A private equity firm's AI champion succeeded not due to his technical skills, but his deep understanding of people dynamics and team bandwidth. He recognized that implementing AI is fundamentally a change management problem focused on user capacity and psychology.

Cathie Wood asserts that successful AI adoption isn't about bottom-up experimentation; it requires a top-down, CEO-led restructuring of the entire enterprise. Delegating AI strategy to the CTO or letting teams simply "experiment" will lead to failure.

AI is a 'hands-on revolution,' not a technological shift like the cloud that can be delegated to an IT department. To lead effectively, executives (including non-technical ones) must personally use AI tools. This direct experience is essential for understanding AI's potential and guiding teams through transformation.

To operationalize AI, move beyond a tech-only committee. Sensei created a trifecta of the Chief Human Success Officer, VP of Finance, and CTO. This structure ensures AI initiatives are evaluated based on their impact on people (HR), financial viability (Finance), and technical implementation, creating a holistic roadmap.

Implementing AI is becoming less of a technical challenge and more of a human one. The key difficulties are in managing change, helping people adapt to new workflows, and overcoming resistance, making skills like design thinking and lean startup crucial for success.

Successful AI integration is a change management challenge, not just a technical one. As AI automates routine tasks, organizations must strategically reinvest in their workforce by cultivating uniquely human skills like creativity, complex judgment, and nuanced problem-solving.

An organization's progress in AI adoption is directly proportional to its CEO's personal engagement with the technology. Companies with CEOs who actively experiment with tools like ChatGPT, rather than merely delegating, foster a culture that enables much faster and deeper transformation.

CEOs who merely issue an "adopt AI" mandate and delegate it down the hierarchy set teams up for failure. Leaders must actively participate in hackathons and create "play space" for experimentation to demystify AI and drive genuine adoption from the top down, avoiding what's called the "delegation trap."

Recognizing that not all employees will embrace new technology like AI, AT&T's marketing organization tasked a dedicated change management expert to drive adoption. This person runs internal "campaigns," including training and contests, to bring along more hesitant team members and ensure widespread usage.