RecFest UK: AI Adoption, Recruitment’s Human Element & What Comes Next

Nitin speaks with Jamie Jay Lyons, Joe Atkinson and Darren Bush, recorded live at RecFest UK and hosted by Sean Kennedy, about AI adoption in recruitment and talent acquisition. The panel examines why having an AI licence isn't an AI strategy, exploring how organisations can identify genuine use cases, measure ROI and build the infrastructure needed to scale AI safely. They discuss common mistakes including jumping onto tools without understanding business problems, running before teams understand AI capabilities, and failing to operationalise solutions across entire businesses.

The conversation addresses the tension between automation and human interaction, considering where AI should augment people rather than replace them. The panel also explores the future of recruitment technology, including conversational data from candidate interactions and the potential normalisation of AI interviewing as consumers become more comfortable with AI in other areas. The core message is that AI adoption requires curiosity, experimentation, governance, infrastructure and time—not just tool acquisition.