes, it’s slightly ironic that I’m asking AI to help shape my thoughts on AI. But that’s the world we now live in, isn’t it?
We’re in an era where artificial intelligence is embedded into how businesses operate, from automating emails to screening CVs. And while there’s no denying the potential of AI to increase productivity, reduce administrative load, and offer data-driven insights, I believe there’s a more human side to this discussion that we’re at risk of losing.
The Allure of Efficiency vs The Risk of Overreliance
AI is impressive, no doubt. But as employers, we must balance the opportunity it brings with the responsibility of oversight. If left unchecked, AI could become not just a support tool, but a gatekeeper. And that’s where things get murky.
Take recruitment, for example. More and more, CVs are being filtered by AI algorithms long before a human ever sees them. It’s quick, it’s scalable, but is it always right?
I doubt it.
The Human Element: My Own Story
As founder of Halo Consultancy & Business Services, I recall when I first encountered this wonderful industry I grew to love, an industry that specialises in helping SME businesses with complaince via outsourced solutions.
In 2004, I walked into Peninsula with no real background in HR, employment law, or health & safety. Yes I had held senior management positions, even run a business as a general manager for two and a half years, but had no actual expertese in these subjects or formal training. But the owner of this company, Peter Done, saw something in me. After a good old-fashioned, face-to-face conversation, he offered me a role on instinct, not algorithm. That moment changed my life.
I went on to break sales records and become one of the company’s top performering consulants. But if an AI system had been reviewing my CV? I’d probably have been filtered out in seconds.
AI doesn’t have instinct. It doesn’t feel potential. It doesn’t see grit, attitude, or adaptability, all the things that define great people.
Where We Stand Now: People Buy From People
At LeadEvents UK, they are leaning into this philosophy. While others pitch hyper-automated experiences, they’re championing something different: why people buy from people.
They believe human connection drives results, not just in sales, but in trust, growth, and long-term business impact. And in a world obsessed with digital transformation, that’s what makes us stand out.
Actionable Takeaways for Employers
So, what can employers do today to strike the right balance?
1. Introduce an AI Policy
AI is already shaping decision-making in many businesses—but without a formal policy, it’s easy for misuse to creep in. Define when AI is appropriate, where human checks are required, and how ethical standards will be maintained. Make it visible, practical, and enforceable across the organisation.
2. Human-check critical touchpoints
Use AI to automate admin, not decisions that affect people’s careers or wellbeing. Recruitment, promotion, and performance processes must always include human input. Build in checkpoints where managers can challenge, override, or contextualise AI outputs to avoid unfair outcomes and protect accountability.
3. Train your team, on both sides of the fence
Don’t just train users to operate AI tools, educate leaders on how to evaluate and question what those tools produce. Cross-train teams in both tech literacy and human judgement so they can collaborate with AI confidently, challenge it when needed, and avoid blind trust in automation.
4. Preserve human-to-human connection
AI is useful, but connection is powerful. Empathy, gut instinct, and trust can’t be automated. Prioritise real conversations, mentoring, and emotional intelligence in your culture. When you build space for human connection, you protect what truly makes your workplace resilient, engaged, and performance-led.
Final Thought
AI is a tool, not a replacement for instinct, empathy, or experience. As leaders, our challenge isn’t just how to implement it, but how to integrate it without losing what makes us human.
Because if we forget that people buy from people… we might just automate away our edge.
And here’s the twist.
In the image at the begininging of this post, the directional signs are flipped, “AI” points toward the human, and “HUMAN” points toward the robot.
At first, it looked like a mistake. But the more I thought about it, the more it reflected reality.
We’re in a world where humans are judged like machines, and machines are trusted to act like humans. Maybe that “mistake” says more than the message ever could.
Let’s not forget who we are, or how far we’ve come because of it.
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