AI or People? The Wrong Question. Try This Instead.
Every time we talk about digital transformation with clients, two concerns rise to the surface—almost like clockwork. First, there's the fear that AI will eventually replace people at work. Second, there's growing discomfort about losing the human touch, especially in industries where client interaction is central. These worries aren’t just emotional reactions; they’re reflections of real tensions that leaders are trying to navigate in a rapidly changing world.
But here’s the thing: framing it as a choice between AI or people limits our ability to design smart, sustainable solutions. It forces us into a binary mindset where we must defend one side and reject the other. And that’s not where innovation lives.
I was reminded of this tension during my time in the Stanford Business School Certification Program, specifically in the Digital Transformation Playbook: Leverage Your Business Through Technology. Most of the participants—many of them IT professionals and project managers—shared a common concern: How do we manage resistance to digital transformation? And even more pressing, how do we address the unrealistic expectations of leaders who dream big but often fail to understand the human and structural shifts necessary for genuine transformation?
As an organizational psychologist, I didn’t find these concerns as obstacles, but as normal realities of any meaningful change process—digital or not. They’ve become central to our work at Culture To Fit, where we now help leaders embed the human dynamics of change into their AI strategies from the beginning.
And we’ve learned something valuable along the way: The most powerful shift a leader can make is not in technology—but in mindset.
That’s where integrative thinking comes in.
Rather than choosing between opposing options, integrative thinking teaches us to hold both—and design better answers. It’s not about compromising. It’s about expanding. This mindset is what allows leaders to move beyond fear, unlock creativity, and design AI initiatives that enhance both performance and people.
In this article, I’ll show you how to apply integrative thinking to one of today’s most pressing leadership challenges: implementing AI in a way that respects your people, strengthens your culture, and improves your service.
A Four-Step Framework to Navigate People and AI
The following four steps are adapted from Jennifer Riel’s explanation of integrative thinking, as shared in the Harvard Business Review IdeaCast podcast episode “How to Get Better at Making Every Decision,” hosted by Curt Nickisch. In the episode, Riel shares how leaders at organizations like The LEGO Movie and the Toronto International Film Festival used this approach to transcend either-or thinking and create better options.
1. Articulate the Problem Clearly
The first step is to identify the tension. Not just the surface-level issue, but the deeper either/or pull underneath.
For example, imagine this scenario:
View A (people-centric): “80% of our clients say they won’t use an AI chatbot. They want to speak to a real person. Plus, our staff fears job loss.”
View B (AI-centric): “AI will reduce wait times, pull up customer data instantly, and improve service speed.”
Here’s the tension:
“How can we provide faster, more responsive service without sacrificing the human experience—or threatening job security?”
This is where most leaders stop. They pick a side. Integrative thinking challenges you to go further.
2. Explore Opposing Models—And Fall in Love with Each
This step requires empathy and discipline. It means you don’t just argue against the side you’re uncomfortable with. Instead, you lean into it. You assume it has value—and try to see what that value is.
From the people-centered perspective:
Human agents offer warmth, flexibility, and emotional intelligence. That’s irreplaceable.
From the AI-driven perspective:
AI brings speed, consistency, and 24/7 availability, especially for repetitive tasks.
Both are valid. Both are powerful.
As Riel puts it:
“Unlike compromise or trade-off, integrative thinking is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in tension, explore them deeply, and create a third, superior option.”
That’s why it’s not about settling—it’s about expanding. As Riel suggests, you must “fall in love with each.” Not to choose, but to understand.
3. Examine Tensions and Overlaps
Now, look for areas where new possibilities emerge.
Ask yourself:
“What’s right about each perspective? Where are the overlaps? What’s the real opportunity here?”
Using our earlier example:
Could AI handle routine questions to reduce call volume—freeing human agents for complex or emotional interactions?
Could AI offer clients a choice: press 1 for the bot, 2 for a person?
Could your human team be reskilled to manage and enhance the AI tool, making them more valuable?
These aren’t compromises. They’re innovations that come from honoring both sides of the equation.
4. Prototype and Test Better Answers
Finally, resist the urge to go all-in on a new idea. Instead, experiment. Pilot. Observe. Adjust.
For instance, launch your AI solution in one department or with one customer segment. Gather data on user satisfaction, speed, and emotional tone. Get feedback from your employees: Does this make their work more meaningful or more frustrating?
Use that data to refine.
This approach protects your people and your culture, while still moving your AI strategy forward.
It’s Not About Choosing. It’s About Creating.
We need to stop asking, “Should we prioritize people or AI?” That’s the wrong question.
The right question is:
“How might we design a workplace where people and AI thrive together?”
That’s the kind of question that unlocks creative, practical, and values-aligned solutions. That’s the kind of question integrative thinking helps you answer.
Final Thought: Anticipate, Don’t Just React
Digital transformation is not just a technical shift. It’s an emotional and cultural one.
Most of the friction we see around AI comes from treating it like a tool to be deployed, rather than a change to be lived. If you wait to address resistance after rollout, you're already late.
At Culture To Fit, we’ve learned that the earlier you apply integrative thinking, the fewer trade-offs you’ll have to make later.
So next time your organization considers an AI initiative, take a step back. Don’t choose a side. Choose to think bigger.
Because people and AI are not enemies. They’re partners in a future we get to design—if we ask better questions.
Written by Annie-Mariel Arroyo, PH.D
Dr. Annie-Mariel Arroyo-Calixto is a practiced organizational psychologist with more than 28 years of professional experience in organizational change and leadership development. Dr. Arroyo is the founder of Culture To Fit, where for the past 22 years, she has helped leaders build or reshape their organizational culture and lead transformation. She is a seasoned leadership educator and a renowned executive coach known for her ability to guide leaders in gaining deeper insights and self-growth.
