Humility in AI: Partnering With Technology That Assists, Not Overrides
BY Grace Turney December 19, 2025Paul Pavlou, PhD, the dean of the Miami Herbert Business School, doesn’t sugarcoat the future of work. While many leaders tiptoe around AI, Pavlou offers a direct assessment: AI will indeed replace many jobs, but that transformation represents only half the equation. The other half–how AI can elevate human potential in ways we’ve barely begun to imagine–demands the same attention.During a fireside chat at From Day One’s Miami conference, Pavlou shared insights from his extensive research on AI, decision-making, and organizational transformation. The conversation, moderated by Steve Koepp, From Day One co-founder and editor-in-chief, explored how business leaders and educators are grappling with a technology that Pavlou describes as being “an order of magnitude” even more significant than previous breakthroughs like electricity or the internet.Redefining What Technology Can DoUnlike tools that simply automate tasks, Pavlou says that AI represents something fundamentally different: a technology designed to overcome human limitations rather than merely extend or mimic human capabilities. “It thinks like us, or more like us, and better than us,” he said. This important distinction changes the conversation from what AI can do for us to what it tells us about our own abilities.The implications become stark when examining certain professions. Take radiology, for example, Pavlou points out that machines can analyze scans faster and more accurately than physicians. With that in mind, what is his advice for prospective students? Don’t become a radiologist if your job security depends on regulations requiring a human to perform tasks a machine handles better.Yet he emphasizes this isn’t necessarily bad news for society. Better, faster diagnostic capabilities mean earlier disease detection and improved patient outcomes, even if it means fewer radiologists.The Autonomy ParadoxPavlou’s research on consumer decision-making revealed an intriguing paradox: people usually prefer to make their own choices, even when they know an algorithm would (theoretically) recommend something better. In studies examining how shoppers choose clothing, the researchers found that shoppers (particularly women) would rather make the final decision instead of accepting AI’s recommendation.Paul A. Pavlou, dean & professor at the Miami Herbert Business School, University of Miami, shared his research on AI during the session This desire for autonomy extends beyond retail. Whether you’re a physician, an HR manager, or an executive, professionals want to understand why AI recommends specific actions rather than blindly accepting its output. “I want to have the last word,” Pavlou said to describe how people want to remain empowered to make their own decisions.This insight packs profound implications for how organizations use AI systems. The technology works best not as a replacement for human judgment, but as a tool that enhances it, with humans maintaining ultimate control—and accountability.Preparing Students for an Accelerated TimelineAt Miami Herbert Business School, Pavlou faces a concrete challenge: employers increasingly want candidates with two to four years of experience, yet the school’s primary mission involves preparing entry-level graduates. His solution leverages AI itself. By using technology to personalize education and provide real-world project experience, students can graduate with the equivalent of several years of workplace experience compressed into their undergraduate years, he says. The school has launched AI majors and minors while transforming existing programs to incorporate AI across disciplines, from HR to finance to accounting. “It’s not just about teaching students to use AI,” Pavlou said, “but using AI ourselves” to personalize the entire educational experience. The goal: graduates who are “job ready on day one” with capabilities that would have taken years to develop in previous generations.Beyond Individual Jobs to Lifelong LearningAccording to Pavlou, there has to be a shift in how organizations think about workforce development. AI’s rapid advancement means upskilling and reskilling can no longer be confined to early career stages. Companies increasingly approach Miami Herbert for guidance on what their employees, whether they have 20, 2,000, or 200,000 workers, need to know about AI.This demand has shifted executive education, elevating it from a secondary offering to a strategic priority. Organizations need different training at different levels: foundational skills for entry-level employees, experimental mindsets for middle managers, and strategic frameworks for C-suite executives who must create organizational cultures open to AI adoption while establishing appropriate guardrails.The Compassionate MachinePerhaps the most provocative element of Pavlou’s research involves what he calls “compassionate AI.” The premise challenges common assumptions: if human beings often lack empathy and compassion in decision-making, can AI actually serve as a corrective force rather than an amplification of our flaws?“The baseline is human beings,” Pavlou said. “They’re not very compassionate.” He offers the example of self-driving vehicles: while humans kill tens of thousands of people in car accidents every year, a single death caused by a driverless car causes widespread outcry and regulatory backlash. This double standard, he suggests, reflects our reluctance to acknowledge our own limited capabilities.Pavlou expressed skepticism about companies that announce mass layoffs blamed on AI adoption. The real opportunity is not eliminating positions, but creating better jobs and generating more value. Organizations should focus on how AI allows for better decision-making, reduces errors, and improves outcomes rather than simply trying to cut costs through workforce reduction.He advocates for comprehensive training as the foundation of responsible AI adoption, implemented at individual, team, and organizational levels. This training should address both effective use of the technology and ethical considerations. Only after organizations understand what the technology can do should they establish guardrails and policies, rather than creating restrictions for capabilities they don’t yet fully grasp.The conversation concluded with a reminder that reflects Pavlou’s central point: AI doesn’t exist in a vacuum. “We created them to serve us and augment what we actually do,” he said. The question isn’t whether humans or machines are superior, but how we can work together to overcome limitations and elevate capabilities that neither could achieve alone. For business leaders navigating this transformation, that perspective offers a more productive framework than the binary thinking that has dominated much of the AI debate.Grace Turney is a St. Louis-based writer, artist, and former librarian. See more of her work at graceturney17.wixsite.com/mysite.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Global Hiring and Emerging HR Tech: A New Path to Solving the Talent Shortage
BY Grace Turney December 17, 2025Noelle Pittock, senior director of onboarding and business operations at Remote, remembers the first time her team completed what was previously a six-to-eight-week performance review cycle in just 48 hours. The drastic change wasn’t only about speed; it ultimately saved 7,000 hours of work and achieved 95% completion rates. This breakthrough came from rethinking how technology could actually make work processes smoother instead of more complex.The talent crisis has reached a tipping point. According to research from Remote surveying nearly 4,000 business and HR leaders worldwide, 72% of companies missed a key business goal or deadline in the past year due to talent shortages. These weren’t product failures, they were people problems. Teams simply couldn’t find and onboard the right talent fast enough to meet critical deadlines.“The bottleneck isn’t that great candidates don’t exist. It’s that we’re looking in too narrow a place,” Pittock said during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s December virtual conference. Opening Borders, Not Just Job PostingsThe data reveals an intriguing paradox: 74% of HR leaders say finding qualified local talent is more difficult than a year ago, yet 79% would hire more international candidates if it were as easy as hiring domestically. The willingness exists, but the infrastructure just isn’t there.Many companies are currently expanding their geographic reach, says Pittock. Some business leaders expect more than half of their 2026 new hires to come from outside their primary country. This isn’t a fringe strategy anymore; it’s becoming standard practice for businesses struggling with shallow local talent pools.Noelle, a senior director of onboarding & business operations at Remote, led the virtual session (company photo)Remote itself operates as proof of concept. The fully distributed company receives 30,000 to 35,000 applications per month across 90-plus countries, employing nearly 2,000 people without a physical office. “We haven’t faced a talent shortage by taking this globalized strategy,” Pittock said.What’s held companies back isn’t desire, but clarity. Nebulous local regulations and compliance concerns make the risks seemingly outweigh the rewards. Modern HR technology is trying to change that perception through global-first sourcing tools, AI-assisted screening, location-based compensation planning, and legal hiring mechanisms like employer of record services that handle compliance complexity.But finding talent is only half the challenge. HR teams also face an operational crisis managing the sheer volume of work across disconnected platforms. The average HR leader juggles 3.6 tools, with some using four to seven systems just for basic processes. These tools rarely communicate with each other, ultimately multiplying workload instead of reducing it. “When HR teams say they don’t have enough time, that’s not an exaggeration,” Pittock said. “That’s reality.”Automation That Actually Reduces WorkThe most effective teams aren’t just adopting new tools; they’re completely rethinking workflows. Remote’s approach offers a framework: simplify processes before automating them, consolidate platforms to eliminate data silos, and create automated workflows that don’t rely on institutional memory.In hiring, AI screening now helps teams navigate increased application volume. Candidates can use AI to tailor resumes quickly, flooding recruiters with applications. One in five talent acquisition professionals report seeing AI-generated applications with misleading information, says Pittock. Remote’s pilot program used AI to extract skills, summarize resumes, and generate consistent screening questions, allowing recruiters to focus on qualified candidates rather than sorting through virtual piles of paperwork.Onboarding presents another opportunity for automation. Remote onboards talent in over 100 countries by breaking the process into clear workflows with integrated systems, she says. Personal data automatically generates employment agreements in seconds and compliance checks verify identity remotely. By integrating AI directly into workflow platforms, Remote compressed reviews from six weeks to just two days. Managers complete reviews on day one using preliminary information and structured data. Leaders calibrate and finalize decisions on day two. The system achieved 85% employee satisfaction while completing reviews 15 times faster. “AI isn’t replacing judgment,” Pittock said. “It’s supporting it by handling drafting, summarizing, and formatting so managers can focus on substance.”Starting Small and Scaling StrategicallyFor HR teams ready to simplify their workload while increasing productivity, Pittock recommends four immediate steps: remove one manual task you touch often, consolidate data into fewer platforms, pilot global hiring for a single role where widening the search meaningfully improves your candidate pool, and add one lightweight automation ritual like weekly check-in reminders.The key is identifying what matters most to your team. “Take a pulse check with your HR leaders,” Pittock said. “What’s the one most annoying thing they do every day that, if it disappeared overnight, would change how they work? Start there.”These changes require minimal investment but create foundations for sustainable, high-performing organizations that remain people-centric even as they automate. The goal isn’t replacing any of the human elements in HR’s, it’s about freeing professionals to focus on what actually requires their judgment, creativity, and care.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Remote, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Grace Turney is a St. Louis-based writer, artist, and former librarian. See more of her work at graceturney17.wixsite.com/mysite.(Photo by dem10/iStock)
The Biggest Challenges (and Chances) for HR Leaders in 2026 and Beyond
BY Grace Turney November 25, 2025Ruth Ferguson, EVP and head of HR for consumer, small & business banking at Wells Fargo uses ChatGPT multiple times a day in her personal life, for everything from planning vacations to finding recipes, and other everyday tasks. This experimentation with AI outside the office, she says, is exactly what employees need to do to overcome their fears about AI. “It’s sort of like conquering all your fears,” Ferguson said during a fireside chat at From Day One’s Midtown Manhattan conference. “The more you use the prompts, the more you use your creative mindset on how to ask questions or challenge it. It’s so empowering to see the capacity that it frees up.” The conversation, moderated by Cadie Thompson, executive editor at Business Insider, explored how Wells Fargo is navigating AI adoption, generational workforce changes, and employee engagement during a time of rapid change. Embracing AI as an Enabler, Not a Threat The fear of AI is natural and rooted in historical precedent, says Ferguson. “A hundred years ago, we were a farming and manufacturing economy, and here we are, 100 years later, and those jobs have changed,” she said. But the key, she says, is developing skills and mindsets that AI cannot replicate. While AI excels at repetitive tasks and data amalgamation, humans bring critical reasoning, empathy, and nuanced decision-making to complex problems. “Some problems have multiple answers,” Ferguson said. “How you balance and prioritize on the spectrum of what’s important— that’s where the human mind comes in.” Leaders play a crucial role in helping employees understand that AI is a tool to assist them, not their replacement. When used properly, AI creates room for employees to use their higher-level thinking. Her advice for getting friendly with AI? Just start using it. At Wells Fargo, leaders encourage employees to practice with AI tools both at work and in their personal lives, embracing a “fail fast” mentality that builds comfort through experimentation. The Entry-Level Talent Advantage Despite efficiency pressures leading many companies to cap headcount and reduce middle management, Ferguson sees entry-level hiring as critical to Wells Fargo’s future. She serves on the board of Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, and recently witnessed students envisioning how AI could propel society forward in healthcare and beyond. “This generation graduating college and university, they’ve never known life without a cell phone or the internet,” Ferguson said. “We can learn from this generation.” Their native fluency with technology and optimistic view of AI’s potential position them to lead companies in creative problem-solving, which ultimately serves customers more effectively. However, this generation also presents distinct challenges. Ferguson identified focus and prioritization as the biggest hurdles. “We have raised a generation who are brilliant multitaskers,” she observed, describing young workers juggling multiple apps, learning TikTok dances, and scanning news simultaneously. “How do we focus? Because in corporate America, and in particular in banking, I need to be focused on my customer and client.” Redefining Workplace Loyalty The conversation turned to whether workplace loyalty still exists in an era of performance metrics and job-hopping. Ferguson’s answer: loyalty exists, but it is different. “Loyalty, spending 25, 30, 35 years at a company, doesn’t happen as much anymore,” she said. Instead, Wells Fargo defines loyalty through “mutual accountability and mutual success,” ensuring employees believe their individual success is tied to company outcomes, and vice versa. Ferguson of Wells Fargo was interviewed by Cadie Thompson, executive editor at Business Insider“If we approach loyalty from a purely timeframe perspective, the risk we run is people who are quiet quitters,” Ferguson said, describing employees who simply clock in and out without contributing meaningfully. In other words: workplace loyalty is not about time spent at a company, it’s about personal investment in it.This philosophy has helped Wells Fargo rebuild its culture. Ferguson, who joined in 2021, described how CEO Charlie Scharf’s unwavering commitment to building a culture of risk management and customer focus has unified the workforce. When the Federal Reserve’s asset cap was lifted earlier in the year, employees felt genuine pride in their collective accomplishment. Supporting Managers in a Changing WorkplaceFerguson’s biggest current challenge? Empowering burnt-out managers navigating unprecedented uncertainty. “Being a manager now doesn’t simply mean just getting the job done, but it does mean motivating a workforce,” she said. “Some of them are really tired, and they themselves are struggling.” Her remedy includes consistent appreciation, clear skill development pathways, and executive visibility. “If we don’t spend the time empowering our managers and training our managers, we will fall behind,” she said. Sometimes, she says, addressing the challenge is as simple as saying thank you and being present with teams, putting phones down, making eye contact, and truly listening to what’s on people’s minds. And that is exactly the type of human connection that AI cannot replace. Grace Turney is a St. Louis-based writer, artist, and former librarian. See more of her work at graceturney17.wixsite.com/mysite.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)