31 leaders on whether they still want to talk about AI

Where the conversation moves from hype to practical impact, responsibility, and human value.

[Photo: Getty Images]

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of top leaders and experts who pay dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership, and more.

BY Fast Company Impact Council

On the morning, noon, and nightly news. By the watercooler, virtual or in real life. In boardrooms and school board meetings. At the dinner table or gatherings with friends and family. Artificial intelligence continues to dominate discussions across work, home, school, and social life.

We asked members of the Fast Company Impact Council whether they love talking about AI or would rather never hear about AI again—and why? Below, 31 leaders weigh in on whether they’ve hit “let’s talk about AI” burnout or still on the bandwagon. They also share what conversations around AI matter least and most.

1. CONVERSATIONS ON HOW IT ALLOWS US TO STRETCH

I love the conversation around AI and think it’s incredibly important. For all of history, new technologies have emerged and there have been people who feared them and people who embraced them. Resisting AI, or any new technology for that matter, isn’t going to make it go away . . . but it will cause you to fall behind. To embrace AI means more than just automating tasks. It allows us to stretch beyond what’s in front of us and completely reimagine our work. There was a time people feared the internet. Now, we can’t imagine life without it. I see the same potential for AI and whatever inevitably comes next. That excites me. — Glen Tullman, Transcarent

2. TIRED OF AI, BUT NOT DONE LEARNING

I am tired of talking about AI. But that’s not a good enough reason not to keep talking about it, and more importantly, reading and learning about it. The technology is here to stay. The question is how do we bring humanity to it so we drive it versus it driving us. — Phillip Haid, Public Inc.

3. LOVE DISCUSSION OF DEEPER AI QUESTIONS

I love talking about AI because it exposes a deeper question: Why is work still so hard to navigate? Enterprises are extraordinary achievements of specialization, but that specialization creates a tax on work with more systems, handoffs, and institutional knowledge for employees to decipher. The enterprise needs coherence more than it needs another isolated intelligence. AI’s promise is not more content or another interface. It is less distance between intent and outcome, giving people more time for judgment, creativity, and care. — Bhavin Shah, ServiceNow

4. ENJOY TALKING ABOUT PRACTICAL USE CASES

I enjoy talking about AI, especially when the conversation is focused on practical use cases, not just hype. Our team is always looking for ways to help nonprofits punch above their weight, and AI is a powerful tool to help them do just that. Internally, we’re now using AI to handle about 60% of our routine support tickets and releasing product updates 50% faster, giving our team more time for the work that matters most. At the end of the day, AI is just another tool in our toolbox, and conversations about how we can use this new tool safely, responsibly, and effectively are always welcome in my book. — Max Friedman, Givebutter

5. TIRED OF ABSTRACT HYPE, MORE INTO REAL IMPACT STORIES

I am tired of talking about or hearing about AI in the abstract, from announcements of new “AI chiefs” to press releases on new AI products. What I do want to hear about is real impact and outcomes—customers that have seen transformative impact from this use of this technology. — Scott Brighton, Bonterra

6. NEVER TIRED TALKING ABOUT HOW TO UNLOCK AI

I love it, because the question has changed. It’s no longer, “Should we use AI?” Employees already answered that themselves with their curiosity and newfound efficiencies. The question is, “How do we make AI safe enough to say ‘yes’?” That’s the conversation I have every day. Chief information officers and chief information security officers need visibility and control over every prompt, agent, and AI session across browsers, desktops, and devices. Getting to talk about AI as something we unlock, not fear, is a conversation I’ll never get tired of. — Steve Tchejeyan, Island

7. LOVE DISCUSSING WHAT AI FORCES US TO ANSWER

I love talking about AI, honestly, more than I expected to a few years ago. What keeps me hooked isn’t the technology itself. It’s the question it forces every leader to answer: What do you actually stand for, now that a large language model will amplify it at scale? That’s the most interesting........

© Fast Company