Michael Williams Urges Leaders to Balance AI Efficiency with Human Connection in Los Angeles Business Journal

Michael Williams, associate dean of academic affairs and associate professor of information systems technology management at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, authored an op-ed in the Los Angeles Business Journal titled "Balance Technology Alongside Humanity."

In the piece, Williams explores the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in the workplace, acknowledging its power to boost efficiency and automate routine tasks. However, he cautions that over-reliance on AI risks diminishing the human interactions that drive creativity, collaboration, and organizational health.

Williams calls on business leaders to be intentional in how they integrate AI into workflows, advocating for practices such as dedicated "collaboration windows" without AI tools, training employees to use AI thoughtfully, and tracking qualitative measures of team cohesion alongside productivity metrics.

"AI is not the enemy of collaboration," Williams writes. "But left unchecked and without guidance, its rampant adoption can hollow out the interactions and creative friction that fuel organizational vitality."

By balancing the speed of AI with deliberate investments in human connection, Williams argues, organizations can remain efficient while fostering innovation, resilience, and meaningful team engagement.

Read the full op-ed here.