People-First AI newsletter
Research-backed perspectives, practical examples, and field notes on helping people and organizations use AI well.
Agentic Operating System for One, Please
Most of the work of using AI well happens before you open the chat window. Here’s what goes into it.
The Pizza Doesn't Get Exponentially Better
This issue explores a simple idea with broad relevance: improvements do not always rise in step with cost, effort, or expectations. Using pizza as an...
EY's $100M Investment in Human Capabilities
This issue looks at EY’s reported $100 million commitment to human capabilities and why that figure stands out. It offers a quick read on the investment’s...
Automate the Task. Redesign the Workflow.
This issue explores a practical shift in operational thinking: instead of only speeding up individual tasks, it focuses on improving the broader process around...
Before You Cut Entry-Level Hiring, Redesign the Job
As companies rethink early-career roles, this issue explores a different response to cost and productivity pressure: changing the work itself before...
What “Agent Orchestration” actually means (and why it's the next critical job skill)
This issue unpacks what people mean by "agent orchestration" and why the term matters beyond AI jargon. It looks at how coordinating multiple tools, systems,...
The 13% Getting Real Results From AI (And What They Do Differently)
Hint: it's not more usage, it's more expertise, better context, and jobs nobody had a title for a year ago.
The most important 21st century skill. And it's not technical.
This issue examines the idea that the defining skill of the 21st century may be a human one rather than a technical one. It looks at why capability alone is...
The Human Work That Makes AI Skills Actually Work (A Case Study)
This issue examines a case study on the often-overlooked human effort behind successful AI skills. Rather than treating capability as purely technical, it...
The warning in anti-AI's punk rock moment
This issue looks at the surge of anti-AI sentiment through the lens of punk-era rebellion, asking what that mood gets right and where it may mislead. It...
The Relational Economy (And Whether We'll Be Ready for It)
This issue explores the idea of a relational economy and asks what it may demand from businesses, institutions, and individuals. It looks at how value could...
Why Your Change Management Strategy Will Fail at AI Transformation
Many organizations approach AI adoption with the same playbook used for past transformation efforts, then struggle when results fall short. This issue examines...
Do we need "jobs" in the AI era?
This issue explores a timely question: what role paid work should play as AI changes how tasks are done. Rather than assuming a simple replacement story, it...
3 Ways AI Adoption Adds Value (Beyond Efficiency)
This issue examines three ways AI adoption can contribute value outside the usual efficiency story. Rather than focusing only on time savings or automation, it...
How People Managers Drive AI Adoption
This issue looks at the role people managers play in helping AI move from executive priority to everyday team practice. It highlights how managers can shape...
What Works Best When Working With AI Agents?
This newsletter issue explores practical ways to collaborate with AI agents more effectively. It looks at how people can set clearer tasks, evaluate results,...
[New Study] What Actually Happens When Teams Work With AI
This issue looks at a new study on how teams operate when AI becomes part of the workflow. It highlights what changes in coordination, decision-making, and...
Why AI Makes Human Expertise More Valuable (Not Less)
This issue examines why advances in AI may raise, rather than reduce, the importance of human know-how. As automation handles more routine tasks, experienced...
"AI Didn't Work For Me" Before I Broke Down the Job
This issue looks at a simple shift that changed the writer’s experience with AI: moving from broad requests to clearly separated tasks. Instead of expecting...
Top 5 AI for HR Stories of 2025
This newsletter issue highlights five notable AI-for-HR stories from 2025, offering a concise look at the developments shaping conversation around workplace...
2026 AI for HR Predictions: The Year Human Infrastructure Becomes the Competitive Edge
This issue looks ahead to how AI could influence HR in 2026, with attention on why the structures that support people may play a larger role in business...
Want AI To Actually Deliver ROI? Here Are 3 Things You Can Do Next Quarter (No Massive Change Budget Required)
This issue outlines a practical approach to getting more business value from AI without asking for a major transformation budget. It focuses on a small number...
You're Measuring AI Adoption Wrong. Here's What High-Performing Teams Track Instead
Many organizations gauge AI progress by counting logins, prompts, or tool access—but those numbers rarely show whether work is improving. This issue looks at...
Chief People Officers: Workforce Caution Today, Workforce Transformation Tomorrow
This issue looks at how Chief People Officers are navigating a split reality: short-term restraint in hiring and headcount, alongside longer-term pressure to...
I used to think AI adoption was the goal. Now I know that’s only the beginning.
This issue argues that getting people to use AI is not the finish line. Instead, it examines what comes after initial rollout: turning early experimentation...
AI “workslop” is killing your team’s productivity
This issue looks at how AI-generated busywork can quietly drain focus, slow collaboration, and make teams feel productive without creating much real value. It...
The Severance Problem: Why Employees Won't Adopt AI (And How to Fix It)
Many organizations expect AI tools to boost productivity, yet employee uptake often lags. This issue examines the gap between leadership expectations and...
How to Work With AI-Resistant Company Cultures (Without a Complete Overhaul)
"Our culture is the number one blocker for folks using AI."
The Biggest AI Fear Is About Identity Loss, Not Job Loss
This issue explores a deeper anxiety around AI: not only whether work will change, but whether people will feel less distinct, needed, or recognizable in the...
The psychological secret to becoming an AI-first team
This issue explores the human factor behind becoming an AI-first team. Rather than focusing only on software or workflows, it looks at the mindset shift that...
3 Reasons Why AI Agents Will Struggle to Deliver on Their $70B Promise
This issue looks at why AI agents may have a harder path than the hype suggests. Framed around a projected $70 billion opportunity, it examines three...
AI Adoption Without Results? Most Companies Miss This Critical Factor
Many organizations are adopting AI tools, yet real business impact often remains limited. This issue looks at why implementation alone rarely delivers...
The Hidden Power of AI Adoption at Work: 3 Wins Beyond Efficiency
Most conversations about workplace AI focus on speed and cost savings, but that is only part of the story. This issue looks at three less obvious advantages...