Gloucestershire HR provider launches AI readiness guide as shadow AI usage reaches 71% of UK workforce

HR People Support, a Cheltenham-based human resources consultancy, has launched a free downloadable resource and roundtable event series to help businesses address unauthorised AI usage in the workplace, responding to research showing widespread adoption of artificial intelligence tools without formal oversight.

According to SoGlos, the initiative follows Microsoft research revealing that 71% of employees in the UK have used AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Copilot or browser plugins, at work either with or without managerial approval, a growing trend known as "shadow AI."

The 'Is your HR ready for AI?' checklist forms part of the consultancy's 'AI and HR: The New Reality' series, designed to help business leaders reflect on their AI readiness and identify development priorities. The resource addresses legal responsibilities for employers, the impact of AI use on employees and their roles, and risks requiring consideration.

The guide is structured as a checklist enabling businesses to identify gaps in their approach and prompt internal conversations across multiple dimensions of AI implementation. The series aims to help decision makers develop effective AI policies accounting for existing usage patterns and appropriate action frameworks.

HR People Support will host two practical roundtable sessions at Festival House in Cheltenham. 'AI at Work: What Every Employer Needs to Know' takes place on 24th February, followed by 'The People Side of AI: How to Future-Proof Roles, Skills & Culture' on 9th March 2026.

The in-person sessions will involve learning and discussion around issues raised in the guide, providing business leaders with confidence to make informed decisions and a framework for building organisational AI policies.

Read more on the complete AI readiness checklist and register for the roundtable sessions through HR People Support.