EP16: The New AI Gap: What Leaders Aren’t Seeing Yet

Dec 11, 2025

A deep dive into two major AI reports that signal a fundamental shift in how work gets done. Highlights the invisible rewiring of enterprise workflows and the widening gap between workers who use AI and those who do not. Urgent arguments for HR to redesign jobs, fix data flows, and accelerate momentum so organizations do not fall behind.

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ANECDOTE

Morning Reading Sparked A Wake-Up

Jason read OpenAI and NTT Data reports in a hotel lobby to capture signals about AI's direction.
The reports delivered a jolt and convinced him the game has changed for work.

INSIGHT

AI As Invisible Operating Infrastructure

Enterprise AI is shifting from visible tools to invisible infrastructure powering workflows.
API usage shows AI is becoming business logic, not just a user tool.

INSIGHT

AI Strategy Equals Business Strategy

Enterprise AI changes business economics and becomes core to strategy, not just an IT project.
NTT Data frames AI strategy as business strategy driving growth and margins.

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What if your organization is already running on a new operating model—and no one realizes it yet? In this third solo episode, Jason unpacks two major reports from OpenAI and NTT Data and explains why they signal the biggest shift in how work gets done since the internet. He breaks down the invisible rewiring happening across enterprise workflows, the widening gap emerging between workers who use AI and those who don’t, and why HR must now become the architects of augmented work. This episode is a practical, urgent call for leaders to rethink how they design work, empower their people, and build momentum in an AI-shaped world.

Host Bio:

Jason Averbook is a globally recognized thought leader, advisor, and keynote speaker focused on the intersection of AI, human potential, and the future of work. He is the Senior Partner and Global Leader of Digital HR Strategy at Mercer, where he helps the world’s largest organizations reimagine how work gets done — not by simply implementing technology, but by transforming mindsets, skillsets, and cultures to be truly digital. Over the past two decades, Jason has advised hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies, co-founded and led Leapgen, authored two influential books on the evolution of HR and workforce technology, and built a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking voices in the industry. His mission is to challenge leaders to stop seeing digital transformation as an IT project — and start embracing it as a human strategy.

Follow Jason Averbook:

Substack: https://substack.com/@jasonaverbook X: https://x.com/jasonaverbook LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonaverbook Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonaverbook YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nowtonextwithjasonaverbook Facebook: https://facebook.com/jasonaverbook

Links:

https://openai.com/index/the-state-of-enterprise-ai-2025-report/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email https://www.nttdata.com/global/en/news/press-release/2025/december/120901

(0:00) Introduction (1:14) The three pillars of change (2:13) First pillar: Operating model and AI infrastructure (5:14) Second pillar: Bridging the human gap with AI (9:16) Third pillar: HR's role in AI and workflow redesign (11:10) Practical steps and HR's responsibility in AI adoption (14:04) Recap and LEAP framework (15:01) Closing remarks