AI continues to be integrated into the economic fabric. However, the conversation often overlooks a key element in the shadows: people. Training people in rapid engineering and systems integrations is not enough.
Today’s “AI experts” focus too much on the technology and process aspects of the “People, Process and Technology” paradigm. They assume that improving technology will create business value and optimizing processes will ensure consistency. However, this view is flawed because it overlooks the crucial role of the people who use these systems.
Too often, “experts” advocate the compartmentalization of skills. This creates unnecessary and negative organizational impacts.
My message in this article is clear: AI adoption is a critical strategy that must be driven at the organizational level and managed by leaders in a clear and compelling manner.
Why humans are important in the AI ecosystem
No matter how advanced technology is, it needs human knowledge to succeed. When organizations focus too little on people, they create systems that don’t match employees’ needs and skills. This misalignment can lead to:
- Resistance of your teams.
- Inequality of employment opportunities.
- Low morale.
- Ultimately, the underperformance of AI initiatives.
A fundamental shift towards prioritizing people and their skills is essential.
Soft skills are necessary to ensure equal opportunities
Pew Research Center surveyed more than 11,000 U.S. adults about their use of AI, their enthusiasm for the technology, and their knowledge of the areas in which AI is used. The results show that awareness of AI varies significantly by gender, ethnicity, age, education and income levels.
There’s a lot of information in the chart, but the takeaway is that awareness of AI is very uneven based on gender and ethnicity:
- Men are much more likely to have high conscientiousness, and women lower conscientiousness.
- African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to have low and high conscientiousness.
The message is clear: organizational leaders must play a proactive role in wisely guiding AI adoption. They must ensure that the soft skills of all team members are taken into account to prevent inequalities in employment opportunities.
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Non-technical functions will generate the most value from AI
Despite what some might think, the success of AI is not solely in the hands of technical experts. McKinsey highlights that a remarkable 75% of AI’s value will be realized across five business functions, three of which are non-technical: customer operations, marketing and sales.
Go-to-market (GTM) teams play a key role in creating value for their organizations. However, this does not mean that organizations should focus solely on GTM AI strategy. They need a broader organization-wide strategy with a GTM application.
Soft skills: at the heart of AI adoption success
When planning an organization-wide AI program, it is essential to consider soft skills. These skills are essential to successful change management and help teams adapt to AI. They constitute the glue that keeps technical innovations in a coherent and functional reality.
Cognitive psychology shows how people interact with AI. Successful AI adoption requires fostering a growth mindset, encouraging curiosity, and supporting the mental shifts needed to use AI effectively. When employees feel supported in these areas, organizations can benefit from smoother transitions and greater engagement with AI.
Growth mindset
A growth mindset is the belief that skills and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. This mindset is crucial in an AI-driven organization because it allows employees to view challenges as development opportunities rather than obstacles. Encouraging a growth mindset leads to higher productivity and engagement because employees are more likely to take initiative, adopt innovative technologies, and continually improve their skills.
About 17% of workers who are more concerned about AI today than last year say they personally know someone whose job has been replaced by AI, according to EY. Understanding and cultivating a growth mindset fosters an environment where learning and adaptability are integral to business success.
Employee Trust and Resilience
Trust and resilience involve equipping employees with the ability to adapt and make informed decisions despite uncertainty. In an AI-driven organization, where rapid technological change is the norm, the ability to manage ambiguity without undue stress is essential. Up to 75% of employees fear that AI will make certain jobs obsolete, and many (65%) say they are worried about AI replacing their jobs. By building trust and resilience, organizations ensure employees remain productive, engaged and able to meet challenges while reducing anxiety and creating a more stable and positive work environment.
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Cognitive flexibility, agility and growth
Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to adapt thinking and approach based on new information and changing circumstances. This skill is vital in an AI-rich environment, where the agility to change strategies and embrace new ideas enhances personal and organizational growth.
By fostering cognitive flexibility, organizations enable their employees to innovate and proactively respond to AI-driven insights, making informed decisions that propel business success.
Responsible and Responsible Decision Making
This skill involves creating frameworks within which decisions are made with careful consideration of ethical standards and organizational goals. In the context of AI, responsible decision-making ensures that the technology is used wisely and transparently, thereby fostering trust and accountability.
Today, two issues top the list of employee concerns: the quality of AI results and the speed with which AI is adopted. Understanding this process is essential for employees to manage AI tools effectively and ethically, ensuring that AI-driven decisions align with broader business values and contribute positively to organizational goals .
Collaborative skills
Effective collaboration is essential to integrate AI into workflows and realize its full potential. This skill involves fostering open communication, teamwork, and cross-functional cooperation, bridging departmental silos to create a cohesive AI implementation strategy.
Collaborative skills enable employees to contribute diverse ideas and foster innovation, thereby boosting collective productivity and ensuring that advances in AI are effectively leveraged across the organization.
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Bring everyone on the journey
AI adoption should not polarize the workforce into those who get it and those who don’t. Instead, create a culture of inclusion in which everyone in the organization feels part of the transformation. It’s about making sure everyone participates, not by forcing them to learn coding languages, but by fostering an environment where learning, adaptation and collaboration across functions are encouraged and valued.
Embracing AI means investing in soft skills and mental preparation to ensure success. By aligning AI with human strengths, businesses can implement it effectively and build a workforce ready to thrive in an AI-driven world.
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Contributing authors are invited to create content for MarTech and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the martech community. Our contributors work under the supervision of the writing and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. The opinions they express are their own.
