Initial insights have been released from in-depth work with organisations in finance, law, healthcare, construction, services and the public sector.

First summary findings from a new series of case studies have been published today, which the Institute for the Future of Work has developed in partnership with the CIPD as part of the Government-funded support from Innovate UK’s BridgeAI programme.

Read about the case studies here: https://www.ifow.org/news-articles/a-people-challenge-not-a-tech-one---findings-on-workplace-ai-from-our-cipd-backed-case-studies

Through action-research with leading organisations, this initial analysis reveals that successful AI adoption is not just about using new technology, but about implementing and embedding it well, forefronting human experience.

Drawing on insights from eight organisations across many different sectors -- including finance, healthcare, construction, legal services and the public sector - the research challenges the prevailing narrative that AI implementation is primarily a technical task led by IT or data teams.

Instead, they point to a clear and urgent conclusion: work design mediates better outcomes and is the missing link in responsible and effective AI adoption.

In short, organisations that treat AI as a people-centred transformation - not just a tool - are far more likely to succeed.

Beyond tools: redesigning work for the AI era

Common themes were surfaced across the case studies: the most successful organisations were not simply introducing AI tools, but were fundamentally rethinking how work is structured, how decisions are made, and how human skills are developed.

This includes redesigning roles, redefining productivity, and ensuring that human judgment remains at the centre.

“AI adoption at work is not only a technology change — it’s a people-centred transformation.”

The real barriers are organisational, not technical

While much of the public debate focuses on speed of use and labour market displacement, this work finds that the biggest changes are hidden inside firms and jobs. The main obstacle to successful AI adoption lies in organisational capability and direction.

Fragmented decision-making, weak governance, lack of employee involvement and poor communication consistently emerged as the primary barriers - often leading to low engagement, “shadow AI” use, or outright rejection of new tools.

In contrast, organisations that established cross-functional governance - bringing together HR, IT, legal and operational leaders - were better able to align AI adoption with organisational goals and workforce needs, and thus deliver better outcomes.

Trust, transparency and collaboration are critical but need to be earned

A consistent thread across all case studies was the central role of trust, which is grounded in information sharing and higher levels of involvement.

Where employees were excluded from decision-making, organisations reported low uptake and poor return on investment. Where organisations prioritised transparency, dialogue and co-creation, adoption was stronger and more sustainable.

Successful approaches included, new forums and open workshops to surface concerns and ideas, clearer hybrid guardrails to support safe experimentation, and introducing metrics to capture human impacts.

These practices helped move organisations from “compliance anxiety” to shared ownership of AI adoption and success.

Efficiency gains — and new pressures

While many organisations achieved significant efficiency gains — from faster document review to reduced administrative burden — the research also highlights unintended consequences.

AI can increase workloads through higher volumes of output, intensify time pressures, and create new forms of cognitive and emotional strain. Without careful work design as AI is implemented, productivity gains risk being offset by burnout, failure to capture new value through participatory innovation and declining job quality.

A shift in mindset: from implementation to work design

The overarching message from this research is clear: AI adoption cannot be left to technical teams alone. As the people-centred approach that IFOW has pioneered through it’s Pissarides Review into the Future of Work and Wellbeing, a future of work that matches innovation with social good will depend not just on what technology can do but on how people and organisations choose to design work around it.

Quote from Anna Thomas MBE:

‘This action research offers rare insight into AI implementation in action. This project has introduced a work design lens to both understand and deliver people-centred approaches that work and stick.

‘The cases strongly suggest that a work design lens could be the missing link in responsible and effective AI adoption that works for people and society, as well as organisations that are seeking guidance through transformation.’

About the research

This case study series is part of a wider programme of action-research exploring responsible AI adoption in the workplace, delivered by IFOW in partnership with the CIPD. It brings together real-world experiences from organisations at different stages of AI maturity, offering practical insights into what works — and what doesn’t.

Notes for Editors

A summary write-up of the case studies can be found here: https://www.ifow.org/news-articles/a-people-challenge-not-a-tech-one---findings-on-workplace-ai-from-our-cipd-backed-case-studies

Organisations behind each case study have been anonymised, but this action-research involved months of in-depth work with each organisation, and focused workshop sessions with key stakeholder groups.

IFOW

IFOW is an independent research and development institute dedicated to transforming working lives for the better, co-founded by former employment barrister Anna Thomas MBE, Nobel prize-winning economist Sir Christopher Pissarides, and technologist Naomi Climer CBE.

CIPD

The CIPD is the professional body for HR and people development. It helps organisations thrive by focusing on their people, supporting our economies and societies. It is the professional body for human resources (HR), learning and development (L&D), organisation development (OD) and all people professionals – experts in people, work and change.

For enquiries, contact:

Kester Brewin (kester@ifow.org) | 07787904596

Phoebe Griffiths (phoebe.griffiths@ifow.org)

Tags

More Like This

The future of work isn’t predetermined by technologies, it is shaped by institutions

AI reshapes global labour market into two distinct paths, rewarding human skills: PwC 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer

New Betterworks Study Finds Almost 50% of Employees Are Not Comfortable Using AI, Challenging CHROs to Close the AI ROI Gap

UK firms embrace AI boom, but leadership gap threatens growth

New research from Workday Partner reveals AI disruption forcing big changes for HR consultancies

Industry Execs Think Digital Transformation Is Working - but Staff Still Rely on Shadow IT to Get the Job Done

Workai Introduces "AI for Work", the AI-native Approach to Employee Experience

AI adoption is strong among entry-level workers across sectors and economies - and it's making work life easier and more enjoyable, reports Generation