Artificial intelligence is often discussed as if everyone is using it the same way. One of our favorite panels at NEXT.io NYC, “AI and Leadership: The Opportunities Ahead,” made it clear that isn’t the case.
During a conversation moderated by Matt Dubin, Co-Founder and Head of Client Partnerships at The Venn Collective, Kevin Scott, CTO of PGA of America, Paris Smith, advisor and gaming industry expert, and Kristen Rumble, VP of Brand Strategy and Creative at BODYARMOR offered something more useful than a generic discussion of AI’s potential. They showed what AI adoption actually looks like at different levels.
Paris Smith was more of a beginner user, someone still working to understand AI more deeply and where it fits into her world. She framed it largely through the lens of investing, explaining that she is still getting there and tends to align closely with people who already have AI in their DNA. Her perspective reflected where many leaders probably are right now: aware that AI is a huge opportunity, but still learning how to engage with it in a meaningful way.
Kristen Rumble felt like the intermediate user on the panel. Her background at IBM meant she was already comfortable thinking in terms of large data sets and data mining long before large language models became mainstream. But her examples were grounded in practical application, not technical novelty. She described a scenario where her team was asked to come up with a big idea for Coca-Cola and landed on something that may have felt too far out. Using ChatGPT, her team was able to quickly turn an abstract concept into something tangible enough to place into a deck. In seconds, a scary idea became something easier to sell.
That may be one of AI’s clearest strengths right now. It can help teams visualize, sharpen, and communicate ideas quickly, saving employees from long brainstorming sessions. It can take something early and rough and make it easier for other people to understand. It is possible that AI will not provide the exact answer you need, but it can offer a range of perspectives that help move you closer to the final product.
Kevin Scott represented the advanced end of the spectrum. He described a much more immersive relationship with the technology, constantly testing new products, following software engineering trends, and staying on top of rapid developments. “I’ve been sleeping less,” he joked, explaining that when he sees something interesting, he immediately wants to get his hands on it. That mindset has also shaped how he leads. At PGA of America, Scott said the company has built a five-week AI fluency program for new employees, beginning with short daily immersion sessions and ending with each business unit presenting its own AI strategy to the executive team.
Taken together, the panel offered a realistic picture of where AI use stands today. Some leaders are still learning. Some are already applying it in helpful, practical ways. Some are building systems around it.
The most important point of the panel may have come when the conversation shifted from what AI can do to what it should not do.
Rumble made the sharpest distinction. She warned that AI can flatten brand voice, especially in emails and consumer-facing messaging, where it becomes obvious when something has been written by a machine. That loss of tone and authenticity is where use can go too far. She also noted that openness with consumers around AI-generated content does not always test well, an important reminder for brand leaders eager to use the technology everywhere at once.
Paris Smith raised a different limitation. AI may be able to measure productivity or summarize performance, but it cannot understand the full context of someone’s life. A death in the family, for example, affects work in ways no model can meaningfully account for. Scott added that AI still lacks taste, even if that may change over time.
That is really the balance leaders are trying to find. AI is a powerful tool for learning, brainstorming, and accelerating work. It can help people prepare better and push ideas further, faster. But it should help shape the process, not replace the final human judgment behind it.
The panel did not present AI as a single skill or a universal approach. It showed it for what it is right now: a tool people are using at different levels, in different ways, with different degrees of comfort. And for all the excitement around speed and capability, the real challenge is still knowing where to stop.
