The Real Reason You’re Not Using AI

This Week

• Build your own conversational AI agent

• How AI is reshaping B2B strategies

• The real reason you’re not using AI - it’s not what you think

• Is AI working for or against you?

• Can AI capture the magic of Christmas?

How to Build a Conversational AI Agent in Minutes

ElevenLabs has just made creating conversational AI agents incredibly easy. Their platform lets you design interactive voice agents that can have natural, real-time conversations. Think customer service assistants, virtual help desks, or even fun interactive video game characters. 

I tried it out myself, and here’s the cool part: it took me less than five minutes. I built a corporate travel policy assistant using a sample policy as the knowledge base. All I had to do was upload the document, choose the voice I wanted, and give it some instructions about tone and style. 

If you find yourself having repetitive conversations, it might be time to create an conversational AI agent for the the task. Or if you want to have a bit of fun, try out their mysterious wizard who dispenses ancient advice to help you on your quest. Turns out I need to be looking for magic gems in unexpected places.

Try it for yourself at ElevenLabs.

How AI is Reshaping B2B Strategies

The AI Summit: Forecast '25, brought together top CXOs, GTM leaders, VCs, and analysts to explore how AI is reshaping B2B strategies. 

The event covered topics like AI regulations, compliance, business model innovation, growth strategies, go-to-market trends, revenue optimization, and workforce transformation. 

If you’re more interested in learning about the latest platforms, there are a bunch of sessions you can watch: Gainsight demoed their latest AI feature, Staircase AI which helps identify at risk clients, and TOFO showcased their AI content repurposing platform. Vivun shared how their AI sales engineer is taking on technical sales tasks, sales reps don’t want to do and Momentum shared how to automate CRM and sale intelligence tracking. 

Watch the session recordings on-demand at HSE.

The Real Reason You’re Not Using AI

Many of us aren't using AI daily, and the reason might surprise you. Turns out that deep down, we feel like using AI is cheating. 

According to Section COO, Taylor Malmsheimer we’ve been conditioned to believe that original ideas and hard work are the hallmarks of success. AI challenges this by automating parts of the creative process, which can make us question our role and worth in the work we produce.

As Malmsheimer puts it: CEOs care about output and results, not the amount of time a project took or where the idea came from. Now with AI, good CEOs will expect projects to take less time and teams to come up with better ideas. They don’t have all the same emotional hang ups we do.

So how do you overcome this mental block when it comes to using AI? 

Malmsheimer has four tactics:

1. Shift Your Perspective: View AI as a tool to enhance your creativity, not replace it. Think of it like using a calculator—it’s not about doing less, but achieving more.

2. Focus on Strategy: Leverage AI for efficiency and innovation, while keeping your unique judgment and expertise.

3. Experiment and Iterate: Start small by incorporating AI into simple tasks, then build confidence as you see the value.

4. Embrace Collaboration: Treat AI as a collaborator, working with you to improve outcomes rather than compete with your skills.

This reframing can help you unlock AI’s potential while keeping your professional identity intact.

Want more on this topic? Head over to Malmsheimer’s blog, Personal Math. 

Is Your AI Working For You or Against You?

Pew Research Center surveyed more than 11,000 U.S. adults about their use of AI and found significant gaps in awareness across gender, ethnicity, age, education, and income levels. 

Mark Ogne, CEO of Symplexity.AI, says this is a wake up call for managers.

“Organizational leaders must take a proactive role in thoughtfully guiding AI adoption. They must ensure that the soft skills of all team members are considered to prevent inequality in job opportunities,” he says.

Using AI in business isn’t just about having the latest tools—it’s about making those tools work for the people who rely on them. Forget that, and you’ll end up with systems no one wants to use, leading to frustration, resistance, and low morale.

The fix? Focus on people first. Ogne says to think of AI as a way to make your team’s work easier and more impactful, not as something that replaces them. Prioritize clear communication and soft skills so everyone feels ready to adapt. 

Ogne has five recommendations for effective AI implementation:

1. Before rolling out AI, start by talking to your team. Find out what challenges they’re facing and how AI could make their jobs easier.

2. Introduce AI tools slowly. Focus on solving specific, immediate problems so your team can see the benefits right away and build confidence over time.

3. Provide training so your team knows how to use AI effectively. This isn’t just about technical skills—it’s also about helping them feel comfortable with change and excited about new possibilities.

4. Position AI as a teammate, not a replacement. Show how it can make their work easier and enhance the value they bring, rather than taking something away.

5. Keep checking in to see how things are going. Review the AI’s performance and ask for feedback to ensure the tools stay useful and relevant.

Read the full article at MarTech.

Can AI Capture the Magic of Christmas?

This holiday season, Coca-Cola is leaning into AI to spread the cheer. The brand has rolled out a series of AI-generated ads, including a reimagining of its iconic 1995 “Holidays Are Coming” Coke caravan commercial. 

But not everyone is feeling the festive vibes. Critics have called the AI-made Christmas video “soulless” and “devoid of any actual creativity,” questioning whether AI can capture the nostalgia of the original, which featured human actors and real trucks.

The backlash isn’t limited to viewers. Artists and creative professionals are raising concerns about AI’s impact on their industry, citing fears of job displacement and the ethical issues surrounding AI models trained on their work without credit or compensation.

This isn’t Coca-Cola’s only foray into AI ads. Last March, Coca-Cola collaborated with OpenAI to release one of its first AI-generated commercials, called “Masterpiece,” which showed paintings and sculptures in an art museum come to life and pass around a bottle of Coca-Cola.

You can watch the videos on the Coca-Cola YouTube channel.