How to succeed with AI adoption?

Fifteen years ago, I had an epiphany. I know, that’s a big word, but it describes very well how I realized the importance of the human factor, the importance of people, for success with AI.

15 years ago: A bad start with the focus on technology

Back then, at a large tech company in the US, we developed a marketing mix model to optimize marketing investments. We estimated that the company could reduce advertising expenses by 22% while maintaining the same revenues. This could have been $1 million savings, per year. As a data team we were excited about this and were ready to share it with the marketing director responsible for marketing investment decisions.

But his reaction?

“Ha ... what am I supposed to do with this AI? We've been doing very well with our marketing mix decisions for years. How do I even know that this black box will deliver anything useful? And then I'm supposed to change how I make investment decisions?”

That was heartbreaking after we devoted months and many weekends to develop this model. And disappointing, especially at a tech company where you would expect decisions to always be data-driven. The marketing director's reaction was actually not rational, he reacted emotionally to potential changes in his area.

And we? We focused on data, algorithms, and technology, not on people. Even at a tech company, people need to be brought along. You have to convince employees of the benefits of using new technology. And you need to be honest about what will change with AI.

AI almost always leads to changes, for both top managers and individual contributors, and everyone else in between. It doesn't matter whether it's the new Generative AI or the Analytical AI solutions, such as machine learning or deep learning, that companies have been using for years or sometimes decades. All AI leads to changes in employees’ workflows.

However, it’s interesting to see how people use AI in private lives. AI solutions that have been available for decades are part of our daily activities. We use AI in Google Maps, autocomplete, recommendations from Amazon, Netflix, or Spotify without even thinking about it. And why? Because we have known and used them for a long time. And more importantly, because we see their value. We know exactly ... what's in it for me.

Learning: Bringing people along

In my more recent role at a pharma company in Germany, my team and I introduced an AI recommendation system, similar to Amazon's product recommendations. These recommendations were for sales reps: which customers to contact this week, through which channels, and with which content.

To ensure success this time, we did three things.

First, we involved two sales reps in the development process. Our developers learned what sales reps really need.

Second, we implemented a marketing campaign for this recommender system with short videos describing the tool, lunch & learn sessions, and informal data office hours. We even launched it at a big bang kick-off event with presentations, talk shows, and a splashy video reel. This felt almost like an iPhone launch.

And third, we started a data literacy program so that every employee understands the value of using data and AI.

This AI introduction was a success. We involved people right from the start. The employees felt engaged. They understood, “ah, that’s what’s in it for me”. AI wasn’t an enemy anymore. It was a new colleague who never takes vacation and never complains about the cafeteria food.

It's the people

So, it’s possible. Companies can succeed with AI. They just need to remember that it's not data or technology that are critical to success with AI. It's the people.

The better people understand how something works, the more willing they are to use it. And, if they see the benefit of using AI, they will embrace it.

For a successful AI adoption, answer for your employees the question: “What's in it for me?”

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PS
I have written about this in more detail in the 40-page guide "AI: What's in it for me?" This 1-hour read focuses on one question: "How to gain business value from AI by improving employees' data and AI mindset". Check it out on Amazon.