A Veteran HR Leader’s Guide to Using AI Without Losing Your Edge

Williams advocates for using AI as a critical second opinion. By prompting the model to identify what is missing from a proposal or to play devil’s advocate, users can stress-test their arguments before presenting them to colleagues. This approach turns the tool’s tendency to produce generic output into a benefit, as it highlights obvious gaps or overlooked perspectives that a human might miss during the heat of project development.

Beyond brainstorming, Williams suggests leveraging AI to navigate the surge of dense, machine-generated noise in the workplace. When faced with verbose reports or long-winded communications, he uses AI to distill the core information, though he emphasizes verifying these summaries against the original text. He also leans on AI for organizational tasks, such as cleaning up digital clutter or auditing files, provided the user retains final oversight. Williams maintains a strict boundary: he refuses to let AI automate external communication or final decision-making, insisting that human judgment must remain the ultimate filter.