When AI use backfires on productivity

Rolling out Copilot or ChatGPT and hoping productivity magically improves rarely works. In fact, for many leaders, it creates more confusion, more noise and, in some cases, more work. 

In this How I AI episode, Neo and I unpack the single most important question leaders should be asking about AI adoption: how can I help my people be ready for AI? Because bringing AI into your organisation isn’t primarily a technology decision. It’s a people one. 

We talk through why simply handing out paid licenses without building capability often backfires, how poor AI use can actually reduce productivity, and the practical steps leaders need to get right from day one. 

Neo and I cover: 

• Why AI adoption fails when leaders treat it as a software rollout instead of a change process 

• How to clearly articulate the why so people don’t assume AI equals job replacement 

• Using AI to reduce administrivia and free people up for more meaningful work 

• Why “it’s intuitive” is a dangerous assumption when it comes to capability building 

• How untrained use can create AI slop, longer emails and organisational “Chinese whispers” 

• How searchable knowledge can unlock real productivity gains, and how poor permissions can create real risk 

• Why training change leads or team leads is critical to embedding AI into real workflows 

Connect with Neo Aplin on LinkedIn and via inventium.ai, where he leads Inventium’s AI training and upskilling work with organisations and teams. 

My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ 

Connect with me on the socials: 
Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) 

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) 

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe 

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. 

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au 

Credits: 
Host: Amantha Imber 
Sound Engineer: Martin Imber 

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