We're Only Human

Author: Ben Eubanks

A human resources podcast focused on blending research and practical advice to help today's HR, talent, and learning leaders improve business outcomes.
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How to Make AI Work for Employees
Monday, 23 February, 2026

Guest: Robin Barbacane, Chief Talent Development Officer, Rackspace In this episode, you will learn how to successfully introduce AI into your workplace without creating fear, resistance, or chaos. The conversation breaks down how to build AI literacy and confidence across your workforce, how to use AI agents to solve real business problems, and how to shift HR from a support function to a strategic driver of transformation. You will hear practical examples of AI adoption inside HR, including virtual assistants handling employee questions, AI tools supporting recruiting and employment law across multiple countries, and a structured approach to testing and scaling new AI use cases. If you are wondering how to start with AI, how to handle resistance, how to clean up your data, or how to measure success without demanding instant ROI, this episode offers a clear roadmap. Key Takeaways: AI adoption must focus on both skills and confidence, not just training. Start with hands-on workshops and real business problems instead of abstract theory. Treat AI like a coworker that needs onboarding, training, and performance reviews. Use a hackathon-style approach to generate AI solutions tied to business outcomes. Begin inside one function, prove value, and then scale across the organization. Clean and centralize your data before expecting strong AI results. Create guardrails and governance, but avoid banning AI outright. Identify early adopters and change agents instead of fighting detractors. Expect mistakes and iteration rather than demanding perfect ROI on day one. Shift human effort toward higher-value, revenue-producing work while AI handles routine tasks. Timestamps: 00:00 Why AI confidence matters as much as skills 03:00 Moving from AI education to real action 06:00 Using a hackathon model to solve HR problems 08:00 Building an AI HR assistant to handle employee questions 11:00 Learning from AI mistakes and improving accuracy 16:00 Build versus buy AI tools across global operations 17:30 Creating an AI ambassador certification program 20:00 Why banning AI is a strategic mistake 22:00 Cleaning data before scaling AI 25:00 The human skills that matter most in an AI-driven workplace Top Keywords: AI in HR AI adoption strategy AI workplace transformation HR automation AI employee experience AI coworker model AI governance and guardrails Low-code AI agents HR digital transformation AI change management Connect with Robin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinbarbacane/