UNDERSTANDING AI IN THE MIND OF THE C-SUITE WITH ZMET®
Research into the cultural baggage and emotional speedbumps encounters by global executives on the road to AI adoption
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THE GOAL: Reveal the emotional landscape of AI Adoption for business executives
OZ partnered with the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the Wharton School to understand not just what leaders think but also how they feel about AI.
THE METHODOLOGY: ZMET Olson Zaltman conducted one-on-one ZMET foundational interviews with 18 executives from a range of organizations worldwide.
THE INSIGHTS: AI is taking executives on a journey
The research uncovered three distinct executive mindsets about AI, all centered on metaphors of Motion and Movement
MINDSET NO 1:
AI is moving too fast
“AI has come about so quickly and at a very hurried pace. It’s coming at you from all corners.”
“You are stuck in the fog and effectively blinded. There is no north star, no direction, no easy answer.”
Some executives fear AI as an existential threat. They see a dystopian future with widespread unemployment and human obsolescence. They also worry about their own lost standing and relevance.
MINDSET NO 2:
AI is moving more slowly than we think
“This looks like a plane, but it doesn’t fly. AI
is a young field. We need a more
professional approach. We don’t know
what we want to achieve.”
“Under the mushroom is a network. With AI, people are excited about the mushroom, but there is too much frothiness sometimes”
While excited by AI’s potential, these executives are wary of the hype. They caution that although AI solutions appear impressive, many prove ill-suited to real business challenges.
MINDSET NO 3:
AI is moving at just the right speed
“It is a revolution, like electricity was. We have to protect ourselves, but I feel excitement for what is coming and how it can increase human capability”
“I am in my 40’s but I think the way 22-year-olds are thinking. AI makes me feel liberated. I can break barriers.”
These AI evangelists are excited by how AI is making the impossible probable. They envision AI amplifying human potential and see it as a force for good, much like electricity or the internet.
What’s below the surface of your organization? Let’s talk. tbradley@olsonzaltman.com