Across industries and continents, one thing is clear: people are stressed. We’re not just facing mounting pressures at work – we’re living through what some describe as a polycrisis: the overlapping, compounding challenges of climate change, social inequality, political instability, global conflict, and rapid technological disruption. In the midst of all this, we are all stretched thin, hard on ourselves, and often unsupported at work. Stress has become a normalized baseline experience. It shows up not only in our personal wellbeing, but in organizational culture, morale, and performance.
And a new layer has been added to the mix: anxiety about artificial intelligence. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, a majority of U.S. workers (52%) say they feel worried about the increased use of AI in the workplace, and it was the most frequently named emotion in the survey of over 5,000 workers. This worry reflects a deeper concern – not just about job displacement, but about what it means to be human in an increasingly automated world.
And yet – this moment of upheaval is not unprecedented. Throughout history, humans have faced disruption and uncertainty when new technologies emerged. From the industrial revolution to the digital age, we’ve seen skill demands shift, roles redefined, and entire industries transformed. With each leap forward, anxiety is natural. But so is our ability to adapt.
What sets us apart – what has always allowed us to navigate these transitions – is not just our intelligence, but our imagination.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
– Albert Einstein
Imagination is rooted in our emotions, lived experiences, and a sense of embodied understanding. When humans imagine, we’re not merely generating novel ideas; we’re envisioning meaningful futures. We aspire. We connect. We dream.
AI cannot do that.
Yes, AI can simulate imagination. It can generate art, stories, and strategies by recognizing patterns in data. But it lacks inner experience. It doesn’t understand, it doesn’t feel, and it certainly doesn’t dream. Which is why, in this moment, we must remember: AI is here to serve humanity – not the other way around.
The danger isn’t AI itself – it’s the inversion of the relationship. When algorithms, productivity metrics, and economic systems prioritize efficiency over humanity, we can become tools in service of machines. That’s the paradigm we need to flip.
And that is where compassionate leadership becomes not only relevant, but essential. Compassionate leaders use AI not to replace connection, but to make more of it possible. They reduce unnecessary friction, protect the space for human presence, and support their teams in navigating complexity with courage and care. They understand that real leadership starts within – and grows outward into the systems we shape together.
AI is just one element of this emerging time. The larger story is still ours to write. And if we lead with compassion, we can choose to write it in a way that honors both our shared humanity and our hope for the future.