Would your team bring a rough idea to you - or to AI?

If your team had to choose between pitching a rough idea to AI or you - which would they choose?

Using AI and Human Intelligence together is one of the biggest challenges leaders face right now. And… dare I say… some of them don’t even know it yet.

Last week my 1:1 coaching client was talking about the freedom of being able to chat with Claude (her LLM of choice) because they are always happy to hear from her, always available and ready to play.

If suddenly you are thinking of your dog, then good, not just me then… the similarities are undeniable! This “Dog-like” responsiveness is changing emotional expectations of work tools.

It’s a growing trend. I’m hearing this from people who work in large offices too. AI is the labrador greeting them with sloppy kisses and ready to follow them lovingly down any corporate corridor they tread. Which could be a million times easier than trying to schedule a meeting with someone who’s as busy as you are.

These are the top 5 signals I’d be thinking about:

Is your team defaulting to AI because real conversations are too hard to come by?
 That’s not a tech issue - that’s a culture signal.

Are you modelling curiosity, collaboration and effectiveness… or just efficiency?
 People tend to follow what gets rewarded, not what's preached.

When was the last time someone brought you a half-formed idea instead of a polished deck?
 If that’s rare, AI might be getting the early drafts that humans should be shaping together.

If AI feels more accessible than your leadership, what story does that tell?
 Availability isn’t just about hours - it’s about connection, energy and openness.

What’s being lost in the name of speed?
 You might be solving today’s problems faster, but skipping the deeper ones entirely.

Your team could be choosing Labrador-level loyalty over lunchroom awkwardness. AI will deliver that.

AI can help shape the thinking, it gets you to “draft zero” quickly - but when people bring their thinking to each other, it multiplies.

People are craving the reality of human-to-human conversations, and the broader context they have. For example, AI won’t ask if you’re burning yourself out owning a problem that isn’t yours to own, or avoiding one that you should be. But I will. And so should you.

Seeing the shift already? I work with leaders on this every day. Reach out if you want to explore it together -or read more about the challenges of leading through AI here.