The AI Decision Room
- When
- 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
- Where
- L015 + L019
Best for: Executives, managers, entrepreneurs, HR professionals, technology leaders, and educators
The practical counterpart to Allison Pugh's main-stage conversation. Pugh asks what organizations must protect as work changes.
This room asks the follow-up: when leaders face an actual AI decision, what should they automate, what should they augment, and what should remain meaningfully human?
You'll get three cards at the door: AUTOMATE, AUGMENT, and KEEP HUMAN. For each case, hold one up before the experts weigh in, then vote again after.
The three cases
Round 1 · Efficiency
Customer service co-pilot
A 400-person Kentucky company gets about 2,000 customer questions a week. An AI assistant could answer many instantly, around the clock, but it will sometimes be wrong and won't always recognize when empathy or an exception is needed.
Automate routine interactions, augment human reps, or keep the conversation human?
Round 2 · People
AI-assisted hiring
A growing employer gets 1,000+ applications a quarter. An AI tool can rank candidates and recommend a shortlist. It promises speed and consistency, but raises questions about bias, explainability, and whether applicants should know.
Let AI choose who advances, use it only as a recommendation, or keep screening human?
Round 3 · High stakes
The safety stop
A manufacturer installs an AI safety system that can spot danger faster than a supervisor and stop equipment automatically. A false alarm halts production; a missed warning could injure someone. Employees raise privacy concerns.
Allow automatic shutdowns, have AI alert a human who decides, or keep safety decisions human-led?
You'll leave with
- A practical method for deciding whether to automate, augment, or keep a task human
- Clearer boundaries for human judgment and oversight
- Questions to ask before investing in an AI proposal
- Ideas for involving employees in responsible adoption
