The Role of Human Intelligence in an AI-Driven World

I'm knee deep this week putting the finishing touches on my new Udemy course on "AI for People Managers: Lead with confidence in an AI-enabled workplace". After working with hundreds of managers cautiously navigating AI integration, here's what I've learned: the future belongs to leaders who can thoughtfully blend AI capabilities with genuine human wisdom, connection, and compassion. Your people don't need you to be the AI expert in the room; they need you to be authentic, caring, and completely committed to their success. No technology can replicate that. And no technology SHOULD. The managers who are absolutely thriving aren't necessarily the most tech-savvy ones. They're the leaders who understand how to use AI strategically to amplify their existing strengths while keeping clear boundaries around what must stay authentically human: building trust, navigating emotions, making tough ethical calls, having meaningful conversations, and inspiring people to bring their best work. Here's the most important takeaway: as AI handles more routine tasks, your human leadership skills become MORE valuable, not less. The economic value of emotional intelligence, empathy, and relationship building skyrockets when machines take over the mundane stuff. Here are 7 principles for leading humans in an AI-enabled world: 1. Use AI to create more space for real human connection, not to avoid it 2. Don't let AI handle sensitive emotions, ethical decisions, or trust-building moments 3. Be transparent about your AI experiments while emphasizing that human judgment (that's you, my friend) drives your decisions 4. Help your people develop uniquely human skills that complement rather than compete with technology. (Let me know how I can help. This is my jam.) 5. Own your strategic decisions completely. Don't hide behind AI recommendations when things get tough 6. Build psychological safety so people feel supported through technological change, not threatened by it 7. Remember your core job hasn't changed. You're still in charge of helping people do their best work and grow in their careers AI is just a powerful new tool to help you do that job better, and to help your people do theirs better. Make sure it's the REAL you showing up as the leader you are. #AI #coaching #managers

What does AI in cybersecurity really mean? It’s more than just automation and faster threat detection. While AI is a powerful tool in the cybersecurity landscape, it’s not the whole answer. Here’s why human expertise still plays a crucial role: → AI Isn’t a Silver Bullet AI can analyze vast data sets and spot patterns—but it can’t grasp the nuances that a human can, like detecting complex social engineering attacks or understanding context in real time. → False Positives? AI Needs Human Insight AI often flags benign activities as threats due to its reliance on algorithms. Human analysts are essential to interpret these alerts and separate real threats from false alarms. → Humans See the Bigger Picture Cybersecurity isn’t just about technology—it’s about understanding human behavior and organizational dynamics. Experienced professionals can spot emerging threats AI hasn’t yet recognized. → Evolving Threats Need Human Adaptability Cybercriminals are constantly innovating, and while AI can handle known attacks, humans are better at adapting quickly to new, evolving threats and devising strategies to counter them. → Collaboration is Key AI should enhance—not replace—human decision-making. When used together, AI automates routine tasks, allowing cybersecurity experts to focus on complex, critical issues. The takeaway? AI is a powerful ally, but it’s human intuition and expertise that make cybersecurity truly effective. How is your organization balancing AI with human expertise? Let’s discuss how the combination can strengthen your cyber defense!

94% of routine HR tasks can now be automated by AI tools, yet 0% of human empathy can be replicated by algorithms. The future of HR isn't about replacement—it's about powerful augmentation. Today at People Atom , we analyzed how AI is transforming the HR landscape while highlighting why human expertise remains irreplaceable. What we discovered challenges conventional wisdom about the future of work. The AI-Human Partnership Reshaping HR → AI excels at data-heavy tasks, reducing time-to-hire by 75% for companies like Unilever while simultaneously increasing candidate diversity—proving efficiency and equity can coexist ↳ Meanwhile, culture building, conflict resolution, and ethical oversight remain firmly in human territory, with organizations that balance AI efficiency and human judgment seeing 3x better employee engagement → IBM initially reduced HR headcount through automation but ultimately increased hiring in roles requiring creativity, critical thinking and human interaction—revealing how AI creates entirely new categories of HR roles ↳ The highest-performing HR departments now spend 60% less time on administrative tasks and 40% more on strategic initiatives that drive business outcomes ⚡️ Navigating the New HR Frontier → Build AI literacy across your HR team while preserving empathy as your core competitive advantage → Create human-AI collaboration frameworks where technology handles pattern recognition while humans interpret context and nuance → Redesign HR career paths to emphasize uniquely human skills: emotional intelligence ethics, and strategic leadership → Implement AI governance structures to ensure technology amplifies rather than undermines your company values The workplace revolution is accelerating, and the organizations that thrive will be those that leverage AI not as a replacement for human intelligence, but as a catalyst for deeper human connection. At People Atom, we're building the infrastructure to power this new world of work—where technology enhances humanity rather than diminishes it. Are you ready to shape the future of HR rather than be shaped by it? Join other forward-thinking leaders on our waitlist to transform how your organization nurtures its most valuable asset: people. Love the future (but love humans more), Joe

What if everything we believe about AI is upside down? A recent article in Psychology Today challenges us to consider: what if AI isn’t intelligence at all, but “anti-intelligence”? This thought-provoking perspective urges us to look beyond the hype and ask tough questions about what true intelligence really means in the age of automation. As executives and leaders, we have a responsibility to harness AI’s capabilities while remaining acutely aware of its limitations. Intelligence is more than just processing data—it’s about context, empathy, adaptability, and ethical reasoning. If we rely solely on AI for decision-making, we risk losing the very qualities that make our organizations innovative and resilient. Personally, it has always been my view that what we call AI today is not intelligence in any meaningful sense. It’s really just optimized, exhaustive search—systems that perform frequency analysis on human language and regurgitate it back to us, based on patterns found in past human work. While this mimics the surface of human intelligence, it lacks originality and genuine understanding. I realize the distinction may not be obvious to everyone, but it’s important to recognize that these outputs are not original creations—they simply mirror what has already been said. Furthermore, I do not believe creativity is random, nor do I think it can be emulated by simply adjusting weights and biases in a neural network. True creativity involves intentionality, insight, and the ability to synthesize new ideas—qualities that remain uniquely human. Let’s not settle for automation alone. The future belongs to those who blend technological advancement with authentic human insight. By championing a balanced approach, we can ensure that AI serves as a tool to amplify—not replace—our uniquely human strengths. #AI #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #HumanIntelligence #EthicsInAI #FutureOfWork https://lnkd.in/g-kg_J7q

When it comes to using AI to match candidates with jobs, more accurate/predictive AI is better, right? Not necessarily. One data-driven study would suggest the answer is no. I recently read Co-Intelligence, Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick, which I highly recommend. In the book, Ethan features a study by Fabrizio Dell’Acqua titled, "Falling Asleep at the Wheel: Human/AI Collaboration in a Field Experiment on HR Recruiters" in which 181 experienced recruiters were hired to collectively review nearly 8000 resumes for a software engineering position. Of note: the recruiters were incentivized to be as accurate as possible. The recruiters received algorithmic recommendations about the job candidates but the quality of these AI recommendations was randomized between 1) perfectly predictive AI; 2) high-performing AI; 3) lower-performing AI; and 4) no AI. Of critical importance to the study, recruiters were aware of the type of AI assistance they would be receiving. Key findings include: 1. Recruiters with higher-quality AI performed worse in their assessments of candidates in relation to the job than those using lower-quality AI. They spent less time and effort in their evaluations of each candidate, and they tended to blindly trust the AI recommendations. 2. Recruiters with lower-quality AI "exerted more effort and spent more time evaluating the resumes, and were less likely to automatically select the AI-recommended candidate. The recruiters collaborating with low-quality AI learned to interact better with their assigned AI and improved their performance." These findings suggest that when users have access to high-quality AI (or at least believe they do), they are indeed in danger of "falling asleep at the wheel," where they become overly reliant on AI, and reduce their attention, effort, and critical thinking - which can negatively impact outcomes for all involved. As we increasingly integrate AI into work, it's important to maintain a balance between technological support and human skill/expertise. Instead of aiming for (or claiming to have!) "perfect" AI, perhaps our goal should be to develop systems that enhance human decision-making and keep users actively engaged and thinking critically. What do you think? Check out the full details of the study here: https://lnkd.in/eGaTmTEi #AI #matching #criticalthinking #futureofwork

"As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly capable, not just in execution but in analysis, synthesis and even creative generation, we’re approaching a strange inflection point: skills are being devalued just as we’ve learned to champion them. This isn’t to say that skills are obsolete. But we are rapidly entering a post-skills era, where the tasks that once defined expertise are outsourced to algorithms, and the remaining human value lies in something much harder to define: judgment, context and critique. We look at efficiency only it has a hidden cost. What we’re at risk of losing isn’t just skill. It’s understanding. The kind that comes from wrestling with complexity, making mistakes and building fluency from the ground up. When AI handles the middle steps, we’re left with the output, but not always the experience to evaluate its quality. That instinct isn’t something you download. It’s something you cultivate. And that cultivation takes time, exposure and often, struggle. That's why it is important to cultivate human-centered AI -where we bring our human judgement, context, and critical things to co-intelligence. https://lnkd.in/g88mz7RW

Human expertise is crucial for effective AI use in education - here's why. We're at an inflection point with AI, reminiscent of when microcomputers first entered schools. Remember that? There was a well-intentioned throwing of computers at schools. Back in the '80s Maddux called it the Everest Syndrome: "Computers should be in schools because they are there." "And If computers are provided in sufficient quantity, then quality will follow." We're risking a similar oversimplification with generative AI. "AI should be in schools because it is there." "And if generative AI infuses everything, then surely things will get better." AI is a tool that requires our expertise to use effectively. And here's where we need to be careful - the reductionist trap. What's the reductionist trap? It's the risk of over-relying on AI tools in a way that simplistically reduces complex human experiences - things like belonging, empathy, wisdom - to mere data points or prompts. Consider this: • AI can process information, but it can't understand the nuanced context of a classroom. • It can generate ideas, but it can't replace the spark of a great teacher-student interaction. • It can analyze data, but it can't fully grasp the complex social-emotional aspects of learning. Don't get me wrong - AI has incredible potential in education. But we need to approach it thoughtfully, not as a magic solution to all our challenges. While powerful, AI is not a replacement for human judgment and expertise. The key is to use AI to enhance our teaching, not to try to replicate or replace the irreplaceable human elements of education. So, what do we do? • Invest in understanding AI - not just how it works, but how to use it responsibly. • Focus on using AI to create activities that build community and belonging - things AI alone can't do. • Always keep the human aspect of teaching and learning at the forefront. Let's keep this conversation going. How are you balancing AI use in your teaching? Any traps you've encountered or avoided? #generativeAI #teaching #learning #schools

No matter how fast, smart, or sophisticated AI becomes, it can’t fully thrive without our human qualities guiding it. Data-driven predictions and rapid calculations are impressive, but empathy, creativity, and intuition remain uniquely human strengths. These traits help us understand emotional nuances, break free of conventional thinking, and make wise choices even when faced with uncertainty. Why does this matter? Because humans design and train AI systems, and we set the standards for what they should - and shouldn’t - do. Without human input, AI could inadvertently reinforce biases or follow flawed logic. By applying our values and judgment, we ensure these systems serve as a force for good, not just a tool for efficiency. The future of AI isn’t about machines replacing people, but about both working together. When we combine AI’s computational might with our human insights, we create solutions that are both powerful and humane. At the end of the day, it’s our responsibility to keep the human spirit at the center, ensuring that advanced technology not only makes our lives easier, but also more compassionate, creative, and connected. Who do you think should be responsible for an AI's action? The user or the designer? #innovation #technology #future #management #startups

the latest AI Index report reveals a fascinating pattern: → AI scores 4x higher than experts in 2-hour tasks → but humans outperform AI by 2:1 when given 32 hours what does this mean? when tasks demand speed and pattern matching, AI dominates. when they require deep thinking and sustained reasoning, humans prevail. 👉 human judgment is essential. this is reshaping the future of work: quick analysis transforms into complex synthesis. rapid execution becomes strategic oversight. task completion evolves into judgment calls. microsoft's research confirms this: blind AI trust actually reduces critical thinking. but strategic partnership amplifies it. we're witnessing a fundamental shift: information gathering becomes verification. problem-solving transforms into integration. execution evolves into stewardship. psychologist @Robert Sternberg warns: "AI has already compromised human intelligence." but only when we use it wrong. the secret? recognize where AI excels (speed, volume, pattern detection) and where humans thrive (complexity, nuance, judgment). your advantage isn't in competing with AI's speed, it's in mastering what AI can't: sustained deep thinking. the data doesn't lie. organizations that understand this dynamic build systems where: → AI handles the quick wins → humans tackle the complex challenges this is about reconditioning our most valuable skill: thinking. want to lead this transformation? 🗼 subscribe to Lighthouse for weekly insights 📚 read my new book, "100x", for deep strategies on building AI-native organizations. P.S. this chart shows how even the best AI agents struggle with real-world scenarios.

As AI drives massive productivity gains, businesses may consider cutting back on their human workforce to boost efficiency—but I don’t believe that’s the right choice. The real promise of AI isn’t in replacing humans—it’s in amplifying their potential. For centuries, humanity’s greatest leaps forward were not achieved by replacing humans completely with new tools we’ve built but instead by using the tools to accelerate human agency and potential. The automobile amplified human movement. The computer amplified human creation.  And today, AI is amplifying human intelligence. There are certain jobs—especially those involving repetitive, robot-like tasks—that AI will transform. After all, robots will always be better robots than humans. But humans thrive when they’re empowered to be better humans. With AI, people will unlock new skills and deepen natural talents –– achieving what I call “superagency.” Ultimately, the surge in productivity will guide business leaders to a realization: the right move isn’t to do the same work with fewer people but to create even greater value by leveraging more employees with new AI-driven superpowers. Our goal should be clear. Build technology that works with us, not for us—tools that extend what it means to be human, not replace it. Because when we amplify human ingenuity, the possibilities are infinite.