In this episode of Learning Horizons, we explore one of the most pressing tensions facing organisations today: how to drive real AI adoption without compromising trust. As AI becomes embedded in everyday workflows, the line between development and performance is increasingly blurred. What does this mean for employees, managers, and L&D leaders? Joined by Erica Farmer, we unpack the behaviours, mindsets, and conditions required to move beyond superficial usage towards meaningful impact. From data governance to the “AI dividend”, this conversation challenges us to rethink how we design learning, build trust, and enable performance in the age of AI.
Key learnings of Trust Before Tech: What It Really Takes to Drive AI Adoption
Addressing trust around data usage by employer in the workplace
Defining boundary between development and performance in our AI enabled Learning Ecosystem
How to measure real AI adoptions?
How to support manager navigating the risks and opportunities of AI?
What is the “AI dividend” for our people?
How to think about behaviour change?
Express review
Save time and focus on the discussion elements which are essential for you:
1. Welcome & Erica’s AI Journey in L&D (00:00)
2. From Corporate L&D to AI Thought Leadership (02:35)
3. When Learning Data Meets Performance Management (05:41)
4. Trust, Psychological Safety and AI Governance (08:17)
5. Why Managers Are the Pivot Point for AI Adoption (12:01)
6. Handling Resistance, Ethics and Tough Questions (16:31)
7. The “AI Dividend”: What’s In It for Me? (17:24)
8. Using AI as a Thought Partner, Not Just a Writing Tool (21:31)
9. Changing How We Work, Not Just Doing It Faster (24:40)
10. Prompting, Accountability and Good Management Skills (25:57)
11. Three Core Skills for an AI‑Ready Workforce (27:30)
Tools and resources
Creating psychological safety to support AI adoption: This is an absolute must read article to grasp the barriers of AI adoptions at scale and how to create capabilities at workforce level. As Erica concluded: “The organisations that succeed with AI won’t be the ones that move fastest; they’ll be the ones that move safely.”
Digital First Mindset – A TEDTalk by Erica Farmer – How to get the workforce ready for jobs that don’t exist. How to skills for the future.
Podcast episode: AI For the average Joe
Erica’s book: AI for People Professionals: Understand How to Use Artificial Intelligence in Your HR Role
Supporting neurodiverse workforce with AI: As we explore in previous episodes, one of the key super power of AI in learning is personalisation and it can really be a powerful tool in organisation’s inclusion strategy.
One last question to keep you thinking a little further: “Is AI biased? “
About Erica Farmer, guest speaker of Trust Before Tech: What It Really Takes to Drive AI Adoption
Erica Farmer has over 25 years of learning and development and apprenticeships experience with some of the UK’s best-known brands such as LV, British Gas, Specsavers and Virgin Care. Erica’s area of specialism is AI and future skills. Erica speaks about this in her TEDx talk, ‘Reforming Education through the Digital First Mindset’, and in her courses as a LinkedIn Learning Instructor. She is passionate about driving human collaborations with tech. Examples are the ‘AI for the Average Joe’ podcast show, making the complex, simple, alongside her innovative keynotes and workshops focusing on AI for everyone, AI in leadership and practical use of AI for career development and wellbeing. Erica is also an advisory member of the AI in Work & Skills Forum, a seasoned presenter who was shortlisted as Best AI Speaker in the 2025 Speaker Awards. She is also an AI Strategist for a leading European learning and teaching assessment organisation. Erica has recently authored her first book, ‘AI for People Professionals’ available through Kogan Page from May 2026.
Contact Erica
To watch more episode visit https://syncskills.net/learning-horizons-series/
Available episodes:
Episode 1: Making Learning Material Truly Accessible
Episode 3: How to measure Learning Impact
Episode 4: How to use videos for collaboration, creativity and performance enabler
Episode 5: Driving Learning Impact Through Accountability
Episode 7: Unmuting Emotions for Better Collaboration in Hybrid Teams
Episode 8: The Art of Meaningful Communication in the Digital Workplace
Episode 9: Psychological Safety in Remote Teams: From Silence to Trust
Episode 10: Learning Communities: The Art of Personalised Learning
Episode 11: Beyond L&D: How AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Business
Episode 12: Is AI the Missing Link Between Business Performance and Skills Development?
Episode 13: From Tool to Infrastructure: AI and the Future of Workforce Development
Episode 14: From AI Experiments to AI Infrastructure: What L&D Leaders Need to Build Next
Episode 15: Personalised Feedback at Scale: AI’s Real Superpower
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Contact SyncSkills
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- hello@syncskills.net
