Building an AI roadmap: how HR teams can play a key part in the roll out of AI

HR teams are uniquely positioned to manage and mitigate employment law and HR risks related to AI use. Where AI tools are involved in making employment decisions (e.g. recruitment, pay, redundancy selection etc), or being used by employees to carry out key tasks, those potential risks can be high. These include: discrimination and bias; privacy and data protection issues; information and consultation obligations; the risk of industrial action; and more.

The legal and HR landscape for AI use is also evolving and HR teams must support their organisations to achieve continuing compliance. The EU's AI Act is entering into force over 2025/26 and, within the UK, regulators are expanding compliance activities, such as the ICO’s recent AI tools in recruitment audit outcomes report. The UK government has also pledged to consult on how surveillance technologies are implemented into the workplace, including the role of trade unions and worker representatives.

HR teams will also play a central role in fostering trust, confidence, and understanding among the workforce regarding new AI technology. Although AI is an exciting prospect for many workers, it is a growing area of sensitivity for others, including some trade unions, who are concerned about its impact on jobs and the future of work. Transparency and the right workforce messaging will be key to any organisation moving successfully into the next phase of its AI journey.

Below, we explore key areas where HR teams can add value and contribute to a successful role out of new AI technology within every organisation.

Where can HR teams play a key part in the roll out of AI?

 

• Policies – if your organisation is permitting the use of GenAI tools, does it have a GenAI policy outlining guidelines for employee use? Having clear guidelines can help to reduce associated risks and confirm any consequences of employee misuse, including the potential for disciplinary action. Are other HR policies up-to-date to reflect AI usage e.g. disciplinary, information and technology, data privacy policy, and more?
• Assessing and mitigating risks –assessing and testing new AI tools is key to identifying risk – both at the procurement stage and on an ongoing basis. For example, through equality impact assessments and/or data impact assessments. HR are uniquely placed to identify, understand and manage HR and employment law risks relating to AI use
• Employee relations – as new AI tools are launched, workforce messaging and communications strategies will be key to transparency and building workforce trust and confidence in AI; ensuring workers understand how AI is being used and why. In some circumstances, there may also be information and consultation obligations to comply with at law prior to launch
• AI strategy – The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025 predicts that, by 2030, AI and other tech will create 170 million new jobs globally, while displacing 92 million. HR will have a key role to play in any potential restructuring of the workforce as AI use transforms job roles over time as well as the development of HR use cases. Further, how do new AI tools align with other people strategies within your organisation including culture, wellbeing and diversity and inclusion?
• Governance – the roll out of AI requires a multi-disciplinary taskforce across departments including IT, data protection and more. Does your HR team have a voice in your organisation’s multi-disciplinary AI taskforce? Separately, how do employees raise complaints about AI tools and how are those complaints managed?
• Training and development -  as AI use increases, job roles will evolve and demand new skillsets. Upskilling and reskilling the workforce will be critical to future proofing your organisation. How is learning and development aligned to AI strategy, including risk training both for the HR team and wider workforce? For those employers who fall within the scope of the EU AI Act (i.e. if their establishment or location is within the EU, or outside the EU but with AI system output used in the EU), from February 2025, the Act requires that all employees and operators of AI systems have a sufficient level of AI literacy. This includes having an understanding of the technical aspects, ethical considerations and practical applications of AI systems. Find out more here and see a link to our AI Literacy e-module below

What should HR teams do next?

Although each organisation will be at a different place in their own AI journey, with varying levels of HR involvement to date, below are three steps that all HR teams can consider taking now:

1. Review and update policies - including a GenAI policy that protects your organisation against legal and commercial risks, particularly HR and employment law risks
2. Learning and development – if you haven’t done so already, start by upskilling the HR team – do they understand key HR and employment law risks and how this interact with the wider legal and commercial risks when using AI? Please see below for details of our virtual AI training course aimed at HR professionals
3. Explain HR’s key role in a multi-disciplinary AI task force - if responsibility for AI’s roll out currently sits with IT, or another area of the business, or HR does not have a place on any existing multi-disciplinary AI taskforce, seek out ways to be involved and to understand the next steps in the development of AI within your organisation. Explain the value HR can add to the roll out of AI, sharing some of those points above

Further reading/resources

See the details of our virtual training module on 23 September 2025 on AI and UK HR: innovation and compliance, where we aim to upskill HR teams with the knowledge to safely leverage AI and stay ahead of the curve. Join our experienced lawyers in this training session to explore the current legal landscape, practical HR use cases, and future trends in AI, register through the link above. 

EU AI Act – Considerations for global employers
Global AI Regulatory Update – March 2025
AI Literacy Unlocked eLearning product

How we can help

Our team of specialist AI lawyers have significant experience of supporting UK and global employers to steer through the legal, regulatory and practical implications associated with the implementation of AI in the workplace. As well as practical advice, our teams can assist with policy and contractual reviews, HR and employment law training, including bespoke risk training around your organisations specific use cases, and audits of workforce-related risks.