In this age of AI, leaders have been quite uncomfortable confronting its wide influence in almost every sector. While the reality of AI has made many leaders afraid, many of them also consider it a valuable tool that can be utilized to boost efficiency, speed, and consistency in business processes and workflows. However, a lot of leaders are unable utilize it as they are not sure about it. While AI is taking over the world, it is also making a lot of leaders repulsive about AI usage. According to a recent digital survey, the hesitation for AI usage has increased from 16% to 37% within a year, from 2024 to 2025.
Why Some Leaders Fear AI?
So, why are the leaders pulling themselves back in this age of AI, while others are leaping into the trend? There are several reasons they are considering, and some of them are quite concerning. The common concern is that AI can wipe out all kinds of jobs, and dynamic industries can be affected by that. If that situation occurs, leaders will find themselves in a seismic transition that they are not ready for without a historic blueprint for that.
Another major roadblock is that most leaders are confused about how and when AI-based solutions can be integrated into their organizations and business processes. A realistic fact is that less than half of the organizations have an AI policy in place. Without proper governance and guidance, some leaders are more likely to proceed with a “wait and see” attitude. Apparently, it might sound okay, but it is a certain way to lose ground amongst the future competitors.
As 2026 has arrived with more changes and the influence of AI in the global business landscape, those who are willing to embrace the tool for its benefits are more likely to succeed in their respective fields. AI is not necessarily bringing a significant change, but it can help to streamline and improve the workflows with greater efficiency in production and decision-making. Let’s forget about the Doomsday hype and find out AI can be part of profitability when smart leaders utilize it effectively for growth. Let’s find some examples.
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Duckbill: From AI Revolution to Creating Jobs
AI is highly associated with job elimination, but it can also help to create suitable job positions for job seekers. The founder of Duckbill, Meghan Joyce, was one of Uber’s first 100 employees, and she saw the potential of AI in handling all kinds of busy tasks, which usually takes away all the passion and creativity among most employees. As a result, she built an AI-powered app that can provide executive assistant capabilities to subscribers.
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Talkspace: AI Helping Professionals to Save People
Talkspace has also created a phenomenon by offering an app that helps to connect individuals with licensed therapists. This AI-powered app helped to break the social stigma regarding mental health concerns. But people feared that using ChatGPT for therapy would lead to disastrous results. But Talkspace did not leave AI but made it more creative, as it is now helping therapists identify potential suicide risk in their patients. Therefore, it can send red flag notifications and help to save lives.
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Payhawk: Add People with the Help of AI
The CEO of Payhawk, Hristo Borisov, claimed that AI helped him bring more people aboard and helped to create a dynamic workforce. With the help of AI, he was able to bring 50 workers in just one month. Therefore, AI did not take jobs but offered opportunities for others.
Considering the beneficial aspects, it is safe to say that AI can accelerate your business, and integrating AI in workflows does not necessarily mean downsizing the workforce.
