Share

cover art for Why are we afraid of AI?

The Transform Talent Podcast

Why are we afraid of AI?

Season 4, Ep. 3
We are joined by, Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic currently the Chief Talent Scientist at Manpower Group, co-founder of Deeper Signals and Metaprofiling, and Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University. He's written over 150 scientific papers and 10 books on the psychology of talent, leadership, innovation, and ai, including his new book, iHuman AI Automation, and the Quest to reclaim what makes us unique. 

The globe is bringing so many questions to the table about how society's going to function moving forward, and how AI will play a huge part in that for better or for worse. The main question seems to be should we be afraid of AI or does AI come in peace?


AI is a prediction machine that identifies hidden patterns in large datasets and continuously improves itself. AI is commonly experienced through recommendation algorithms in everyday life, such as music streaming services and social media platforms. We explore why some people, including older workers, may fear AI and that concerns are often fuelled by sensationalist media stories and depictions of AI in popular culture. However, Dr Tomas emphasises that humans are still in control and most AI applications aim to simplify tasks and free up time for more creative pursuits. Tomas shares advice on how to stay informed about AI developments and how AI platforms like GPT can provide valuable insights.


In our conversation we delve into the potential of AI in talent acquisition and HR. Tomas highlights the opportunity to leverage AI for increased fairness and meritocracy in organisations. AI can help identify and close the gap between individual performance and career success. However, Tomas acknowledges that biases can still exist in AI systems and emphasises the importance of striving for improvement rather than perfection. Regarding future skills, Tomas suggests focusing on human traits that AI is less likely to master, such as empathy, kindness, self-awareness, critical thinking, and deep curiosity. These skills will be in demand as humans continue to interact with AI in the workplace. He also encourages organisations to think differently about diversity, including neurodiverse talent, to maximize the benefits of AI. 

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 6. “Can I get some data, please?”

    28:18
    Is a data-led strategy the right approach to finding talent? If this is how you approach hiring in your workforce there may be some pitfalls to consider. On today’s episode we will be discussing all things data, and how you in leadership can harness actionable insights to build successes during the skills evolution. Host Georgina Huntley is joined by Anna Spaul, Director of Intelligence & Research at the ManpowerGroup. Anna leads on strategy and delivery of insights across our U.K. clients and business. As part of this, she has introduced a new intelligence-led strategy that shares insight on how you should be using data correctly to find your next new hire. Resources The Ultimate Reskilling Guide: https://library.manpowergroup.eu/story/ts-rpo-the-ultimate-reskilling-guide-2023 
  • 5. Vulnerability & The Workplace

    21:08
    Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging: a hot topic in talent acquisition at the moment, but as a business owner or recruiter it’s important to not consider it a fad. In this episode Georgina Huntley speaks to Global DE&I Manager at Jaguar Land Rover, Trishna Naik about how creating an inclusive work environment strengthens your workforce and productivity in the workplace. Resources 2024 Workforce trends reports: https://www.manpowergroup.co.uk/the-word-on-work/the-age-of-adaptability-the-2024-workforce-trends-report/
  • 4. Talent Acquisition Trends 2024

    37:14
    What does 2024 have in store for talent acquisition?In this episode of The Transform Talent podcast: Georgina Huntley sits down with Becky Frankiewicz, President North America & CCO at ManpowerGroup and Michael Stull, Managing Director at ManpowerGroup UK, to deep dive into their predictions for what to expect in the world of talent acquisition this year. What does 2024 have in store? Let’s find out!
  • 2. Builders of Talent

    27:44
    We're all having to be far more creative when it comes to attracting and retaining the right talent for our businesses now into the future. So, in this episode, we're going to be talking about what it means to build your own talent, not via the traditional grad schemes or apprenticeship programs, but with professionals who are really motivated to learn, looking at those in their early to mid-careers with an average of two to five years’ experience. Focusing on how we invest in their development to build talent for the future. Our Hosts Georgina Huntley, the Talent Director and Board Director of ManpowerGroup UK and Georgia Byrne, Strategic Clients Director, Talent Solutions are joined today by our guest Jimmy Williams, Group Project Management Capability Manager, Babcock International.In this episode Builders of Talent, we discuss the challenges Babcock International faced with resource shortages around some of their key locations. Babcock’s locations are mostly further afield than your higher concentrated cities i.e., London, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. The challenge Babcock faced is that it is hard to draw in such specialised talent in those areas. Alongside graduate intakes, apprentice intakes, direct recruitment, and utilisation of contingent and agency staff, Babcock had to try something different and complimentary: Train to Fit.Babcock International Group Train to Fit has recently been nominated as a Finalist in the Developmental Programme of the Year at the Association for Project Management Festival of Education and Research.Some highlights discussed in this podcast:·      How do we find the right characteristics over and above the content of their CV.?·      Finding the person with the right behaviours·      Looking at routes to competence·      Look at deploying, learning through creation and curation of new resources·      Recognising and developing resource supply solutions that we probably wouldn't have investigated i.e., Train to Fit Jimmy Bio:A product of an apprenticeship, Jimmy sees the value in developing and enabling people while creating an environment that fosters personal and professional growth. Having worked in an array of functions such as Production, Project Management and Business Improvement, he understands the importance of building diverse and competent organisational capability through contemporary and sustainable methods.His role as a Project Management Capability Manager is dedicated to delivering value strategically and tactically through the development of an organisation’s most important aspect, its people.
  • 1. From Bland to Brand, EVP vs Employer Brand with Paul Bhangoo, Global Employer Brand & Attraction Manager at BT Group

    33:54
    In this series will be talking all things Talent Sustainability, with a focus for this episode on a very important component Employer Branding and EVP. Join us as we chat with Paul Bhangoo, Global Employer Brand & Attraction Manager at BT Group. BT Group (Digital and Technology) recently won the Recruitment Innovation Award at IHR Awards 2022. When we hear the term net zero, I think a lot of us assume it relates to environmental targets, but what do we mean to talk about a Net Zero approach to Talent? Its means aiming for zero waste throughout the talent pipeline and lifecycle, by enabling true career mobility and building sustainable talent ecosystems. This means reimagining how we attract, hire, reskill and redeploy talent, to optimize the skills of all our people.  We ask Paul what the difference is between EVP and Employer Branding and why it is important to differentiate between the two. Paul brings more than 20 years of experience in the recruitment Marketing, employer branding industry. HostsGeorgia Byrne, Enterprise Sales Director at ManpowerGroup Georgina Huntley, Talent Director at ManpowerGroup In this podcast Paul points out that there are some blurred lines around what people see the true definition of EVP. “They misinterpret it for employer brand, and that's not just a BT specific problem, or challenge, I think it's, it's an industry wide problem”We explore-         how customer brand perception and candidate brand perception are becoming harder to differentiate and need to be more aligned.-         How we talk about EVP to different generations within the business particularly Gen Z-         How we manage graduates' expectations around DE&I, their impact on what they do and the organisations commitments to their development.Visit https://talentsolutions.manpowergroup.co.uk/ to learn more about Talent Solutions Consulting, Talent Solutions RPO, TAPFIN and Right Management.
  • 23. Developing Future Talent with Junior Achievement Europe

    28:44
    In this episode, we talk about innovation & entrepreneurship, work readiness, and future of work skills with Axel Andersson and Isak Lager, Co-Founders of Shear Joy, a Swedish company that creates sustainable products made of sheep’s wool waste, and Michel Debruyne, Managing Consultant from Talent Solutions Right Management. Shear Joy is the 2021 winner of the ManpowerGroup “Ready for Work” Award granted at Junior Achievement Europe’s Gen-E contest, a celebration of entrepreneurship and the achievements of European students, where thousands of young entrepreneurs, 15 years and older, showcase their cutting-edge business ideas. ManpowerGroup’s partnership with Junior Achievement spans several years, across more than 30 countries worldwide.Listen to this episode to learn about Shear Joy’s development and learnings and how Right Management’s 1-year Mentoring Program, developed for the winning student team will support their growth.Hosts: Dominika Gałusa & April ClarkVisit https://talentsolutions.manpowergroup.com/ to learn more about Talent Solutions Consulting, Talent Solutions RPO, TAPFIN and Right Management.
  • 22. Transforming Candidate Hiring Experience with Sapia

    19:50
    In this episode, we talk to Barb Hyman, Founder & CEO of Sapia.ai, the winner of ManpowerGroup’s VivaTech Challenge. Held last month, VivaTech is the biggest start-up and tech event in Europe and is recognized worldwide as a powerful catalyst for business transformation, start-up growth, and innovation for the common good. Recognized in the “Cutting Edge Tech & Employee Experience” category, Sapia.ai is changing the way we qualify candidates by going beyond traditional assessments to help global corporations attract and hire more diverse talent. By turning simple text conversations into talent insights, Sapia.ai enables companies to interrupt hiring bias and provide an unforgettable candidate experience.Hosts: Dominika Gałusa & April ClarkVisit https://talentsolutions.manpowergroup.com/ to learn more about Talent Solutions Consulting, Talent Solutions RPO, TAPFIN and Right Management.
  • 21. Hire and Retain Diverse Talent with DEIB

    49:11
    Organizations must foster diverse and inclusive cultures to attract a diverse workforce of top talent, we have invited Devi Virdi, Group Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Centrica, and Nina Pagon, Consultant and DE&I Lead at Right Management UK, to share their perspectives on this timely topic. 92% of organizations believe that a diverse workforce is beneficial, and only 19% believe that diversity is well integrated into their current structure, according to Everest’s Future of Work Series Paper #2: Reimagining Workforce and Workplace Mechanics report.  In this episode, we discuss what it means to have diversity well-integrated in the organization. We also focus on DEIB in the new reality, especially in the remote and hybrid working model context. We touch upon the challenges those models may have on DEIB and learn from Centrica and Right Management how organizations can tackle those challenges to drive commercial success.Hosts: Dominika Gałusa & April ClarkVisit https://talentsolutions.manpowergroup.com/ to learn more about Talent Solutions Consulting, Talent Solutions RPO, TAPFIN and Right Management.