This month, we're really excited to share early findings from the case studies on responsible AI implementation at work, conducted with organisations across a whole range of sectors in partnership with CIPD, and as part of the Government-funded Innovate UK BridgeAI programme, which is the focus of this month’s Deep Dive below.

Though the geo-political weather has been rough recently, in the world of digital tech, we’re hopefully seeing some shifts towards more human-centred approaches (as highlighted in this new research with CIPD) to how the impacts of tech are understood, such as the green shoots of progress on accountability for social media platforms. Make sure you join us for our major conference on 18th May, which focuses exactly on Making the Future Work – for people and a flourishing society.

We have continued to apply this socio-technical lens across the country in other ways too - from discussions on human skills and capabilities with stakeholders in Cornwall, including at the Anthopy conference, to co-designing better skills and support systems for green jobs with our community researcher team in Grimsby through the Flourish Project.

Next week sees the launch of the Fair Work Agency, and we have backed a call for this new body to adopt three core priorities to ensure that it is best placed to tackle labour market inequalities and support all workers - especially the most vulnerable in this period of technological transformation.

Lastly, our Interesting Reads section has had a spring clean! Enjoy a curation of publications on the impact of AI tools on work and democratic engagement, expertly selected by IFOW Director of Social Research, Dr Magdalena Soffia.

Anna and Team IFOW

Deep Dive: Findings on Workplace AI from our CIPD-backed case studies

While there have been countless headlines about how AI is impacting jobs, there’s been surprisingly little focus on what’s actually happening inside organisations: howAI is being introduced, governed and experienced in everyday work. 

New action-research, conducted in partnership with CIPD, reveals that successful AI adoption is not just about using new technology, but about implementing and embedding it well, forefronting human experience and factors.

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

Instead, findings point to a clear and urgent conclusion: work design is the missing link in responsible and effective AI adoption, and can mediate better outcomes through technological transformation. In short, organisations that treat AI as a people-centred transformation - not just a tool - are far more likely to succeed.

Read more about the case studies here.

Interesting Reads

While we examine how AI is reshaping work and labour markets, less is known about how the public perceives these impacts, and how these perceptions affect democratic attitudes and behaviours.

Automation, politics, and the future of work | Institute for the Future of Work (2019)
This IFOW research reveals the strong link between the risks of job automation and voting behaviour by region, emphasising the importance of engaging with the potential risks and inequalities of automation to maximise benefits, and avoid exacerbating Britain’s divides.

Perceiving AI as labour-replacing reduces democratic legitimacy and political engagement | Armin Granulo, Andreas Raff, and Christoph Fuchs (2026)

Large-scale survey data from European countries indicates that the public leans toward seeing AI as labour-replacing rather than labour-creating, with these views tending to also indicate lower satisfaction with democracy and political engagement with technology.

The impact of advanced AI systems on democracy | Christopher Summerfield, Lisa P. Argyle, Michiel Bakker, et al. (2025)

Beyond workplace participation dynamics, this article presents a summative account of the direct importance of AI in enabling information access, a crucial feature for meaningful participation in deliberative processes.

AI: challenges for democracy and some policy solutions | Paul Anand (2025)
As AI continues to create political and economic change, as well as technological shifts, this paper uses a capabilities approach to examine the impact on citizens, institutions, and governance.

Participatory AI: A Scandinavian approach to human-centred AI | Niklas Elmqvist, Eve Hoggan, Hans-Jörg Schulz, et al. (2025)
How can we look to design and deploy AI systems with workers? This paper draws on participatory design traditions to offer a framework for more democratic and people-centred AI adoption at work.

Aligning trustworthy AI with democracy | A dual taxonomy of opportunities and risks | Oier Mentxaka, Natalia Díaz-Rodríguez, Mark Coeckelbergh, et al. (2025)

AI and new technologies hold the potential to both strengthen institutions and introduce new vulnerabilities in governance and public life, as this paper maps out.

Reclaiming democracy from the market | Project Syndicate interviews Daron Acemoglu (2026)
In the context of widening inequalities and AI-related economic shifts, this interview urges a focused rethinking of meaningful work, community engagement and public discourse to strengthen and protect democratic foundations and trust in public institutions.

Events

APPG on the Future of Work: Technological disruption and working lives – Impacts on young people | 15 April 2026, hybrid

Join the APPG on the Future of Work for a discussion of how technology-driven changes to the labour market are impacting young people’s prospects, and how policy can help mitigate challenges and support young people to seize opportunities in a changing economy.

National Productivity Week | 27 April – 1 May 2026

Throughout Productivity Week, look out for a daily podcast hosted by The Productivity Institute’s Managing Director, Bart van Ark, bringing together leading experts to discuss the key drivers of productivity in the UK economy.

Humans, Agents & Work: Designing the AI-Native Workplace | 18:00-21:00, 30 April 2026, in-person

Grow London Global here invites founders, innovators, employers and policymakers to explore how agentic AI, deep tech and HR innovation are reshaping the future of work, in collaboration with Venture Café London.

Making the Future Work | 18 May 2026

Tickets are booking up fast for Making the Future Work on the 18^th May at the IET. Sign-up here to see our latest confirmed speakers, including Kate Bell, TUC General Secretary, Phil Smith CBE, Chair of Skills England, and Anna Ganley, Chief Executive of the Society of Authors.

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