Erica Farmer
Erica Farmer is a speaker on AI and Future Skills and 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 people first AI approaches and human distinctive skills.
Erica is 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 and an AI Strategist and board member for a leading European learning and teaching assessment organisation.
Erica’s sessions don’t just inform; they change behaviour. The audience leaves with:
- Greater confidence and willingness
- Clear, people-first use cases they can apply immediately
- Reduced anxiety and resistance
- A shared language
Whether delivering a keynote, an interactive workshop, or a keynote-plus-breakout experience, Erica translates complex AI concepts into practical, relatable insights that resonate with operational teams, leaders and people functions alike.
Her new book, ‘AI for People Professionals’ is available through Kogan Pag
ERICA FARMER SPEAKING TOPICS
- How To Take a People-First Approach To AI Implementation
- Empowering Women to Innovate and Lead with AI
- Reforming Education with a Digital First Mindset
- From AI Overwhelmed to Being Ahead: A Practical Playbook for Managers and Leaders
Keynote
“How To Take a People-First Approach To AI Implementation”
AI is advancing fast, but people’s confidence and capability to use it productively haven’t kept up. And that’s killing your business. This is because you are not engaging people as people. You are engaging them as tech users.
It’s time to book a talk that actually changes behaviour.
After seeing leaders go AI first instead of people first, I realised that resistance to AI is really about confidence and capability, and that people need support to identify their own AI Dividend.
So are you ready to move beyond AI hype and actually help your people use AI with confidence, courage and impact?
Erica Farmer helps HR, L&D and business leaders engage people as people, not as reluctant tech users. She is an international keynote speaker and practitioner in AI and future skills who believes the real AI advantage isn’t productivity alone, it’s happier, more resilient people who know how to partner with AI in ways that genuinely improve their work and lives.
Drawing on 25 years’ experience across some of the UK’s largest brands, Erica brings a grounded, human-first perspective to AI adoption. After repeatedly seeing organisations go AI first instead of people first, she recognised that resistance to AI is rarely about the tools; it’s about confidence, capability and fear of being left behind.
That’s where the AI Dividend™ Approach comes in.
Through high-impact, interactive keynotes, Erica reframes AI away from fear, overwhelm and abstract potential, and towards clarity, confidence and practical human capability. Her talks help leaders and teams identify their own AI Dividend — the tangible benefits AI can bring to their roles, wellbeing and effectiveness — while also supporting organisational productivity and innovation
Erica Farmer has spoken a few times at The Apprenticeships England Conferences. Erica is Informative, thought provoking and her ability to engage with the audience is second to none. Erica's presentations captures the audience attention from the go. I would recommend Erica for any speaking opportunities that might arise.
— Lindsay McCurdy, CEO The Apprenticeship Group and Conference Owner/Organiser
Refreshing, talks the talk and walks the walk, inspirational, has high impact and best session of the week are all phrases used to describe the speaking event delivered by Erica to our organisation. The content and delivery style were very well received. Erica’s presenting techniques are already being adopted as we move forwards in developing our material and increasing engagement with our audiences.
— Emma Mitchell, Development Manager, League Football Education England
Erica Farmer presented on remote working and online engagement to myself and a number of colleagues. We were all blown away with how captivating it was, and it really opened our minds up to so many techniques that have significantly improved the quality of our own delivery. It has been an absolute game changer for us. You've not experienced the impact and opportunity of digital learning until you attend one of her talks.
— Lesley Rimmington, Quality Director, Realise Employment and Training
