15 Reasons Companies Can Embrace AI Without Losing the Human Touch

With today’s tech tools at their fingertips, business leaders and their teams are learning to redefine the creative process.

Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of the design process in business, but how can leaders and teams incorporate AI without losing the essence of originality and human-driven creativity?

Below, 15 creative professionals from Fast Company Executive Board each highlight actionable strategies they’ve taken to blend the strengths of AI-assisted tools with their human expertise.

1. It’s like a team member, not a human replacement.

Establish design guidelines that define AI agents as team members, not replacements, while acknowledging their limitations by incorporating human review and creative intervention and setting clear autonomy boundaries. Additionally, considering the pace of progress of AI technology, encourage experimentation and adjust agentic workflows and autonomy levels to match new capabilities. – Aviad Almagor, Trimble

2. It’s a starting point to gauge direction, spark ideas, and improve workflow processes.

AI is a great tool. But like any tool, it needs to be wielded by someone who knows how to use it and what good results should look like. Within the creative process, using AI to generate direction, ideas, or processes works best when it’s humanized with branding and personality. – Dawn Sizer, 3rd Element Consulting Inc.

3. It impacts data-driven decision-making.

The best design starts with a deep understanding of the end user. In the era of AI, maintaining originality and creativity isn’t about resisting technology but using it to enhance efficiency while keeping strategy and storytelling human-led. – Gabriel Bridger, Rightpoint

4. It handles repetitive tasks to free up human time.

Creative human design functions like generating innovative ideas and storytelling are not easily replaceable by AI. Use AI for repetitive tasks that are not a good use of human time. – Rahul Sharma, U.S. Bank

5. It augments the customer experience without detracting from it.

The balance is constantly asking whether AI can make the experience better. AI should augment experience, not detract from it. – Alex Seaman, Furniture.com

6. It speeds up project execution.

AI can refine and enhance, but originality comes from intuition and lived experience. Structure workflows so AI accelerates execution while humans shape the final vision. – Isaiah Steinfeld, Neue Alchemy

7. It brings human-driven creativity to life.

The goal should be to start with human-driven thinking, frameworks, and design, using AI to bring those ideas to life. – Anka Twum-Baah, Chief Outsiders

8. It presents multiple creative possibilities for design teams.

AI tools accelerate ideation and iteration, but humans must lead storytelling and emotional depth. – Christine Alemany, Thrv Advisors

9. It helps teams meet their main objectives.

AI should be additive, not a replacement. Use it only when it truly elevates outcomes. – Jacqueline Woods, Teradata

10. It seamlessly supports users while they engage naturally in creativity.

The best user experiences are those where technology fades into the background. – Nina Herold, Navan

11. It highlights patterns that may go undetected.

AI can surface insights, but humans decide the best course of action. – Eddy Azad, Parsec Automation Corp.

12. It helps designers frame problems and ask powerful questions.

The true power of AI is as a partner to human curiosity and critical thinking. – Amy Radin, Pragmatic Innovation Partners LLC

13. It keeps designers focused on emotional resonance and innovative concepts.

Exceptional results come from combining AI’s scale with human empathy and originality. – Jaime Bettencourt, Mood Media

14. It expands creative options for companies with limited resources.

AI can act as a sounding board and brainstorm partner, expanding small teams’ capabilities. – Erin Fuller, MCI

15. It pushes boundaries and explores the unseen.

AI can generate at scale, but humans decide what’s worth keeping. – Hope Horner, Lemonlight

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