These days, artificial intelligence is everywhere we turn. But it’s no longer just a cool buzzword. It’s real. For proof, look at recent posts on the TalentCulture blog. A number of contributors have written great articles about how organizations are transforming functions like recruiting, employee experience, and talent management when they adopt AI.
This kind of progress is exciting! But as several authors note, convincing people to adopt AI isn’t always smooth sailing:
- Brett Farmiloe of Featured shared practical management advice from a dozen business leaders who’ve helped their teams overcome AI resistance and embrace its benefits. The message? Be prepared to address fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
- Aaron Drapkin interpreted results from a Tech.co survey of more than 1,000 leaders about the impact of AI on job satisfaction. Interestingly, he found a clear gap between organizations that have embraced AI and those that haven’t.
Why Do AI Roadblocks Persist?
As AI continues to spread, its impact on the modern workplace is undeniable. Yet organizations still face reluctance, skepticism, and inertia that slow its momentum.
We’ve seen this with so many disruptive technology advances — the rise of desktop computing, the digital economy, and cloud. But AI isn’t simply a new place to process and store data. It’s an entirely new way to create and analyze, period. And it’s profoundly altering how we think and work. So advocates will no doubt encounter some friction on the road to adoption.
But what can you do when your team doesn’t want to buy into this kind of progress? How do you convince people to set aside their doubts and get on board? How can you undo damage from detractors who push back and spread doubt?
These are common questions about what it takes to adopt AI. And no one can afford to overlook the answers — especially now, when organizations are integrating AI more deeply into workflows of all types.
For helpful guidance, let’s look closer at the articles Brett and Aaron contributed:
How Do Leaders Persuade People to Adopt AI?
Many of the 12 leaders quoted in Brett’s piece have succeeded by addressing underlying AI fears and motivations. For example, here are two top takeaways:
1. Ask Employees to Show Peers How AI Works
Forcing people to adopt AI tools and processes is a recipe for disaster. It hits like a cultural tsunami no one can withstand. And the shock leaves those who aren’t prepared feeling left behind. As a result, you’re likely to face continued resistance.
You’ll achieve much better results by treating AI like a practical tool everyone can master — and then giving people the time, opportunities, and support they need to master it.
As Skydog Ops CEO, Corey Schwitz, says, resistance usually comes from past experience with a tool that failed to meet expectations. Often, that failure is based on a misunderstanding about the best way to apply it.
To overcome these issues, Corey asks employees to demonstrate how they’ve solved specific challenges with AI. For instance, at group meetings, a team member will show step-by-step how they’ve used specific prompts to get the right kinds of information from a Generative AI tool.
Corey says this show-and-tell approach makes learning AI more approachable. It paves the way for deeper conversation. It builds confidence. And in turn, it removes barriers to adoption.
2. Involve Stakeholders Early in AI Solutions
I’ve been part of planning sessions at large companies where a select few people build a long lead-time into a new tech roll-out. On the surface, that might sound like a good idea. But if these decisions are made by a tiny team, others may not be motivated to adopt AI, no matter how much time they’re given.
Matthew Montez, Founder of the MBC Group, knew it would be critical to sidestep this kind of problem when introducing his company’s intelligent chatbot, AiDen. He decided the solution would be more successful if he involved the right people, right from the start. So he created a collaborative development environment to gather early input on features and improvements from customer service staff who are close to customer issues and needs. As a result, these potential naysayers became the chatbot’s biggest champions.
Among the 12 leadership tips in Brett’s article, these two points resonate most with me. Why? Because both stress the importance of giving employees a sense of agency.
After all, technology adoption depends much more heavily on people than the tech itself. Even if it’s groundbreaking stuff with massive benefits, new technology isn’t enough to drive widespread adoption. People are the key. Leaders who understand this underlying psychology of change will have better outcomes.
How Are AI and Job Satisfaction Connected?
Rather than focusing on leaders’ anecdotes and advice, Aaron’s survey analysis identifies broad patterns surrounding change management and AI adoption. But these insights are just as useful. For instance, this research underscores the importance of being considerate — perhaps even strategically empathetic — when addressing AI resistance. Here are several specific takeaways:
1. Note That Some Already See Progress
According to 30% of respondents, AI is already making an impact on their organization’s work processes. And among 60% of those who use AI, job satisfaction has increased. This is a valid reason to be optimistic about AI’s potential impact elsewhere.
It’s also helpful to recognize that AI is starting to reduce the “dark matter” of work — including tedious tasks we mostly wish we didn’t have to perform, such as data entry, report creation, email monitoring, document editing, and calendar management.
2. Think of GenAI as a “Gateway Tool”
Another interesting point is that most organizations are paving the way to broader AI adoption through Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. Although multiple competitors launched similar tools after ChatGPT was introduced, 65% of survey respondents still prefer the original. In other words, the first solution is more trusted than the latecomers. HR tech firms, take note.
As to whether or not work actually improves when employees adopt AI, Aaron’s findings reflect the kind of hesitation and resistance leaders mentioned in Brett’s advice round-up. For instance, 42% of leaders said they’re neutral about whether AI gives organizations a competitive advantage. They want more proof.
So although we may believe AI is unleashing a worktech tidal wave, the numbers say something different. In fact, two-thirds of survey respondents said their organizations don’t use AI tools at all yet (34%), or they apply these tools only in limited ways (33%).
Convincing Teams to Adopt AI: Next Steps
If you read between the lines of these two articles, I think you’ll agree with my conclusion. Yes, AI is highly promising. And yes, most of us are excited about it. But no, we’re not all on board yet. In fact, it seems only a few of us are using AI regularly for various business purposes.
Therefore, when thinking about overcoming AI resistance and gaining buy-in, remember this: Not everyone is enjoying the fruits of this remarkable technology today. In fact, many haven’t even tested the waters. That means, at this point, you’re more likely to find people who haven’t experienced its benefits than those who have.
So, to get your team members to adopt AI, don’t just push toward implementation milestones. Instead, think first about everyone’s mindset. Then think about what you can do to open new doors that will help individuals and teams become more aware, interested, and capable. That’s when you’ll truly be able to start moving the needle in a big way.
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