The AI Why with Liam Lawson How UserTesting Got 70% of Employees Using AI Weekly | Michael Domanic
Mar 19, 2026
Michael J. Domanic, VP and Head of AI at UserTesting, led company-wide AI adoption and built scalable governance. He explains how 70%+ weekly use was achieved, why AI rollouts often fail, and how custom GPTs and agent orchestration drove viral adoption. He also covers building CoEs, motivating experimentation, and treating AI adoption as a cultural challenge rather than just a tech project.
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Wilderness Guiding Trained Michael For AI Leadership
- Michael compares wilderness guiding to leading AI transformation because both push people through uncomfortable, high-stakes change.
- He says guiding demands responsibility and governance similar to rolling AI into an organization.
Pair Executive Pressure With Grassroots Enablement
- Run AI transformation top-down and bottom-up: executives set urgency while a center of excellence and training enable widespread experimentation.
- Measure quarterly the 10 most meaningful AI implementations and compute ROI to prioritize scaleable wins.
Measure Both Hard ROI And Squishy Value
- ROI from AI includes hard metrics and 'squishy' benefits like employee satisfaction and retention.
- Michael notes studies showing people work harder and are happier using AI, which helps recruiting and retention.