Understanding the fears of AI adoption: A conversation with Christen Bell

In this episode of Catalyst, Tammy is joined by Christen Bell, AI Empowerment Solutions Leader at NTT DATA. Christen spends her time helping organizations understand how people adopt emerging technologies like AI and how leaders can guide teams through that change. Tammy and Christen discuss the human side of AI adoption, the fears many employees quietly carry and the role leadership plays in shaping how organizations respond to new technology.

Highlights from the episode include:

• Why people are not always honest about AI at work. Because employees fear retaliation or judgment, they often avoid admitting uncertainty or anxiety about AI tools. Consultants and third parties sometimes uncover more honest feedback than internal surveys do. That insight helps organizations design better change strategies.
• Different industries trust AI in different ways. Christen’s research shows clear patterns across industries. Healthcare professionals tend to trust AI more because they have used it longer in areas like diagnostics. HR teams tend to trust it less due to past controversies around biased hiring tools and algorithmic decision-making.
• Human-first cultures still win. Christen traces her passion all the way back to a management information systems class where she learned that companies who invest in their people see stronger financial returns. That equation has not changed. Organizations willing to use AI as an excuse to slash headcount are, in her view, taking the easy way out and sacrificing the culture that makes great companies great.

Check out the full episode to hear more about Christen’s academic research, cultural differences in AI adoption and which country considers leopard print a neutral.

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Please note that the views expressed in this episode may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA.