Growth stalls when complexity outruns capability. We brought on award-winning HR leader Barry Flack to show how fractional executives give SMEs enterprise-grade judgement without the full-time overhead, and why that mix of strategy and sleeves-rolled-up execution delivers results that stick. Barry explains what “fractional” really means, how it differs from part-time advice, and why outcomes matter more than hours. Together we challenge the myth of digital transformation, reframing tech...

The ground under AI has shifted, and the tremor came from the open. What started as a niche movement exploded into a global surge of community models that now challenge the tight grip of the biggest labs. We trace how open weights, permissive licences, and fast‑moving collaboration pushed open source AI from scrappy experiments to frontier‑level performance and why that matters for builders, researchers, and anyone who cares about power and progress. TLDR / At A Glance: AI’s Linux momen...

Forget brittle rules that collapse on the first exception. We dive into agentic AI for HR and L&D and show how goal‑driven digital workers can process CVs, update HRIS records, draft communications, and handle follow‑ups while staying within clear guardrails and audit trails. Instead of chasing speed for its own sake, we make the case for redesigning work: orchestrating multiple agents for recruiting, learning operations, and compliance, with a monitoring agent watching everything 2...

The hype cycle is over; the accountability era has arrived. We unpack how gen AI has moved from pilots to proof, with daily use now common among senior leaders and measurable ROI becoming the standard. Pulling from the Wharton GBK Collective’s year‑three findings, Google Notebook LMs agents trace the three waves of adoption and show why “accountable acceleration” is the defining theme for late 2025. TLDR / At A Glance: Gen AI Usage Is Mainstream82% use Gen AI weekly (+10pp YoY)46%...

The promise of autonomy just got practical. We explore how agentic AI moves beyond passive automation to become a goal-driven collaborator that plans, adapts, and coordinates at human and machine scale. From UPS’s ORION saving millions of miles to smart factories reducing downtime and energy use, we lay out the concrete ways agents optimise complex systems while staying aligned with human oversight. TL;DR; Defining agentic AI through goals, autonomy, learning, reasoning, and collaborationManu...

The ground just shifted under every boardroom and team room: AI isn’t a side experiment anymore, it’s a core business tool changing how work gets done. We trace the acceleration in adoption and show why hands-on leadership—not memos—separates winners from watchers. From marketing and legal to operations and customer support, we walk through concrete examples of where AI already delivers results: real‑time personalisation, faster contract review, earlier demand forecasts, and sharper executive...

AI is already inside your organisation, whether leadership has a plan or not. We unpack how HR and L&D can turn quiet workarounds into safe, transparent practice by pairing thoughtful governance with practical training. From the dangers of Shadow AI to the nuance of enterprise copilots, we share a clear, humane path that protects people while unlocking real productivity gains. TLDR / At a Glance: • duty of care for AI adoption in HR and L&D • why blanket bans fail and fuel Shado...

The promise of AI isn’t stalling because the models are weak; it’s stalling because our leadership habits are. We open the hood on why executives talk about stewardship and enterprise health while managers feel like they’re juggling a second job just to keep up, then add AI on top. The tension isn’t about tools. It’s about incentives, silos, and the courage to share ownership for outcomes that cut across the org chart. TLDR: AI framed as a leadership and behavioural challenge ...

What if you could borrow a battle-tested executive exactly when you need them and only for as long as it takes to move the needle? We pull back the curtain on fractional leadership for SMEs, focusing on the people side of change where complexity lives and value compounds. TLDR / AT A Glance: • What fractional leadership is and why it matters for SMEs • Complexity of people versus utility of technology • Why “digital transformation” distracts from systems and culture • How empowerment beats co...

Fear rarely announces itself; it hides behind control, certainty, and the urge to delay. We sit down with expert CPO Brian Parks to unpack why artificial intelligence stalls in boardrooms not because of model limits, but because of leadership habits shaped by pressure, incentives, and ambiguity. Rather than chasing the newest tool, we explore how fear of failure, public scrutiny, and quarterly cycles push executives to avoid the very experiments that build competence and how that choice...

Forget “early adopters.” A new cohort arrives at work expecting intelligent tools by default. We unpack what it means to hire and lead AI natives—the people who open ChatGPT before Google, who treat Grammarly and Canva as standard kit, and who view AI not as innovation but as basic competence. Their expectations are clear: recruitment that feels intelligent rather than bureaucratic, internal tools that run as smoothly as their favourite apps, and leaders who understand how AI works and use it...

The day starts with pings, alerts, and an inbox that won’t quit—yet nothing meaningful moves. We set out to change that by exploring agentic AI: systems that don’t wait for prompts, but act within clear boundaries to learn your preferences, anticipate needs, and take initiative on the work that drains your focus. TL;DR: Agentic AI defined as autonomous, bounded collaboratorsReclaiming time via email triage, scheduling, and data hygienePersonalised curation to cut information overloadAI as cre...

The loudest voices say AI will fix everything; the quieter truth is that behaviour, incentives, and trust decide whether it works at all. We sit down with CPO Brian Parkes to get past the noise and talk about what actually moves an organisation from AI theatre to real outcomes. Fear, imposter syndrome, and quarterly pressure make leaders cling to control, yet value shows up only when teams collaborate across silos and redesign workflows end to end. TL;DR: Hype versus behavioural reality...

Everyone wants the upside of AI; few talk plainly about the downside. We open the box and lay out the real risks HR and L&D teams face—data security, access control, vendor exposure, algorithmic bias, and the slippery problem of hallucinations—then build the guardrails that let you ship with confidence. Governance isn’t a brake pedal; it’s the seatbelt that keeps your organisation moving fast without flying through the windscreen. TL;DR: AI governance as enablement, not bureaucracyVendor ...

Your boss might already be a line of code. We dive into the world of algorithmic management through the lens of Uber, where software now assigns rides, sets prices, monitors performance, and effectively manages millions of drivers at once. The draw is obvious: lightning-fast decisions, tighter demand–supply balance, and shorter passenger wait times. But beneath the efficiency lies a deeper story about power, agency, and the human cost of being directed by systems you can’t questio...

Imagine never opening twenty tabs to compare flights, hotels or warranties again. Instead, an AI agent that understands your budget, tastes and timing quietly negotiates on your behalf, bundles the best options and asks for approval only when it truly matters. That’s the leap from automation to delegation—and it’s poised to reshape retail at global scale. TL;DR: Delegation beyond automation and the end of shopping frictionReal-world orchestration example of a full-family moveThree buying mode...

Guesswork is expensive. We dig into how HR and L&D can turn everyday signals—surveys, onboarding chats, training feedback, and attrition patterns—into reliable foresight with the help of AI. The goal isn’t flashy dashboards; it’s fewer surprises, smarter hiring, clearer development paths, and decisions that hold up under pressure. TL;DR: Why HR data is underused and how AI compresses time to insightThe difference between insight and foresight in people analyticsWhen agentic AI helps and w...

Curiosity meets clarity as we unpack what AI really is, why it matters today, and how it quietly powers so much of modern life. From the messages you send to the movies you stream and the scans your doctor reads, we trace the path from decades of research to the tools now shaping daily choices. TL;DR: Foundations of machine learning and deep learningHow language models power chatbots and support teamsSpeech recognition and intent with voice assistantsComputer vision in healthcare and safety u...

Forget the hype around massive AI transformations and budget-busting implementations. What HR and L&D professionals truly need are practical, accessible solutions that address everyday challenges without requiring a computer science degree or extensive resources. TL;DR: Start with simple AI applications focusing on employment lifecycle pain pointsJob descriptions can be enhanced with AI while maintaining your organizational voiceTechnical terms and fear of the unknown often create barrier...

Exciting New HI for HR and L&D Professionals Course: Ready to move beyond theory and develop practical AI skills for your HR or L&D role? We're excited to announce our upcoming two-day workshop specifically designed for HR and L&D professionals who want to confidently lead AI implementation in their organizations. Join us in November at the beautiful MCS Group offices in Belfast for hands-on learning that will transform how you approach AI strategy. Check here details ...