Why AI Adoption Fails Without Empathy Spoiler: It’s Not the Tech

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AI evangelists love to preach about “disruption,” but here’s the dirty little secret: 81% of employees still don’t use AI tools daily. Why? Because most companies treat AI rollouts like slapping a new keyboard on a typewriter and calling it innovation.

The AI Hype vs. Human Reality 🤖💔

PagerDuty’s Rukmini Reddy nails it—AI adoption isn’t about the tech, it’s about emotional buy-in. We’ve gone from ChatGPT’s overnight fame to Copilots to AI agents, yet leadership still expects teams to swallow change like it’s a Tic Tac. Newsflash: humans aren’t LLMs. They need trust, clarity, and—god forbid—empathy.

The 4 E’s of Not Screwing It Up

  1. Evangelism ≠ Hype Stop selling AI like a timeshare. Employees don’t care about “efficiency gains” if they’re terrified of being replaced. Show them how AI makes their work meaningful, not just faster.
  2. Enablement Without the Eye-Roll Training isn’t a checkbox. It’s giving people room to fail without fear. The “AI talent gap” is corporate code for “we didn’t bother preparing anyone.”
  3. Enforcement (Not the Tyrannical Kind) Alignment isn’t micromanagement. Explain why AI matters, or watch your shiny tools collect digital dust.
  4. Experimentation > Perfection If your culture punishes failure, AI adoption will flop. Progress beats polish—every damn time.

    The Bottom Line

    AI’s potential isn’t trapped in algorithms; it’s stuck in boardrooms that prioritize speed over humanity. Want real adoption? Lead with empathy, not ego. Otherwise, enjoy your expensive paperweight. 🔥

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