How to spot them
Signature behaviours:
✅ Sets clear limits – Defines what AI can and can’t do in their work.
✅ Customises everything – Tweaks AI tools until they match their workflow.
✅ Monitors outputs closely – Reviews AI suggestions before acting.
✅ Prefers human input – Seeks peer advice over AI prompts.
✅ Values judgement – Defends human decision-making in meetings.
What this means for you:
- They protect against over-automation and poor-quality outputs.
- They slow things down, in a good way, when others rush.
- But if ignored, they’ll quietly limit AI use across the team.
- With the right support, they become your best AI balancer.
The challenges they create
⚠️ Control over collaboration – Rejects AI features that act without oversight.
⚠️ Tool fatigue – Constantly tweaking settings instead of adapting.
⚠️ Decision resistance – Slows decisions if AI is too involved.
⚠️ Workflow fragmentation – Creates unique AI usage patterns that don’t scale well across teams.
What to do
Let them stay in control
- Give them AI tools that are assistive, not automatic.
- Let them choose where and how AI fits in.
- Offer settings and options they can customise freely.
Make them part of the governance
- Invite them to help shape AI use policies and guardrails.
- Use their standards to improve team-wide quality checks.
- Position them as quality champions, not sceptics.
Show AI as a craft companion, not a shortcut
- Highlight how AI can amplify, not replace, their skills.
- Share examples where AI saved time without lowering quality.
- Encourage them to share how they’ve adapted AI, so others can learn.
