A More Human Future
Let AI Handle the Work So Humans Can Cultivate the Relationships
I had a realization during a 1:1 meeting a few months ago.
I was using Microsoft CoPilot to take notes for me, something I’d started doing almost by default. But halfway through the conversation, I noticed something had shifted. I wasn’t scrambling to capture every detail or worrying about what I might forget later. I was actually present. I was listening, asking better questions, and picking up on the things that don’t make it into meeting notes. Like the hesitation in someone’s voice, the energy in the room, the unspoken concern that needed addressing.
You know, the actual important stuff.
That’s when it hit me… AI had just given me back my attention. And with it, my ability to connect.
But here’s what worries me. If we’re not intentional about how we use AI, we risk losing the very thing that makes work meaningful. We’ll end up with one chatbot emailing another chatbot, both humans outsourcing the relationship entirely.
That’s why I believe we need a different approach. I like to call it A More Human Future.
AI as the Sous Chef, Not the Head Chef
Think of AI as your sous chef. It handles the prep work, (think chopping, measuring, cleanup) so you can focus on the creative, judgment-driven work that actually matters. The sous chef doesn’t decide the menu, doesn’t taste and adjust the seasoning, and doesn’t build the relationship with the guest. That’s your job.
When AI takes meeting notes, drafts summaries, or automates admin tasks, it’s doing the prep work. What will you do with that freed-up capacity? That’s where the real value lives. And frankly, that’s where your paycheck should be coming from.
The question isn’t whether to use AI. It’s how we use it, and what we do with the space it creates.
The Philosophy
Here’s the anchor line that guides everything: Let AI handle the work so humans can cultivate the relationships.
This isn’t anti-technology. It’s pro-human. It’s a philosophy that says AI should automate, accelerate, and optimize the routine so we can invest that reclaimed time into the things that actually drive value. It’s about mentorship, trust-building, creativity, and connection.
Because here’s the thing: AI can’t do the actual work of building relationships. It can’t sense when your team needs support. It can’t create psychological safety in the room.
That’s our work. And if we let AI erode our capacity to do it, we’ve automated ourselves into irrelevance.
What Leaders Should Actually Be Doing About This
I know what you’re thinking: “Okay, but what does this look like in practice?”
Fair question. Here’s the roadmap.
1. Start with the “why” and the human benefit
Before you roll out any AI tool, answer this: What measurable problem are we solving, what human benefit will this create, and what does success look like? Be specific. ‘More time for strategy’ isn’t good enough. ‘Two hours per week for managers to coach their direct reports’ is.
2. Pilot before you scale
Run a 3-6 month pilot before making any role changes or headcount decisions. Measure both business outcomes (productivity, quality) and human outcomes (engagement, psychological safety). If the tool doesn’t deliver on both, it’s not ready.
3. Invest the reclaimed time in people, not just output
This is the critical part. When AI saves your team 5 hours a week, don’t just pile on more tasks. That’s not innovation. That’s just exhaustion with better tools. Reallocate that time to coaching, mentoring, collaboration, and relationship-building.
4. Redesign roles for the AI era
If AI is handling 20% or more of a role’s tasks, that role needs a new job description that emphasizes creativity, judgment, and collaboration.
5. Communicate transparently and often
Your people need to know the “why,” the “how,” and the “what changes” before any AI rollout. Build trust through transparency. Because if your team thinks AI is coming for their jobs, they’ll spend more time polishing their resumes than learning to use the tools.
The Guardrails We Need
The reality is that AI has reshaped work whether we’re ready or not. But we get to decide if it makes us more human or less.
That’s why I’m advocating for clear guardrails: people-first principles, purpose-driven investment, talent stewardship over cost-cutting, and governance through an AI Stewardship Council. These aren’t nice-to-haves. They’re the foundation of sustainable AI adoption.
A Call to Action for HR and Business Leaders
If you’re in HR or leading a team, here’s what I’m asking you to do:
Look at your daily work and ask yourself: Where am I using AI to avoid human connection, and where am I using it to create more space for it?
Are you using AI to draft emails so you never have to have a hard conversation? Or are you using it to clear your calendar so you can finally have that conversation?
Are you automating tasks to squeeze more productivity out of your team? Or are you automating tasks so your team has room to think, create, and collaborate?
The technology is neutral. The choice is ours. And spoiler alert: your team already knows which one you’re doing.
So let’s choose wisely. Let’s use AI as the sous chef, not the head chef. Let’s automate the work so we can cultivate the relationships.
Because at the end of the day, no one builds a career, a culture, or a legacy through a chatbot. They build it through connection
What are you doing to ensure AI makes your workplace more human, not less? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.