Two years ago, a user started crying while I was talking with her about AI.
I asked what was wrong.
It had nothing to do with resisting the technology.
She was afraid she was training her replacement.
That moment turned into a conversation with John Odermatt on the Lions of Liberty - Finding Freedom Podcast, and it is the reason I wrote An Inbox Between Us.
Most AI adoption planning starts with productivity and automation.
Employees are usually asking a more realistic question behind the scenes:
Do my abilities still matter here, or is this technology here to support me or replace me?
AI enters an existing relationship between an organization and its people.
Before any AI capability is deployed, employees are already interpreting what the investment says about their value and future.
That makes trust and leadership credibility part of the implementation.
People were not hired only to complete predictable tasks.
They were hired to handle ambiguity, recognize exceptions, understand consequences, and make decisions when the documented process no longer fits.
AI can accelerate work and identify patterns, but it does not live with the outcome.
A better approach asks where AI can create breathing room for people to think, solve problems, and use their experience more effectively.
John and I also discussed why entrepreneurs and small-business owners should understand and document how they work before trying to automate it.
Self-discovery usually has to come before automation.
Otherwise, AI may simply accelerate work that was never fully understood.
Listen to the full episode
Topics
#ArtificialIntelligence #AIAdoption #Leadership #FutureOfWork #HumanCenteredAI #AnInboxBetweenUs