The EU AI Act represents one of the most significant regulatory developments affecting workforce technology and AI-enabled hiring. Many organisations are still at an early stage of operational readiness, and I think that gap is more urgent than most boards currently realise.
I have discussed this at the House of Commons, where government is working at pace to introduce the right guardrails without restricting innovation, and the message I keep coming back to is simple: this is not a future compliance exercise. It’s a current one.
What the legislation affects
The regulation applies to AI systems used across recruitment, candidate screening, performance monitoring, promotion decisions and workforce analytics. If any of that sounds like tools you already have in place, take note. Organisations operating internationally, or hiring into EU markets, may still fall within scope regardless of where the parent company is based.
The UK direction of travel
The UK government continues to focus heavily on AI capability building, workforce readiness and AI adoption. While the UK regulatory approach differs from the EU model, workforce capability and AI governance are increasingly becoming strategic priorities across both public and private sectors. I would not read the difference in approach as a reason to wait.
What organisations should prioritise in the next 90 days
Over the next 90 days, organisations should:
- Audit AI-enabled HR and hiring tools currently in use across the business.
- Document human oversight processes for any AI system involved in people decisions.
- Build AI literacy capability across HR and leadership teams.
- Review transparency and candidate communication around AI use in hiring.
- Assign clear ownership for ongoing compliance activity.
Notice that none of these are purely legal tasks. Every one of them touches workforce planning, hiring practice and leadership capability, which is exactly why this belongs on the CHRO and CTO agenda, not just legal’s.
Why this connects to your wider workforce strategy
Regulatory readiness and AI capability are not separate conversations. The organisations doing this well are the same ones treating AI governance as a genuine hiring priority, not an afterthought. Roles like AI Governance Lead are already appearing on forward-looking organisations’ plans, and the demand for that capability is only going to grow through H2.
Our H2 2026 Workforce Insights Report covers the emerging roles, salary benchmarks and skills shortages behind AI governance and compliance in more detail.
If your organisation is working through what this means in practice, my team and I are happy to talk it through.