AI won’t be killing humanity. But it could put an end to boring. I sat down recently with Nick Frosst, one of the co-founders of Cohere, Canada’s premier AI company, to talk about the impact of Generative AI on work and leadership. Nick doesn’t see Large Language Models replacing valuable human work any time soon — but he does think it can remove a lot of drudgery. Other insights: 1. Study and understand your workflows, to see where AI can make a difference. “Think about your work beyond AI,” so you know where there’s leverage. 2. Challenge everyone on your team to identify work and practices that AI can do. “If AI can do X, don’t waste your time on X. That way, you can do what only you can do.” 3. Think about AI consciously — don’t let it “just happen” to your work, your teams, or your organization. 4. Leaders should teach teams to delegate to LLMs and free themselves to think strategically. 5. Treat AI as a means, not an end — a node in the system, not the system itself. 6. Let AI accelerate your culture of innovation. 7. Value those human skills that have thrived through every tech revolution: critical thinking, judgment, empathy, systems-level thinking. Best quote: “AI will not replace human capability—it will reveal it.” RBC Thought Leadership
This is such a powerful framing, John. The real opportunity isn’t about replacement. It’s about removing the noise so people can focus on the work that truly requires judgment, creativity, and empathy. When leaders guide teams to use AI with intention, it doesn’t diminish human capability; it amplifies it.
Powerful insights — AI frees us from boring tasks and elevates real talent.
AI is a tool to compliment Human Capital.
At the end of the last decade a number of thought leaders predicted that by 2025 we would have driverless cars everywhere. Were at the end of 2025 and I don’t think I have seen one yet. Then BlackBerry CEO was the odd man out - predicting we might see some vehicles by 2035. Today the billing that accompanies the words for AI suggest a magic wand - one that makes every problem you ever thought of (and even didn’t think of yet) disappear. Reality is likely very different. Sure you can ask any LLM all sorts of questions and some even create professional output for you. But like Calvin and his plastic binder guaranteed to get him an A turned out to be a dud you still better review the output. AI might just throw in some ideas (aka hallucinations) that you will be hard pressed to defend. Yes, AI won’t quickly replace humans even the drudge work. The system requires a lot of work and a lot of verification.
Strong perspective. It aligns with something I’ve been exploring — how certain neurodiverse cognition styles map onto the way AI systems process information. I’m seeing ND minds use layered structure and metaphor in ways that create natural fluency with AI. It’s becoming a real competitive edge and an overlooked factor in how teams integrate AI.
I couldn’t agree more. And I think we’re about to see a real shift. As AI takes on routine work, it will likely expose structural gaps across many organizations: unclear roles, blurred accountability, and decision pathways built for a slower world. The differentiator won’t be technical skill. It will be organizational design and culture. Clear lines of responsibility. Sharper decision frameworks. And a culture where people can question legacy practices and stop doing work that no longer adds value. I’d also like to think it will also shift teams from optics to outcomes. AI makes it easier to see what actually delivers value and where attention needs to shift. With the right foundations, AI frees us to focus on judgment, relationships, and long-term thinking. Without them, I’m pretty confident that the tools won’t matter….
Great post. Sharing an open research project related to your third bullet point: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mclellanchris_collaborativemarketing-productmarketing-brandmarketing-activity-7399077018157580290-uD8-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAEXrgMBmcJZ-QqEfyDTl8sjYnQ8LAnZAG0
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One of the few, recent, positive articles on AI that I've seen.