Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Key Takeaways As AI adoption accelerates, leaders are increasingly testing where technology fits—and where it may be overextended — in managing people and performance.
The article explores the tension between efficiency gains and the human elements of leadership that technology can support but not replace.
When the AI boom began, many leaders felt the rush. Tasks that once took hours suddenly took minutes. Hiring pipelines felt manageable again. Content became easier to produce. Naturally, leaders started asking, If AI can do all this, what else can we hand off?
That question is where things began drifting into territory I know well: culture, leadership, communication, coaching and motivation — the very areas I’m hired to speak and write about. And it’s also where some leaders started getting themselves into trouble.
I’m not an AI expert, nor do I pretend to be. But because I give presentations and lead trainings for franchise systems and frontline managers, I’m often pulled into conversations about tools promising to improve culture or performance. As AI hype grew, more tech companies approached me for endorsements of their platforms. Most position themselves as culture boosters or performance enhancers. I don’t take referral fees, so my opinions aren’t for sale — but I am curious. I’m always looking for tools that genuinely help the businesses I serve.
What concerns me isn’t the technology itself — it’s how some companies are applying it to the most human parts of their business.
Related: This Is the Invisible Force That’s Quietly Rewriting the Rules of Success
The AI tools that promise too much
One platform I was shown aggregates data across a franchise system and generates individualized recommendations for each owner and the field coaches who support them. If it detects high turnover and low customer satisfaction, it might suggest: “Improve company culture.”
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