AI Adoption Isn’t Just Technical - It’s a Values Decision

Where do values fit into your AI adoption conversation?

We spend so much time focused on the technology that sometimes consideration of how that technology impacts our businesses rather than just what it does gets less prominence than it should.

The gap between a labor forecast that 50% of "white-collar jobs" will be gone in 5 years versus product design where AI is a copilot "giving people more agency" is huge. Foundationally these are born out of different mindsets about the value of exactly the same technology, and everyone guiding adoption projects today gets a vote as to which of these paths our society will likely be on tomorrow.

This morning I was chatting with a client about an AI data processing tool they are looking to buy. There are two options on the table. Similar baseline capabilities. Similar prices. My question: Which provider's values around how AI should fit into your business most align with yours?

This changes the conversation. For most executive teams if the discussion is about efficiency and cost savings, the solution is clear. But that's not the whole conversation. They sit in that board room because they once had an entry-level white-collar job. They enjoy the banter of the break room or the collaboration that comes from a diverse and engaged team. They have children who are about to enter college and will be looking for their first job in a few years. They want efficiency and cost savings today, but they also need to weigh what the path they choose now does tomorrow to the business they've spent years building.

Are there definitive right and wrong answers to this set of questions? No. But those advising businesses on AI must at least engage with this conversation. If all you consider is the technology, then there's a huge part of the potential impact you're running toward with your eyes closed. Everyone involved deserves the opportunity to choose their path to the future with their eyes wide open.

First posted on Linkedin on 05/15/2026 → View Post Here