This article is based on the Allwork.Space Future of Work Podcast episode “Why AI’s Biggest Opportunity For Businesses Goes Beyond Cost Cutting with Brian Solis.” Click here to watch or listen to the full episode.
Many organizations may be looking at AI through the wrong lens. Instead of asking how AI can reduce costs, leaders should be asking what new possibilities become available when humans and technology work together.
That was the focus of a recent episode of The Allwork.Space Future of Work® Podcast, where we spoke with Brian Solis, Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow and a digital futurist known for his research on emerging technologies, business transformation, and innovation.
According to Solis, the organizations that gain the most from AI will be the ones that move beyond simple automation and explore how the technology can expand human capability, create new value, and help employees do work that was previously out of reach.
The AI conversation is stuck on efficiency
Many companies currently view AI as a way to improve profitability by making existing processes faster and cheaper. Solis believes that approach captures only part of the opportunity.
He described the current AI moment as a crossroads between improving existing business models and exploring entirely new ways of creating value.
Efficiency still matters, but Solis argues that companies risk missing the larger opportunity if they only use AI to automate existing tasks. The bigger question for leaders is what employees can accomplish when AI takes on routine work and gives people more capacity to experiment, create, and solve problems.
AI should augment people, not replace them
Concerns about AI eliminating jobs have become one of the biggest sources of anxiety among workers. Solis believes much of that fear comes from a lack of trust and communication from leadership.
He pointed to the difference between automation and augmentation. While automation focuses on completing tasks more efficiently, augmentation focuses on expanding what people can do with the support of technology.
For Solis, AI’s value comes from helping employees increase their skills, learn faster, and take on work that requires human creativity and judgment.
That requires more than simply introducing new tools. Organizations need training, leadership, and a clear vision for how AI fits into the future of work.
The biggest AI gap may be between users, not companies
Solis also highlighted a growing divide between people who use AI casually and those who learn how to fully leverage its capabilities. He referenced research around the idea of a “capability overhang,” where some users achieve significantly more from AI tools because they understand how to work with them more effectively.
For companies, this creates a new leadership challenge: identifying where employees are already succeeding with AI, understanding what skills they are developing, and helping others build similar capabilities.
AI fluency alone may no longer be enough. Solis believes workers will need a deeper understanding of how to collaborate with these systems and use them as tools for growth rather than simply speed.
Smaller companies could find a new advantage
While large organizations often have more resources to invest in technology, Solis believes smaller companies may have an opportunity to compete by using AI to increase their capacity.
A smaller team equipped with AI agents could potentially accomplish work that previously required a much larger organization, allowing entrepreneurs and smaller businesses to experiment and scale in new ways. The advantage will come from people who are willing to question traditional processes and ask why work is done a certain way.
Curiosity may become a defining leadership skill
As AI continues developing, Solis believes leaders will need to embrace curiosity and challenge assumptions that have guided organizations for years. Instead of only asking how companies can become faster or more efficient, leaders should also ask why certain systems exist and whether there are better approaches.
For Solis, those questions create opportunities for innovation. The companies that succeed with AI will likely be those willing to explore possibilities rather than simply use the technology to maintain existing practices.
The future of work, he argues, will depend less on whether organizations adopt AI and more on whether they understand what to do with it once they do.
