The integration of AI technologies into every functional area of organizations is bringing a new period of transformation. It is raising fundamental questions about the nature of work, decision making, value creation, human-machine collaboration…and our roles as ethnographers, researchers, and strategists.

In this session we will assess the landscape of AI integration, what makes it more and less successful or desirable for different stakeholders, and opportunities for us to add value in an expanded range of roles.

Interest in AI focuses on technology-driven efficiencies and automations to drive growth. But like all (socio-)technologies, AI integrations require multiple, collaborative intelligences, not just digital ones. How can we help organizations navigate this terrain, and do it in ways that bring positive, ethical results? Ethnographers can illuminate the technical, social, and organizational dimensions of AI integration and build collaborative projects of transformation. Simultaneously, both ethnographers and stakeholders will need to unlearn pathways that define ethnography as a discrete method for user or product research.

Speakers

Robin Beers, PhD, is a consultant, advisor, facilitator, future-of-work thought leader and keynote speaker dedicated to transforming organizations by unlocking untapped potential and making business more human. Specializing in navigating uncertainty, Robin partners with leaders to design and implement strategies that drive resilience, adaptability, and impact. Her approach integrates cutting-edge research, organizational systems theory, and design thinking to align culture and business processes with evolving customer and employee expectations. Through consulting, facilitation, and executive coaching, Robin empowers leaders and teams to embrace complexity, foster belonging and high performance, and solve ambiguous problems innovatively.

Mark Hoffman, PhD, leads collaborative intelligence at the Work Innovation Lab – Asana’s internal think tank that develops cutting-edge research to help businesses evolve to meet the growing changes of work. He transforms Asana’s powerful data into actionable research and insights, helping customers assess how they work and identify opportunities for organizational growth. Prior to joining Asana, Mark was a professor of sociology and business at Stanford University, where he developed novel computational tools for studying collaboration and social change.