How AI Is Transforming HR: The Reality Behind the Flattening Hype

How AI is transforming daily workflows: why exposure isn’t adoption and how to make AI stick

Most companies do not have an AI access problem. They have an adoption problem. In this episode of Intelligence: Real & Imagined, Rebecca Hinds, Head of the Work AI Institute at Glean, talks with Shweta Puri, Marketing, Technology and AI Operations Lead at Nextdoor, and Nichole Sterling, Co-founder and Board Member of Women Defining AI and CEO of My Town AI, about what actually moves AI adoption from hype to habit. What you’ll learn: • How Nextdoor moved from a 50-person pilot to 500+ users, 700 agents, and strong stickiness by embedding AI in the flow of work • Why AI champions, peer credibility, and OKRs matter more than company-wide announcements • How to spot AI theater and replace it with experimentation, better workflows, and measurable habits • Practical examples of evergreen and seasonal AI agents, from IT help to performance review support Resources: • AI Transformation 100: https://glean-it.com/4cMaOgK  • See the latest from the Work AI Institute at Glean: https://glean-it.com/3NQD33S Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@gleanwork Follow us: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gleanwork/ • Twitter/X: https://x.com/glean • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gleanwork/ Timestamps: 00:00 – Why AI adoption is harder than AI access 04:15 – From pilot to 500+ users, 700 agents, and 82% stickiness 07:42 – The ambition-execution gap, champions, and OKRs 12:36 – What makes an effective AI champion 18:54 – Measuring success and spotting AI theater 23:13 – Workflow examples: IT help, benefits, and performance review agents

How AI Is Transforming HR: The Reality Behind the Flattening Hype

How is AI really changing the HR landscape? Join Intelligence: Real & Imagined hosts Rebecca Hinds, Head of the Work AI Institute at Glean, and Bob Sutton, Stanford Professor Emeritus, as they sit down with Beth Steinberg, a seasoned HR executive who’s led HR teams at Chime, Nike, Facebook, and Nordstrom.  Beth shares direct, practical stories about the challenges and opportunities AI brings to talent management, performance reviews, and organizational design. Learn how leaders can balance uncertainty and excitement, foster psychological safety, and proactively shape the future of work. What you’ll learn: • How the unknowns and speed of AI-driven change are impacting HR and business leaders • The truth behind AI’s effect on job roles, talent shortages, and organizational structure • Practical examples of using AI for productivity, recruiting, and performance management • Tips for building trust, transparency, and resilience during transformation Subscribe for more:  https://www.youtube.com/@gleanwork [https://www.youtube.com/@gleanwork] Follow our hosts and guests: • Rebecca Hinds: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/]  • Bob Sutton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobsutton1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobsutton1/]  • Beth Steinberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsteinberg/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethsteinberg/]  Follow us: • LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/gleanwork/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/gleanwork/]• Twitter/X:  https://x.com/glean [https://x.com/glean]• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/gleanwork/ [https://www.instagram.com/gleanwork/] Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Why AI-driven change feels different for HR 00:01:16 – Talent pressures, job concerns, and leadership challenges 00:06:15 – Separating AI hype from reality in the workplace 00:13:15 – The enduring need for human connection and psychological safety 00:21:00 – Transforming performance management and planning with AI See the latest from the Work AI Institute at Glean: https://glean-it.com/3NQD33S [https://glean-it.com/3NQD33S]

How AI Is Transforming Organizations: Do We Still Need Bosses?

What does it look like when teams let AI take the lead? In this episode of Intelligence: Real & Imagined, James Cham - founding partner at Bloomberg Beta and expert on how technology reshapes work – joins Rebecca Hinds, Head of the Work AI Institute at Glean, and Bob Sutton, Stanford Professor Emeritus, to explore the outlier teams pioneering AI-first workflows, the end of traditional SaaS, and the profound risks and rewards of AI in the workplace. Get a front-row seat to the future of work, from managing fleets of bots to navigating trust in an AI-powered world. What you’ll learn:  • How radical teams are leveraging LLMs to accelerate innovation  • The new dynamics of collaboration between humans and AI agents  • Why the next software business model may look nothing like SaaS  • The biggest risks as organizations become more AI-dependent Subscribe for more:  https://www.youtube.com/@gleanwork [https://www.youtube.com/@gleanwork] Follow our hosts and guests: • Rebecca Hinds: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/]  • Bob Sutton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobsutton1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobsutton1/]  • James Cham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcham/  Follow Glean:  • LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/gleanwork/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/gleanwork/]  • Twitter/X:  https://x.com/glean [https://x.com/glean]  • Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/gleanwork/ [https://www.instagram.com/gleanwork/] Timestamps: * 00:00 – The search for AI-first teams and new ways of working * 01:10 – How LLMs are changing team structure and management * 09:43 – Rethinking software business models in the AI era * 13:04 – Trust, risk, and the potential downsides of AI * 20:05 – What’s likely to stay the same in the future of work See the latest from the Work AI Institute at Glean: https://glean-it.com/3NQD33S [https://glean-it.com/3NQD33S]

How AI Is Transforming Work: The AI Transformation 100

AI is fundamentally changing the workplace, from redefining expertise to transforming organizational structures. Hosts Rebecca Hinds, Head of the Work AI Institute at Glean, and Bob Sutton, Stanford Professor Emeritus and Founding Member of the Work AI Institute, are joined by Arvind Jain, Founder and CEO of Glean, to unpack the real-world lessons from the AI Transformation 100 report. Learn how top organizations balance centralization and decentralization, why new roles like AI Outcomes Manager matter, and what it takes to turn AI pilots into lasting business impact. What you’ll learn: • How AI is shifting the balance between experts and novices in organizations • The trade-offs between centralizing and decentralizing AI initiatives • Why education and new roles are critical for successful AI adoption • How to move fast with AI—without breaking things Resources: • Explore the AI Transformation 100: https://glean-it.com/4bmHw8g   Subscribe for more:  https://www.youtube.com/@gleanwork [https://www.youtube.com/@gleanwork] Follow our hosts and guests: • Rebecca Hinds: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/]  • Bob Sutton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobsutton1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobsutton1/]  • Arvind Jain: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jain-arvind/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jain-arvind/]  Follow us: • LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/gleanwork/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/gleanwork/]• Twitter/X:  https://x.com/glean [https://x.com/glean]• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/gleanwork/ [https://www.instagram.com/gleanwork/] Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction to the AI Transformation 100 01:05 – How AI is Changing Expertise and Organizational Tensions 04:54 – Centralization vs. Decentralization in AI Adoption 10:02 – The Role of AI Outcomes Managers & Real-World Implementation 14:40 – Flattening Organizations and the Impact of AI on Structure 20:43 – Moving Fast vs. Slow: Pilots, Scaling, and Lasting Change 27:03 – Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Change & Leadership in the Age of AI 29:49 – How AI is Changing Leadership and Management See the latest from the Work AI Institute at Glean: https://glean-it.com/3NQD33S [https://glean-it.com/3NQD33S]