Every generation is defined by breakthrough technologies. But history suggests they’re only as transformative as the people who use them. Organizations that pair innovation with human creativity, judgement, and connection — investing in their people as deliberately as they invest in new platforms — are the ones that turn technological possibility into meaningful progress.
Artificial intelligence is no exception. As organizations race to adopt it, a hard truth is emerging: McKinsey research found that while nearly 90% of companies have invested in AI, fewer than 40% report measurable gains. The tools alone, it turns out, are not enough.
For Dr. Moira Gilchrist, chief global communications officer at Philip Morris International, the organizations that benefit most from new technology are the ones that develop human capabilities as intentionally as they adopt new technology. “A human with AI is way better than an AI on its own or a human on its own,” she says.
Three core human capabilities in particular are emerging as critical for organizations that want to turn AI into real progress.
1. Creativity turns technology into innovation
AI excels at producing the predictable — identifying patterns, surfacing consensus, and recommending the expected next step. But innovation is, by definition, unpredictable. For organizations that truly want to innovate and stand out, having a layer of human creativity matters more than ever.
Gilchrist looks for people who are “doing things that are unexpected,” because applying AI conventionally is a dead end. “If you’re just applying AI to your current way that you do things, you’re not going to make the cost savings that we all have to make, but you’re also not going to create the value,” she says.
Rather than simply using AI to write stories faster, Gilchrist’s team developed virtual personas — AI simulations of discerning stakeholders — to pressure-test materials before they go live. The technology made the exercise possible, but it was humans who reimagined the process.
2. Judgment keeps people accountable
AI can generate fluent, confident answers instantly — which are sometimes completely wrong. As machine-made output multiplies, the ability to judge those outputs and take accountability for any consequences becomes a necessary human contribution.
“The models today cannot take accountability for a decision, and we take it very seriously that everything that we publish on our corporate website or that I give my CEO to say in a speech has to be factually accurate,” Gilchrist says.
In practice, that means treating AI output as a starting point rather than a verdict, while ensuring employees at every level remain accountable for the final decisions. “The level of accountability is being pushed down in the organization — people younger in their career are having to take accountability for things that I didn’t take accountability for until much later,” Gilchrist says.
“The question we are asking ourselves is: How can we give younger employees access to the judgment, experience, and decision-making instincts typically developed over years, helping them operate more like a senior manager, director, or VP?” she says.
3. Connection builds lasting trust
In an era where AI can generate nearly infinite marketing content in seconds, the brands that stand out will be the ones that spark real human connection.
“Convening people around a brand will become way more important,” Gilchrist says. As AI-generated content becomes more common, trust may become one of the few true differentiators. In 2026, Gartner found that 50% of US consumers would prefer to give their business to brands that don’t use generative AI in customer-facing messages, ads, or content.
While Gilchrist’s team has optimized its website for LLMs, it is equally focused on creating experiences that strengthen human connection with the corporate brand. “You have to inject the emotion, build loyalty and trust,” she says, adding that she wonders if real-life interactions will become even more prevalent in the AI era.
“Gathering around a campfire and shooting the breeze with people is hardwired in our DNA,” Gilchrist says. “That does not go away just because you have a machine in the mix.”
Organizations that pair innovation with human creativity, accountability, and connection — investing in their people as seriously as their platforms — are the ones that turn technological change into genuine progress for their businesses and the people they serve.
Technology may set the pace, but it’s people who still determine the outcome.
Explore how PMI is encouraging a global dialogue on human cognition in the AI age.
This sponsored post was created by BI Studios with Philip Morris International.
