AI Governance for Leaders: Using AI with Wisdom and Integrity

AI Governance for Leaders: Using AI with Wisdom and Integrity

In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon speaks to Sue Turner, founder of AI Governance and Professor in Practice for AI and Digital Tech at the University of Bristol Business School, about what it takes to use artificial intelligence in business with wisdom and integrity. Sue explains why responsible AI should not slow innovation, why shadow AI is already inside most organisations, and why leaders need to treat governance as a living system rather than a one-off policy. The conversation covers practical AI use cases, AI risk, human oversight, data protection, the EU AI Act, ISO 42001 and the uncomfortable trade-offs leaders face as AI adoption accelerates. Sue also shares why AI governance is a “wicked problem”, and what founders, operators and senior teams can do next to build confidence without drifting into recklessness. A grounded episode for anyone leveraging AI in business and trying to scale responsibly. Brought to you by Alex Bacon and BrightKeel AI.

AI in HR: Practical Use Cases for Founders and People Leaders

AI is already changing HR, but not in the way the headlines often suggest. In the first episode of Series 2 of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon speaks with Ingrid Maher Roberts, HR consultant and founder of Zero to One HR, about where artificial intelligence in business is genuinely useful for HR professionals, and where human judgement still matters most. Ingrid shares how she uses tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Projects, Claude Artefacts, Gemini and NotebookLM to support HR policy work, staff handbook questions, recruitment workflows and business development. She also explains why HR teams need clear guardrails around employee data, especially when dealing with sensitive information like salaries, medical issues, disciplinaries and restructures. This episode explores practical AI use cases in HR, the risks of generic AI-generated grievances and CVs, and why context, trust and emotional intelligence remain central to good people work. It is a grounded conversation for founders, operators and HR professionals who want to understand leveraging AI in business, business growth AI, and artificial intelligence marketing for small business without getting lost in hype. Listen now to hear how Ingrid and Alex at BrightKeel AI think about AI adoption, the role of AI in HR, and what a practical podcast about AI can teach growing businesses about the future of people teams.

AI in Business Q&A: Where Should Leaders Start With AI Adoption?

AI in business is moving quickly, but most leaders are still wrestling with the same practical question: where do we actually start? In this solo Q&A episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon from BrightKeel AI answers the common questions he is hearing from founders, operators and leadership teams trying to move from curiosity to confident AI adoption. He explains why successful artificial intelligence in business starts with leadership buy-in, clear use cases and a realistic view of your AI maturity, rather than jumping straight into agents or automation. Alex explores the AI maturity pyramid, the risks of shadow AI, the skills gap inside growing businesses, and why AI adoption should be treated as a change management challenge, not just another IT project. He also looks at how leaders can build trust, set guardrails and help teams start leveraging AI in business without creating confusion or fear. For anyone looking for a practical podcast about AI, business growth and responsible adoption, this episode is a grounded place to begin. Listen now.

Alex Talks to The Scale-up Podcast: Growing Businesses and Starting New Ones

What does it really take to grow a business, leave a senior role, and start again in the middle of the AI boom? In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon shares an excerpt from his appearance on The Scale-up Podcast, covering his journey from helping to scale a business from £4 million to £38 million in revenue to launching BrightKeel AI. Alex talks honestly about growth, funding, culture, acquisitions and the pressure of working inside a fast-moving scale-up. He also explains why AI adoption should not be treated as another IT project, and why leaders need to own the strategy, guardrails and culture around using tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Microsoft Copilot. Expect practical thinking on AI in business, sales cycles, marketing strategy, tender responses, AI consultancy, and the gap between automation hype and real operational improvement. For founders, operators and senior leaders looking at artificial intelligence in business and wondering where to start, this is a grounded conversation worth hearing.

Why AI Fails Without Process (And How to Fix It)

In this episode of the Scaling With AI podcast, Alex Bacon sits down with Emily Hatton, operations consultant and founder of AI in Agencies, to explore why AI adoption often fails to deliver and how to turn it into a genuine driver of business growth. While Emily’s work focuses heavily on marketing agencies, the lessons apply to any founder, operator, or small team trying to scale. This is a practical conversation about automation with AI, improving operations, and building a business that can grow without simply adding more people. They unpack why throwing tools like ChatGPT or Claude into your team rarely works, how unclear processes block AI scaling, and what it actually takes to create efficiency across a growing business. You will also hear how better process design can unlock small team scaling, reduce duplicated work, and create measurable impact on margins. If you are searching for an AI and business podcast that goes beyond hype into real execution, this episode is for you. Listen now to learn how to scale your business with AI in a way that actually works.