by Alex Lewis, Senior Consultant

AI, and especially generative AI, has made phenomenal strides over the past few years. It seems like every headline, leadership webinar, and upskilling package is promising to unlock the efficiency and value creation at scale that AI can make available to us.

But as organisations race to deploy AI, the same adage we have seen time and again with tech innovation pops up: the real differentiator won’t be which firms use it — it will be which firms enable their people to use it well.

Research from OpenAI estimates that 80% of jobs will be impacted in some way by AI. That’s hardly a neutral view, but it illustrates a larger point: we don’t actually know what the long-term impact on productivity will be, and no one wants to be left behind if it’s as major as the tech giants claim.

What is human-centred AI?

The promise of human-centred AI is straightforward: technology that supports human flourishing.

This means, in theory, AI should take on repetitive, low-value tasks and free people up for purposeful, energising work: creativity, strategic thinking, complex problem-solving. In short, the things we do well and that we enjoy. In practice, this isn’t guaranteed. AI is not innately designed with human flourishing in mind; it requires conscious decisions about how it is designed, deployed, and used.

Why human-centred AI matters now

According to Gallup, only 31% of people trust businesses to use AI responsibly. In fact, 75% of workers say they are worried about AI eliminating jobs according to a 2025 Gallup poll.

There are also trade-offs to consider. If AI automates simpler tasks, we humans may be left with only the most complex, cognitively demanding work. That risks burnout rather than flourishing.

It also raises workforce development questions: if AI can do all the simple things, what do our junior employees do? How will organisations replenish their pipeline of skilled talent if we no longer need those entry-level roles?

Recent grads are already feeling the impact, with job postings for entry-level roles falling to their lowest level in five years according to the Times.

What organisations can do to embed human-centred AI

In our work helping organisations lead and inspire their people through AI-driven change, we’ve found that success doesn’t come from the technology itself; it comes from how leaders engage their people to build trust, capability, and resilience around AI.
Here’s what organisations can do:

1. Listen to your people: go beyond surveys and create real forums where employees can co-create how AI is introduced. This ensures they feel they are being heard and are a part of the organisation’s future direction.

2. Be transparent: be explicit about where AI augments, where it replaces, and how you’ll invest in internal mobility. Create new pathways for junior talent to keep the pipeline flowing.

3. Create meaningful guardrails: involve cross-functional groups to ensure human oversight for any high-impact decisions that affect people’s work and well-being.

Want to explore more?

If employee listening and engagement during times of change is on your mind, get in touch.