AI in 360-degree feedback:

As organisations increasingly adopt AI to process complex feedback data, an key challenge is emerging:
understanding where technology adds value — and where human judgement remains essential.

Dr John Mahoney-Phillips and Carla Gibbes’ article, “The promise and perils of AI in 360-degree feedback analysis: An empirical comparison with human experts”, recently published in the British Psychological Society magazine, explores how combining AI efficiency with human insight can transform the way 360-degree feedback is analysed for leadership development.

Drawing on a real-world dataset, the study compares AI-generated analysis with expert human interpretation — revealing where each excels, and where each falls short.

Why this matters

Organisations increasingly rely on 360-degree feedback to support leadership development, drawing on input from multiple perspectives to build a fuller picture of performance.

At the same time, AI tools are making it easier to analyse large volumes of feedback quickly and systematically.

But speed and scale don’t always translate into meaningful insight  — particularly where context, behaviour, and nuance matter most.

Key insights from the article

• AI delivers scale and consistency — rapidly identifying patterns across large datasets
• Human experts provide depth and judgement — interpreting nuance, behaviour, and context
• The strongest results come from combining both — blending efficiency with meaningful insight

If you’d like to explore these findings in more detail, you can request a copy of the full published article using the form below.

Published in the British Psychological Society magazine, this research contributes to ongoing discussions around the role of AI in professional psychological practice.