Top leaders agree that human judgment still wins when it comes to automation. Read how industry leaders balance AI with empathy and authentic connection.
Sydney Scott
Editorial Strategist, AI
Workday
Machines move fast, but human judgment and empathy win customers and build trust. Business leaders know this—it’s why they’re fighting to keep real human connection alive.
Here are nine rules from top executives to balance AI automation with irreplaceable human skills.
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Neil Bansal, Managing Director of Operations and Strategy at OMERS Private Equity, looks at tech through a human lens. Bansal argues that while computers can handle boring repetitive tasks, the real core of business success should remain strictly human.
"A CEO I respect once said you can't outsource your brain, your eyeballs, or your heart," Bansal says. "Your judgment, your perception, how you care—that will never be outsourced."
Executives should use AI to clear out basic administrative work to give teams the bandwidth to focus on real judgment and care.
"Your judgment, your perception, how you care—that will never be outsourced."
Neil Bansal
Managing Director of Operations and Strategy, OMERS Private Equity
Mario Hernandez, People Systems Analyst at Whatnot, warns against loading employees with extra work the moment software saves time. Hernandez points to "Tractor Thoughts," the creative breakthroughs that happen when simple tasks keep hands busy while the mind wanders free.
"What I've seen happen is leaders say, 'Oh, now we can just do more things faster,'" Hernandez says. "The time AI frees up gets filled before anyone thinks to ask whether it should be. Someone has to decide that recovered time is worth protecting—that the point isn't throughput, but the quality of thinking that only happens when the mind has room to wander."
At startup BetterUp, CEO Alexi Robichaux wants automated software to operate invisibly in the background so employees focus on real growth.
"By stripping away the manual transaction layer with automated processes, leaders can dedicate their time to the human side of management: coaching, fostering mutual trust, and steering organizational mindsets from scarcity toward abundance," Robichaux says.
Stripping away back-office friction gives executives time to coach, guide, and support their teams.
Rachel Allen, Head of Talent Acquisition at 7-Eleven, Inc., oversees 130,000 hires a year, but she has a stark warning for companies rushing to adopt new software: "If you have a crappy process and you apply technology to it, you just amplify the crappiness."
Rather than using tech as a band-aid for broken workflows, Allen uses it specifically to remove administrative burdens, like high-volume interview scheduling.
"The goal is to liberate the leader," Allen says. "If we can remove the administrative burden, we give that leader the space to actually lead."
“The goal is to liberate the leader. If we can remove the administrative burden, we give that leader the space to actually lead.”
Rachel Allen,
Head of Talent Acquisition, 7-Eleven, Inc.
Paolo Emilio Testa, Chief People Officer at SoftServe, treats tech adoption as personal habit change rather than a quick software deployment. Testa puts tech reviews straight into yearly employee reviews.
"AI transformation happens when behavior changes," Testa says. "And behavior changes when people feel heard, not instructed."
SoftServe measures whether tech upgrades improve work quality and reflect core company values.
Rupesh Ahluwalia, Vice President of Global Human Resources Information System (HRIS) and Transformation at Concentrix, runs software systems for 450,000 workers in 70 countries. Despite managing huge digital operations, Ahluwalia says real connection powers corporate scale.
"The one trait I would say is so important in this day and age—when everything's about the machines, everything's about AI—is empathy," Ahluwalia says.
Ahluwalia sets up casual group calls with a strict "no work talk" rule. As networks grow larger, executives must work harder to keep humanity front and center.
"The one trait I would say is so important in this day and age—when everything's about the machines, everything's about AI—is empathy.”
Rupesh Ahluwalia
VP of Global HRIS & Transformation, Concentrix
Brian Ong, Director of Talent Acquisition at KPMG, says AI should help professionals move up the ladder instead of taking their jobs. Offloading screen work lets recruiters stop checking forms and start building real strategies.
"AI is an enabler for our recruiters to move up the value chain," Ong says. "They're doing the work AI can't do—work that requires real human judgment and empathy. AI isn't replacing recruiters; it's allowing them to contribute in more meaningful ways."
Ong warns that buying tech without funding workforce development causes quick failure. "The best investment you can make isn't technology—it's people," Ong adds. "Without the right people, AI won't succeed."
"The best investment you can make isn't technology—it's people. Without the right people, AI won't succeed."
Brian Ong
Director of Talent Acquisition, KPMG
At risk management firm Sphera, CHRO Kimberly Kolb believes modern careers are "zigzags" built on diverse experiences, rather than rigid corporate ladders.
Supporting that level of highly individualized employee growth across more than 20 countries requires shifting heavy information management to AI.
"As the world and technology change, how we support [employees] needs to evolve as well," Kolb says. “If we support personal and career growth, we can increase employee desire to stay. That drives their individual performance, subsequently team performance, and ultimately company performance."
By letting AI manage the foundational data and self-service logistics, HR teams can focus on mentoring employees through highly personalized career paths.
Mireia Galofré Piedrafita, Head of Total Rewards, Organization, and People Analytics at fashion firm Mango, says tech must help employees rather than rule them.
"HR is one of the functions most impacted by AI, and one of the most critical to get right," Galofré Piedrafita says. "We have to embrace AI, but HR must continue to deliver impact from the human perspective. We approach AI with strong governance and privacy safeguards, ensuring technology supports people-centric decisions."
Strong rules keep software helpful without crossing boundaries.
The bottom line is simple. Speed and scale come from software, but real corporate power stays grounded in human empathy. Executives who protect worker bandwidth build stronger, more adaptable businesses over time.
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