Our AI Flow Talks podcast series shares real-life stories from the world of AI to make the AI transformation easier for organizations. In this episode, Fluentia CEO Sami Vaskuri talks with seasoned executive Jani Leppänen about leading the AI transformation. Leppänen has over 30 years of experience in building and leading organizations, and currently heads Vaisto.ai, helping companies navigate the AI transformation, particularly from a human perspective.
One of the key messages of this episode is that artificial intelligence should not be viewed as a standalone tool or an IT project. It represents a much broader transformation that affects the way work is done at all levels of an organization.
As the nature of work changes, leadership, decision-making, and organizational operating models inevitably change as well. Artificial intelligence is therefore not merely a technological upgrade – it challenges the entire organizational logic.
Leppänen discusses how artificial intelligence is “ready,” but people are not. According to Leppänen, the success of the AI transformation does not depend on technology, but rather on how people view the change and how it is managed.
Typically, these challenges relate to, for example:
The role of leadership is particularly important. If leaders themselves do not understand or utilize AI in their daily work, it will be difficult to drive change forward in a credible way. Change always starts with setting an example.
The discussion highlights the observation that fear is often a greater obstacle than a lack of skills. Uncertainty about one’s own role, the future of one’s job, or the direction of the change as a whole can paralyze action.
When people don’t know what change means for their own work, it’s easy for resistance or passivity to arise. On the other hand, organizations always have enthusiasm and curiosity, which can serve as drivers of change.
In a successful change process, both perspectives are acknowledged: fear is not ignored, but at the same time, enthusiasm and a willingness to experiment are harnessed.
According to Leppänen, the adoption of artificial intelligence often serves as an effective way to gain insight into an organization. When processes and operations are examined from a new perspective, areas for improvement quickly come to light.
Typically, for example the following become visible:
Although this may seem challenging, it is also a valuable opportunity. Artificial intelligence forces organizations to take an honest look at themselves and, as a result, improve their operations.
The role of a leader in the AI revolution is contradictory in many ways. While change must be driven forward with determination, it is important to ensure that people stay on board. The key is to strike a balance: to move forward quickly enough, but not so fast that the organization gets left behind.
Key factors for success include:
Change doesn't happen through mandates, but by fostering understanding and involving people. When people have a say in their own work, their commitment increases significantly.
This episode explores how the AI revolution is not a one-time upheaval, but rather an ongoing, incremental process of change that requires organizations to adopt a new way of thinking. The strategy will only be realized when everyone understands what it means for their own work.
The key is to move toward an operating model which fosters:
At the same time, it must also be accept that the operating environment is constantly changing, so also the goals must be updated along the way. The key is to move forward consistently, one step at a time, and adjust the course as needed so that the progress continually leads to greater productivity.
Artificial intelligence automates routine tasks and frees up time for more demanding thinking. This significantly changes the nature of knowledge work.
In many roles, a significant portion of the work has previously been repetitive and required little thought. With the advent of artificial intelligence, the focus is shifting toward:
We could even speak of a transition from the age of data processing to the age of thinking.
The episode is also available on Spotify
