AI can take work off HR’s plate, but what should replace it?

In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon of BrightKeel AI speaks with Ollie Hill, Head of HR at Message Direct, about how artificial intelligence is changing the role of HR from reactive support function to proactive business partner.

Ollie shares practical examples of leveraging AI in business, including agents that analyse attrition data, benchmark performance and pull the key points from complex employee relations cases. But the bigger conversation is about what happens when AI handles more of the routine work.

They explore why human judgement, stakeholder relationships and critical thinking may become more valuable, not less, as AI adoption grows. Ollie also explains why AI ethics needs to develop alongside innovation, particularly in recruitment, where bias, data and automated decision-making create difficult questions.

For founders, operators and senior leaders exploring artificial intelligence in business, this is a grounded look at how AI can create more time for better conversations, better decisions and better leadership.

Listen now to hear what a human-first approach to AI adoption for SMBs looks like in practice.

What does practical AI adoption look like when you put your people before the technology?

In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon of BrightKeel AI speaks with Julie Hawker, Chief Executive of Cosmic, about how a 30-person organisation is introducing AI agents, automation and Microsoft Copilot without losing sight of people, governance or the way work actually gets done.

Julie explains why Cosmic gave its admin and corporate teams ownership of AI opportunities, rather than leaving adoption to technologists. She shares how an internal automation register helps the team identify bottlenecks and prioritise workflows, and how agents are already supporting HR, health and safety, board preparation and senior leadership planning.

They also explore the tension between experimentation and AI governance, including why strong guardrails can support innovation rather than simply slow it down.

For founders, operators and senior leaders interested in leveraging AI in business, this is a grounded look at artificial intelligence in business, leadership and business growth AI. Listen now for practical lessons on scaling AI with your people, not around them.

As AI takes on more work, the question facing leaders is changing from “What can we automate?” to “What must remain human?”

In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon of BrightKeel AI continues his conversation with author and communication specialist Richard Feltham about leading people through AI-driven change. Richard explains why communication, trust and clarity become more valuable as artificial intelligence grows more capable.

They explore how poorly handled redundancies can leave lasting damage, why teams need a shared understanding of their mission, and how leaders can avoid cutting roles whose hidden value never appeared in the job description. Richard also introduces the idea of a “human USP”, covering the collaborative skills AI cannot easily replace, including creativity, resilience, empathy and leadership.

The conversation includes practical guidance from Richard’s eight waypoints of communication, from building emotional capital and giving useful feedback to handling courageous conversations and presenting as an act of leadership.

For founders, operators and senior leaders leveraging AI in business, this is a discussion about protecting what makes organisations work. Listen now.

Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses grow, but successful AI adoption has far less to do with technology than most leaders think. In this first of a two-part conversation, Alex Bacon, founder of BrightKeel AI, is joined by communication expert, leadership consultant and author Richard Feltham to explore the leadership mindset needed to scale AI successfully across a business.

They discuss why learning how to learn is becoming one of the most valuable AI skills for founders, operators and senior leaders, and why building an AI-ready culture is essential for long-term business growth. Richard explains the difference between knowledge and skills, why practice beats theory, how leaders can develop a genuine growth mindset, and practical ways to help teams embrace artificial intelligence with confidence rather than resistance. They also explore psychological safety, self-efficacy, organisational culture and why the most successful businesses will combine AI with uniquely human leadership.

If you're interested in leveraging AI in business, AI business growth, artificial intelligence in business, AI adoption, leadership, digital transformation, or building a culture where AI becomes part of everyday work, this episode of the Scaling With AI Podcast will give you practical ideas you can apply straight away. Listen now to discover how better leadership can unlock better AI outcomes.

AI is not just another sales tool. Used well, it can change how revenue teams learn, coach, forecast and grow.

In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon from BrightKeel AI speaks with Justin Shriber, CEO and co-founder of Terret, about the shift from static sales playbooks to agentic revenue platforms. Justin explains why CROs need to move less like conductors following a fixed score and more like jazz leaders, responding to live market signals in real time.

They explore practical AI use cases for sales teams, including micro enablement, CRM data quality, call transcript analysis, bionic sales managers and more relevant outbound prospecting. Justin also shares where AI can create damage, especially when SDR teams use it to scale generic outreach or let the technology think for them.

For founders, operators and senior leaders interested in artificial intelligence in business, this is a grounded conversation about business growth, sales productivity and what practical AI adoption really looks like. Listen now.

In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon speaks to Sue Turner, founder of AI Governance and Professor in Practice for AI and Digital Tech at the University of Bristol Business School, about what it takes to use artificial intelligence in business with wisdom and integrity. Sue explains why responsible AI should not slow innovation, why shadow AI is already inside most organisations, and why leaders need to treat governance as a living system rather than a one-off policy.

The conversation covers practical AI use cases, AI risk, human oversight, data protection, the EU AI Act, ISO 42001 and the uncomfortable trade-offs leaders face as AI adoption accelerates. Sue also shares why AI governance is a “wicked problem”, and what founders, operators and senior teams can do next to build confidence without drifting into recklessness.

A grounded episode for anyone leveraging AI in business and trying to scale responsibly. Brought to you by Alex Bacon and BrightKeel AI.

AI is already changing HR, but not in the way the headlines often suggest. In the first episode of Series 2 of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon speaks with Ingrid Maher Roberts, HR consultant and founder of Zero to One HR, about where artificial intelligence in business is genuinely useful for HR professionals, and where human judgement still matters most.

Ingrid shares how she uses tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Projects, Claude Artefacts, Gemini and NotebookLM to support HR policy work, staff handbook questions, recruitment workflows and business development. She also explains why HR teams need clear guardrails around employee data, especially when dealing with sensitive information like salaries, medical issues, disciplinaries and restructures.

This episode explores practical AI use cases in HR, the risks of generic AI-generated grievances and CVs, and why context, trust and emotional intelligence remain central to good people work. It is a grounded conversation for founders, operators and HR professionals who want to understand leveraging AI in business, business growth AI, and artificial intelligence marketing for small business without getting lost in hype.

Listen now to hear how Ingrid and Alex at BrightKeel AI think about AI adoption, the role of AI in HR, and what a practical podcast about AI can teach growing businesses about the future of people teams.

AI in business is moving quickly, but most leaders are still wrestling with the same practical question: where do we actually start?

In this solo Q&A episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon from BrightKeel AI answers the common questions he is hearing from founders, operators and leadership teams trying to move from curiosity to confident AI adoption. He explains why successful artificial intelligence in business starts with leadership buy-in, clear use cases and a realistic view of your AI maturity, rather than jumping straight into agents or automation.

Alex explores the AI maturity pyramid, the risks of shadow AI, the skills gap inside growing businesses, and why AI adoption should be treated as a change management challenge, not just another IT project. He also looks at how leaders can build trust, set guardrails and help teams start leveraging AI in business without creating confusion or fear.

For anyone looking for a practical podcast about AI, business growth and responsible adoption, this episode is a grounded place to begin. Listen now.