

01
What the experts are saying
Jeremy Kahn
"We spend so much time talking about model training and almost none talking about training and upskilling people. We should try very hard not to just have the human in a completely vigilant role, where all they're doing is babysitting the AI system's output."
Yuval Harari
"For every euro and time we spend on AI, we should spend the same on developing and researching the human mind."
Ethan Mollick
"Our organizations are built around the limitations and benefits of human intelligence, the only form we have had available to us. Now, we must figure out how to reconfigure processes and organizational structures that have been developed over decades to take into account the weird “intelligence” of AIs. That requires going beyond R&D to consider organizational structures and goals, and what the role of people and machines are in the organization of the future. The right way to do this is not yet clear, but should be something companies, and the consultants and academics who advise them, need to start working on now."
Amy Webb
"It is no longer acceptable for the people at the table who are building AI to just be engineers and computational mathematicians. We need folks from human resources, ethicists, humanists, liberal arts folks, domain expertise, lived experience. That’s especially when we’re unleashing these things in vulnerable areas like policing, criminal justice."
Remy Gieling & Job van den Berg
"Where many people think that AI is primarily a technical challenge, we see in practice that it mainly comes down to an organizational issue. Whether you are building your own models or implementing smart AI-powered software from third parties, success depends much more on the adoption and acceptance by colleagues who have to learn to work with this new digital toolkit. And because people are creatures of habit by nature, this rarely happens on its own."
BCG
Trailblazers of AI adoption allocate: 10% to the algorithms, 20% to the data and tech infrastructure, but a massive 70% to business and people transformation.

02
The Urgency
1. All of our jobs are changing!
All studies conclude the same thing: almost all of our jobs will overlap with the capabilities of AI. So, regardless of its nature, your job is likely to overlap with AI in the near future. That doesn’t mean your job will be replaced. What it does mean, is that we urgently need to rethink careers, talent and learning & development. Stats: Gen AI could enable automation of up to 70% of business activities, across almost all occupations, between now and 2030 (McKinsey) By 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced by a shift in the division of labour between humans and machines (WEF) AI is predicted to supercharge productivity by 40% by 2035. (PwC) And in just the next five years, 57% of employees expect AI to redefine how they do their jobs. (Stanford University)
2. The way we learn is changing
The way we learn is undergoing a seismic shift driven by AI, transforming how we process and apply knowledge. We are moving from memorization toward critical application, thanks to AI’s ability to provide instant, customised access to information. However, there’s a risk: “lazy AI usage” could lead to over-reliance, where we let AI do the heavy lifting, leaving us with a shallow understanding and weakened independent thinking skills. While AI can be a powerful partner that boosts self-awareness and supports personalised learning, it also requires us to stay intentional and mindful. Educators and learners alike need to adapt thoughtfully, ensuring we use AI as a tool to deepen engagement, not just for shortcuts.
3. Our brains are changing
AI isn’t just altering our world; it’s actively reshaping our brains. Experts warn that increased reliance on AI could lead to cognitive atrophy, where critical thinking, problem-solving, and even memory skills weaken. Our neural pathways adapt to what we use most, meaning as AI takes over certain mental tasks, the related human skills could fade. One problem is the tendency to paste in an exact question and let AI answer it, which risks dulling our analytical abilities as we passively accept AI responses. Just as GPS has diminished our navigational skills, relying on AI could erode our ability to analyse, reason, or form coherent arguments. We’re at a crossroads where understanding and managing these changes is crucial to preserving our cognitive vitality.
4. The way we interact is changing
The integration of AI into our workplaces is rapidly transforming how we collaborate and interact. As AI handles more routine tasks, the emphasis shifts to uniquely human skills—critical listening, empathy, and collaboration. How to build organizations that are bringing humans together in new ways that produce new energy and new ideas? Human creativity becomes the new code, and our collective energy serves as the new data center. We need to view AI as a catalyst for more meaningful and dynamic interactions, enabling us to work together in richer, more collaborative ways. From a business perspective, this shift is crucial: companies that harness the power of human collaboration and innovation will have a significant competitive edge, driving greater adaptability, creativity, and long-term success in an AI-enhanced world.
5. An Agentic Future is not far away
AI agents—autonomous assistants capable of learning, adapting, and making decisions—are set to transform how we interact with technology. Unlike traditional chatbots, these agents can independently execute tasks, interact with their environment, and even collaborate with other agents to complete objectives more efficiently. With frameworks like LangChain and Microsoft's Autogen already emerging, and OpenAI promising breakthroughs this year, the rise of AI agents is just around the corner. Are you ready to welcome AI Agents into your team?
6. Our motivation is challenged
AI's growing role in the workplace threatens to undermine the three core elements of motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. As AI increasingly handles complex tasks, it runs the risk of stripping people of these motivators, potentially leading to disengagement and reduced fulfillment at work. Autonomy can be compromised when AI dictates processes, mastery may suffer as employees no longer develop their skills, and purpose can become unclear if AI's role isn’t well-aligned with the organization’s mission and values. This raises an urgent question. Organizations need to intentionally design AI use to enhance, rather than erode, these crucial sources of motivation, making sure employees feel empowered, skilled, and connected to a meaningful purpose.
7. We need more Humans in the Loop
At the heart of the biggest dangers from AI is the fact that it doesn’t naturally share our sense of ethics or morality. Most of the data AI learns from comes from the internet, which isn’t exactly the friendliest or most balanced place. And with that data mostly chosen by American, English-speaking, and often male computer scientists, the biases get baked in. This means AI can end up with a dangerously skewed view of the world. That’s why ALL of us need to be Humans in the Loop. We need to actively step in —catching misinformation, questioning biases, and applying our ethical judgment. This responsibility falls on everyone, because only with enough human oversight can we ensure AI serves society in a way that’s fair, ethical, and aligned with our values.
8. The speed of change is exponential
AI’s pace is jaw-dropping, and it’s having huge ripple effects on people and industries everywhere. Take the creative world, for example: Midjourney, improved so quickly that within six months, artists went from competing with human peers to grappling with AI that could generate high-quality, lifelike images in seconds. Meanwhile, AI writing tools like ChatGPT have made copywriters rethink their roles as these technologies rapidly handle tasks that used to take hours. Every week brings a new “wow” moment or a “yikes” realization about how much AI is reshaping our work and lives. Even if someone hit pause on AI today, the impact on our work, learning, and daily lives would still be massive.. We’re only scratching the surface, and it’s time to buckle up and figure out how to adapt and thrive!
9. There's a growing gap between Tech Speed and Human Adaptation
There is a growing mismatch between the rapid pace of technological advancements and our human inclination—and often fear—towards change. As shown in the graph below, technology evolves exponentially, but human behavior and organizational culture shift much more slowly. Adapting takes time, and many people remain skeptical or fearful about AI’s impact on their jobs. Worries about job security, the steep learning curve, and potential bias create resistance and hesitation. The challenge now is to balance technological progress with human development, building mental resilience and adaptability to keep up with AI’s rapid rise while addressing these valid concerns.


03
10 Myths about AI Adoption
1. This change is the same as electricity, internet, mobile phones
No, this is Generative AI: or the first time it impacts THINKING, not just DOING. As great as some previous technological developments have been (e.g. steam power, electricity or internet), their impact on work and education is far less. Where previous technological revolutions often targeted more mechanical and repetitive work, AI works in many ways as a co-intelligence. It augments, or potentially replaces, human thinking to dramatic results.
2. We / I are using AI tools already, so we're good
Using a few AI tools doesn’t mean your organization is prepared to thrive in an AI-driven world. True readiness requires addressing deeper questions about the impact on jobs, career paths, and learning and development to ensure people and AI can coexist seamlessly. Moreover, relying on off-the-shelf AI tools without a solid AI strategy and integration plan can create significant challenges—tools may lack scalability, disrupt workflows, or fail to differentiate you from competitors who have access to the same technologies. It’s essential to think beyond tools and prioritize a cohesive, forward-thinking human-centred AI strategy to navigate what’s ahead.
3. AI will give me a competitive advantage
AI on its own won’t give you a competitive advantage—your competitors have access to the same technology. The real edge comes from how you integrate AI with your unique strengths, proprietary data, and human expertise. By leveraging your distinct business model, creating synergies between AI systems and human intelligence, and strategically using proprietary data, you can unlock value that others can’t replicate. It’s not the technology itself, but how you use it to amplify your unique advantages, that creates a sustainable competitive edge.
4. AI will not interfere with my life / impact me (or business)
The idea that AI won’t impact your life or business is understandable, but the truth is, AI is already all around us—shaping industries, transforming jobs, and influencing how we learn and grow, often without us even realizing it. It’s worth asking yourself: What will my job look like in two years? If AI agents take over workflows, how will I make the most of that freed-up time? How can I shape my career and focus on learning and development to stay relevant and amplify my uniquely human strengths? And what about our kids? How do we teach them to develop skills only humans can master? What jobs will they be doing in the future? No industry will remain untouched, and the choices we make now will determine whether we use AI to our advantage or fall into lazy reliance. Let change happen for you, not to you!
5. AI is the domain of IT
Successful AI integration requires a holistic approach involving diverse departments and expertise. While technical teams develop and implement AI systems, the success of these initiatives hinges on collaboration with human resources, ethics committees, domain experts, and leadership. Hybrid advisors—who can bridge the gap between IT, HR, and business—play a critical role in aligning technical capabilities with organizational needs. Without this multidisciplinary collaboration, AI tools risk being underutilized, poorly aligned with company goals, or even resisted by employees. To truly harness AI’s potential, organizations need to treat integration as a company-wide effort that prioritizes people, processes, and cultural adoption just as much as the technology itself.
6. AI is in a Fort Knox of AI controlled by super ethical people
The idea that AI is locked away in a “Fort Knox” controlled by super-ethical people is a dangerous myth. While AI models undergo multiple layers of human refinement, such as reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), these processes are far from perfect—humans themselves are often unaware of their own biases. Most AI training data comes from the internet, a space rife with toxicity and cultural biases, compounded by the fact that much of it is curated by predominantly male, English-speaking computer scientists in the West. Amazing effort is put into making LLM’s as non-biased as possible, but every single user must act as the gatekeeper of its ethical output—staying critical and thoughtful in how we use it.
7. It's just a hype
AI dominates headlines and discussions, giving it the appearance of just another hype. On the Gartner Hype Cycle, AI has moved past the Peak of Inflated Expectations and is now entering the Trough of Disillusionment, where reality tempers exaggerated promises. While we may not yet see massive monetary effects and the initial novelty may have worn off, this is no passing trend. AI is infiltrating every aspect of our lives with unprecedented speed, reshaping industries and redefining how we work and live. Beyond these immediate impacts, companies are pursuing even more ambitious goals, such as creating sentient machines or achieving AGI and ASI. The true scale of this transformation is only beginning to unfold—and it’s poised to reshape the world in ways we’ve only begun to imagine.
8. There's a best practice blueprint for AI transformation
The belief that a universal blueprint exists for AI transformation is a misconception. Every organization is unique, with its own culture, competitive advantages, and operational challenges, making a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective. Experts emphasize that AI integration is less about following a fixed plan and more about tailoring strategies to align with specific business needs, organizational readiness, and employee dynamics. Success requires a focus on gaining experience, learning through implementation, and adapting as you go to create a transformation plan that works for your unique context.
9. Younger people will be much better at working with AI
It’s often assumed that younger people are naturally better at working with AI, but the reality is more nuanced. While familiarity with technology can help, effective AI utilization requires skills that often come with experience. The ability to leverage AI effectively is less about age and more about the depth of knowledge, critical thinking, and communication skills that individuals bring to the table. In fact, older generations may have the upper hand, as their expertise and life experience enable them to approach AI with greater depth and nuance. It turns out, wisdom might just be the ultimate AI hack!
10. AI will replace creativity and human ingenuity
The notion that AI will replace human creativity and ingenuity is a misconception. While AI can generate content and assist in creative processes, it lacks the depth of human experience, emotion, and cultural context that true creativity embodies. Many in the creative industry, like will.i.am, view AI as a tool to enhance their work rather than a replacement. He emphasizes that AI can handle repetitive tasks, allowing artists to focus on innovation and expression. By embracing AI as a collaborator, creatives can push the boundaries of their art, combining human ingenuity with technological advancements to produce unprecedented results. (If your interested, also listen to what Ben Affleck has to say about this)