Our Solutions Director, John Power, gives his take on AI adoption and seamless AI adoption.
Don’t you love it when the energy is palpable?
That’s why it was so liberating to be in the room for our new Welcoming AI workshop. I remember pausing amid the energy to absorb the ideas bubbling up from 200 people: wash the dishes, be a better dad, solve world peace, predict customer trends, automate timesheets, do my timesheets – timesheets! (It’s always interesting to hear what challenges are actually front of mind in this new world!) With colourful posters pinned to walls and people moving, connecting, and swapping insights – the energy was electric. In fact, the stream of ideas felt like a bizarre ‘full-circle’ moment – we were a reflection of AI itself: adapting and generating the future.
AI adoption begins with people
At NKD, we believe successful AI adoption begins with people, not platforms. Welcoming AI, our ready-to-go workshop, is designed to fix that. It’s a 75-minute workshop that’s practical, deeply human and explores what it means to have an AI mindset. We’ve seen AI presentations and hackathons fall flat because they overwhelm people, failing to meet them where they are. This is a missed opportunity to create space for dialogue, curiosity, and optimism.
The person we need to hear from might not be the facilitator, but rather the person from another department who has tackled a similar challenge.
When people share ideas, they identify gaps, discover how they complement each other, and create those serendipitous aha moments that stick.
Explorers bring curiosity, Evaluators bring caution, Connectors bring collaboration. Together, they build something bigger than any one perspective.
Technology doesn’t transform culture, people do.
We need a human-shaped solution for culture shift, and we believe leadership is key to radically human AI integration. You may know that 70% of digital transformations fail, and according to MIT, 95% of AI pilots deliver zero measurable return.
Why? Because organisations skip the human step.
That’s why Welcoming AI focuses on three essential steps:
- AI Mindset – shifting from fear to curiosity
- AI Adoption – building confidence through collaboration
- Culture Change – creating a foundation for transformation
AI can process data, but it can’t dream.
That’s why this first step matters. If you want your AI programme to thrive, start here: with people, with mindset, with connection. Because technology doesn’t transform culture – people do. Are you ready to start your AI journey the right way?
Learn more about Welcoming AI here.
