Leadership key to successful AI adoption in the workplace

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the workplace, but for many organizations, the biggest challenge isn’t adopting the technology but preparing employees to use it effectively and confidently.

A recent survey by ETS, a global education and workforce assessment organization, found that 60% of workers feel pressure to adopt AI tools before they feel ready, highlighting the growing need for training, clear expectations and leadership as businesses integrate AI into daily work.

“The way I think about a lot of work, especially knowledge work and cognitive work, is that there are kind of three phases to it,” said Lav Varshney, Ph.D., the Della Pietra Infinity Professor and inaugural director of the AI Innovation Institute at Stony Brook University. “The first is problem finding, the second is problem solving, and then the third is externalization, so getting the results out into the world in appropriate ways.”

Varshney said AI is rapidly accelerating the problem-solving stage, making the human skills on either end of the process even more valuable. As AI handles more of the technical work, employees’ ability to identify meaningful problems, exercise judgment, communicate ideas and build consensus becomes increasingly important.

He is seeing that shift firsthand through the LIA-AI Growth Academy, a Google.org-funded initiative in which Stony Brook University and the Long Island Association are helping 50 Long Island small businesses integrate AI into their operations this summer.

While many participants arrive already comfortable using tools like ChatGPT, Varshney said the challenge is no longer convincing businesses to try AI but helping them determine which technologies best fit their needs and can create the greatest business impact.

“People are already reasonably good at using chatbots,” Varshney said. “But it’s figuring out how to use other technologies that might actually be more helpful than these general-purpose technologies.”

Helping business leaders identify those opportunities is becoming a growing focus for colleges and workforce development programs nationwide.

Graham Anthony, assistant vice president for educational technologies and innovation at the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, a private business school with campuses in Rochester and Buffalo, works with business leaders navigating those challenges every day.

“A lot of times I get the question from businesses, ‘I know this [AI] is a big deal, but I don’t know even what to ask or how to start,'” Anthony said. “That’s a leadership question.”

Anthony said leaders don’t need to become AI experts, but they do need enough knowledge to identify opportunities, ask the right questions and empower employees to use AI effectively. Rather than waiting until the technology feels fully understood, he encourages organizations to begin learning and experimenting now.

“Learn about what artificial intelligence is and what’s hype and what’s reality,” Anthony said. “Be willing to try things, experiment and have it fail a little bit.”

Anthony leads one-day AI workshops for executives and leadership teams through the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, helping organizations understand what AI can realistically do, identify practical business applications and develop strategies for responsible AI adoption.

Behind closed doors, Anthony said, many business leaders admit they’re still trying to understand the technology and what it means for their organizations.

“All of them say the same thing when they’re behind closed doors, which is that they’re confused by it,” he said. “They don’t really know what it is and what it’s capable of.”

Anthony said acknowledging those uncertainties is often the first step toward meaningful AI adoption. Leaders don’t need to master every new tool, he said, but they do need enough understanding to guide their organizations, empower employees and create an environment where experimentation is encouraged rather than feared.

For many organizations, that learning process doesn’t end once leaders understand AI’s capabilities. Building employee confidence and creating a culture where experimentation is encouraged can be just as important as learning the technology itself.

Christopher Barber, founder of Maryland-based IT provider Cheaper Than a Geek and vice president of the National Society of IT Service Providers, said organizations also need to rethink how they prepare employees for an AI-enabled workplace.

“The new competitive advantage isn’t simply having information; it’s knowing how to question it, validate it, apply it, and make good decisions with it,” Barber said.

One of the biggest misconceptions, Barber said, is that AI is replacing people. Instead, he believes it is changing what makes people important by placing a greater premium on critical thinking, communication, creativity, judgment and emotional intelligence.

“In reality, AI is changing what makes people valuable,” Barber said.

Barber believes the biggest skills gap isn’t technical knowledge but confidence.

“Many employees are afraid they’ll use AI incorrectly,” Barber said. “Others are worried they’ll look less intelligent if they rely on it. Some fear it might eventually replace their jobs.”

Rather than expecting employees to become comfortable overnight, Barber said organizations should create opportunities to experiment in low-risk situations, compare AI-generated work with their own and learn through experience.

“Confidence grows through repetition, not presentations,” Barber said.

He encourages managers to remind employees that AI is a tool, not a replacement for their expertise.

“AI may know billions of data points, but it doesn’t know your customers. It doesn’t understand your company’s values. It doesn’t build trust or relationships,” Barber said. “That’s still a human job.”

Ultimately, Barber said organizations that invest in helping employees adapt rather than just adopting new technology will be best positioned to benefit from AI over the long term.

“The future of AI isn’t really about artificial intelligence,” he said. “It’s about amplifying human intelligence.”

Caurie Putnam is a freelance writer for BridgeTower Media.