How AI Is really changing HR: Practice, risk and the human difference

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future concept for HR. It is already embedded in many organisations’ day-to-day operations. Yet much of the conversation around AI remains high-level, theoretical, or focused on potential rather than reality.

This event moves beyond speculation to explore how AI is actually being used in HR today, through a practical, real-world case study. Co-hosted by the CIPD Branches in South London and South West London, the session provides insight into the lived experience of AI implementation within a complex organisational environment, examining what has worked, what has been challenging, and what HR professionals need to consider as adoption accelerates.

The session will be led by Roberto Battistoni and Ben Redshaw as co-speakers. Together, they will walk attendees through a significant organisational AI project using IBM’s “Ask HR” system, sharing the journey from pre-implementation through to live operation and outcomes.

Why this event matters

As AI tools increasingly handle administrative, analytical, and decision-support tasks, HR professionals are facing new questions around:

• Trust, accuracy, and confidence in AI-enabled outputs
• Governance, accountability, and ethical use of sensitive people data
• The balance between automation and human judgement
• The impact of AI on relationships, decision-making, and organisational culture

At the same time, research consistently shows that relational skills — such as judgement, trust-building, and ethical decision-making — are becoming more important, not less, as technology advances. This event explores how AI can enhance HR capability without eroding the human foundations that underpin effective people practice.

What attendees can expect

This session will be practical, candid, and discussion-led, focusing on real implementation experience rather than promotion or theory.

Key areas covered include:

1. How AI is really being applied in HR today

• A walkthrough of the “Ask HR” AI system and its role in supporting HR operations
• The organisational context before AI adoption and the drivers for change
• Where AI delivers the most value in practice, particularly in low-risk, high-volume activity

2. Agentic and orchestration AI in HR

• How autonomous task execution is used where accuracy and risk are manageable
• The role of orchestration frameworks in supporting more complex HR processes
• Why most organisations start with narrow, clearly defined use cases

3. Risk, governance, and corporate responsibility

• Managing accountability and ethical considerations when using AI with employee data
• Governance structures and safeguards needed to maintain trust
• The limits of automation and when human oversight is essential

4. The human difference: judgement and relational skills

• Why trust, confidence, and human judgement determine whether AI succeeds or fails
• How HR leaders can ensure technology strengthens — rather than weakens — relationships at work
• The role of HR in shaping norms, behaviours, and confidence around AI use

Learning outcomes

By the end of the session, attendees will:

• Have a clear, realistic understanding of how AI is being implemented in HR today
• Understand the risks, governance requirements, and ethical considerations involved
• Gain practical insight into where AI adds value — and where human judgement remains critical
• Leave better equipped to support responsible, effective AI adoption within their own organisations

Format and engagement

The presentation will be followed by an extended Q&A and facilitated discussion, allowing attendees to reflect on the case study, share experiences, and explore challenges within their own organisations.

The event will conclude with informal networking, providing opportunities for professional exchange across HR, people, and organisational development roles.

Timings

18:00-18:30 - Arrival, registration and refreshments

18:30-20:00 - Presentation

20:00 - End

About the speakers

Roberto Battistoni

Roberto is a senior AI and ESG leader at IBM UKI with over 20 years of international experience in technology, analytics, and consumer industries. He helps IBM partners and clients scale impactful AI solutions, enabling them to drive growth through innovation and joint GTM models. Roberto has led major ESG and analytics projects across EMEA and actively contributes to innovation and sustainability initiatives in industry and academia.

Ben Redshaw

Ben Redshaw is a former international HR Director and AI strategist, with deep experience helping organisations translate emerging technology into practical workforce impact. He has led people strategy in complex, regulated environments and now works with HR and executive teams to embed AI in ways that improve performance, trust, and decision-making. Ben is a member of the CIPD’s AI Advisory Panel and regularly speaks on the intersection of AI, human judgement, and organisational culture.

Please note:

1. Reminder emails will be sent to you the day before, with a further reminder on the day of the event.
2. As we are supplying refreshments, if you can no longer attend, please cancel your place either on Eventbrite, or by responding to the confirmation email.
3. Photography and video production may be taking place at the event, and these images may be used in the CIPD newsletters.
4. By attending the event, you are giving consent for your image to be used on any CIPD promotional materials.
5. This event may include an external speaker who has prepared their own presentation. Any views or opinions expressed by the speaker are their own and do not reflect those of the CIPD.
6. If you require any reasonable adjustments to enhance your experience, please get in contact with us by responding to this email and we will do our best to accommodate.

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Host or Publisher CIPD South London Branch