The Robots are Here. Are We?

By: Dr. Eric Solomon

AI isn't coming. It's already calling the shots. 

AI's writing our emails, analyzing our data, teaching our kids, automating decisions we don't even realize are being made. It's shaping our industries—writing job applications and pushing the velocity of change past anything we've ever seen. 

And yet, for all this technological progress, something feels… off. 

Because in our relentless pursuit of more—more efficiency, more automation, more speed—we're forgetting to ask the only question that actually matters: Are we getting better? 

For decades, organizations have operated under the simple belief that more is always better. The companies I've worked for—YouTube, Spotify, Google, Instagram—have always chased more productivity, more data, more scale. But the truth is, a myopic focus on more always leads to worse human outcomes. 

We see it everywhere. Workplaces that prize efficiency over depth, where speed alone is celebrated, but meaning is lost. Organizations drowning in data but starved for wisdom. Teams and leaders are more "optimized" than ever—yet more disconnected and disillusioned. 

And now, the pace of AI and other advanced technologies threaten to take this obsession with more, more, more to an extreme. If we aren't careful, we won't just be working faster. We'll be working without purpose. 

That is a choice only we can make. 

Making Sense, Making Choices, Making Change. 

Technology is moving forward at a dizzying, unstoppable pace. But are we? 

If we want to come out ahead in this moment, we need to stop chasing more and start getting better at being human. 

AI isn't asking the questions that define great leadership. It isn't shaping cultures that inspire teams. It isn't setting the vision that moves companies forward. 

That's on us. 

At every level—as leaders, teams, and organizations—we are sense-makers, decision-makers, and change-makers: 

● Making Sense: AI can process infinite amounts of information, but it can't make subjective meaning. The teams and companies who can create clarity will define the future. 

● Making Choices: AI can generate unlimited options, but wisdom is human. The best will be the ones that choose with conviction, aligning decisions with values—not just algorithms. 

● Making Change: Transformation is never about adopting more tools. It's about shifting behaviors, mindset, and cultures—and knowing where you are on the transformation journey. No AI can do that for us. 

More than an obstacle to leadership, this is a challenge for teams, organizations, and entire industries at large. Clarity doesn't happen in a vacuum. Choices ripple across companies. Real transformation requires every level of an organization to evolve—together. 

● Companies need clarity. AI is generating more data than ever, but with a strong, human-centered strategy, it leads to paralysis not progress. The companies that win will be the ones that define how technology serves their vision, not the other way around. 

● Teams need alignment. AI optimizes workflows, but it can't build trust, connection, or culture. The most productive teams aren't the fastest or more efficient—they're the ones that understand why they're working together in the first place. 

● Leaders need courage. AI automates execution, but it can't replace vision. The best leaders won't be the ones who passively follow automation trends. They'll be the ones who ask: What actually matters here? 

Who will decide the future? 

The robots are here. That's not up for debate. AI has already changed how we work, think, and operate. 

But the ones who shape the future won't be those who chase every shiny new piece of technology. They'll be the ones who master what AI can't. 

AI can optimize. Only humans can lead. 

So right now, every company, every team, and every leader faces a choice: Will we let technology set our course? Or will we decide what actually matters? 

This is the conversation I lead. 

In my keynotes and workshops, I work with leaders, teams, and organizations to: 

➢ Cut through the AI noise and develop a real strategy 

➢ Make better choices in an era of automation 

➢ Build high-performing teams that don't just keep up, but lead 

The future is being written right now.

The ones who shape it won't be those who chase every shiny new piece of technology. 

They'll be the ones who double down on what only humans can do. Because if we aren't intentional, we won't be the ones holding the pen. 

Want to learn more about Dr. Eric Soloman and the value he brings to organizations and associations across the country? Let’s Chat!