Small business owners have spent two years asking whether AI is safe. The question that decides whether the money was well spent gets far less help, and it belongs to the owner.

AI is helping candidates optimize resumes while employers use technology to screen growing applicant pools. But are hiring systems finding the strongest people to interview or the resumes easiest to recognize?

Human-AI alignment offers a people-centered vision for the future of work, using technology to reduce repetitive tasks while giving humans more space for creativity, empathy, judgment, relationships and vision. The goal is not to replace human intelligence, but to amplify it.

AI-powered robots are being tested to find and retrieve garbage from the seafloor, offering a promising new approach to one of our oceans' toughest problems.

I believe businesses can unlock greater innovation and meaningful change by embracing authentic human potential. Curiosity, creativity and self-awareness are powerful assets that, when encouraged, can strengthen leadership, transform organizations and create lasting impact.

The pilot worked. Then the quarter closed and the numbers looked the same. The return leaks out in the space between the person who found the shortcut and the way the business actually runs, and closing that gap is a leadership decision rather than a technical one.

When leaders tell their teams to "find their passion," they think they're being inspiring. One pattern I've noticed is that this advice, however well-intentioned, actually makes high performance harder.

Most leaders already know AI matters. What stalls them is clarity. Three patterns that keep smart companies stuck, and the questions to ask first.