Placement Spotlight: Exploring AI and Organisational Change at BT

During my three-month placement with BT’s Research and Networks Strategy team, I investigated how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming their workforce - a project that linked unexpectedly well with my DPhil research on women’s evolving work in banking services. Initially focused on BT’s archives, I examined their pioneering 1980s AI engineer work allocation system, ‘Work Manager’, finding intriguing parallels concerning ‘skills’ and worker identity.

The project evolved as I began interviewing employees across the organisation, from technical experts to governance specialists and union representatives, revealing how AI implementation requires careful navigation of both technical capabilities and organisational culture.

The timing proved particularly relevant, coinciding with significant organisational changes and intense debate about AI’s role in BT’s future and the future of traditional telecommunications companies more generally, with the rollout of Microsoft Copilot to employees with neurodiverse conditions at BT starting weeks into the placement. The skills I developed analysing historical workplace and workforce transitions proved applicable to understanding current technological change.

What stood out was how my academic background in gender and labour history offered unique insights into BT’s current challenges. The project demonstrated how historical methodologies can inform practical business decisions - particularly managing technological transitions while maintaining workforce diversity and inclusion.

The placement helped me understand how humanities research skills can practically serve business needs. While my DPhil examines historical sources, this project required synthesising contemporary perspectives through interviews and understanding complex technical concepts. Most valuably, it showed how academic insights can directly inform organisational strategy - a connection I’ll carry forward in my research and future career.