What to Say When People Don’t Trust AI at Work
Not everyone is excited about AI. You've probably heard things like, "I don't trust it," or "It's going to replace us". When you hear that in the workplace, especially in HR, you know it's a trust problem, not just a tech problem. HR acts as the translator between technology and trust, making sure teams feel informed and empowered, rather than blindsided.
As I publish this latest—and final—edition of the Promptly HR newsletter, I am fully transitioning my focus to my AIQ Advantage™ learning programs and keynotes. But before we close this chapter, let's look at the absolute foundation of successful AI integration.
It’s your role to help teams feel comfortable, confident, and competing using AI at work.
Top 3 ways you can help your teams build trust with AI:
1. Tackle Hesitancy Through Open Dialogue
If people do not trust an AI tool, they will avoid it or use it poorly. This leads to wasted investments and failed rollouts. In my AIQ Advantage™ speeches, I remind leaders that AI hesitancy is completely normal. Building trust starts with inclusive, clear conversations. You can open a space for real dialogue with a simple prompt to your team, like, "What are your top concerns about AI at work?".
2. Frame AI as a Partner in the Employee Experience
AI is already becoming part of the employee experience, appearing in engagement surveys and performance reviews. HR sets the tone for how these tools are integrated and can frame AI as a partner instead of a threat. Through AIQ Advantage™ learning programs, we help teams realize that AI is just a tool. It is not about convincing everyone to love the hype; it's about acknowledging uncertainty and pointing to possibilities. Give your team a reason to lean in instead of opting out.
3. Build AI Fluency and Competence
People trust what they understand, especially when it is explained clearly with relevance to their daily work. Prompting is a highly teachable skill that reduces fear across the workforce. By developing your team's "AIQ" (AI Quotient), you show them that AI is not magic or a mystery. When you can explain how a tool works and how to prompt it effectively, people are much more likely to follow your lead.
Takeaways:
AI hesitancy is normal. What matters is how HR responds to it.
Building trust in AI starts with clear, inclusive conversations.
Prompting is a teachable skill that builds confidence and reduces fear across the workforce.
The trust you build today powers the adoption tomorrow.
Perpeta Paul Pointer:
When someone says they don’t trust AI, don’t rush to convince—start by listening.
Trust grows from understanding, and that begins with clear, simple prompts that show what AI can (and can’t) do. The more confident you are in using AI, the easier it is to bring others along.
A Final Note…
The AIQ Advantage™ Framework: From Comfort to Competence
Learning to use AI is a lot like learning to ride a bike. You don't just jump on a ten-speed and enter a race on day one. You have to work through a natural, step-by-step progression. In the AI world, we call it AIQ Advantage™ Framework:
Comfort
Before you can pedal, you just have to sit on the seat. You get a feel for the handlebars, realize the brakes work, and understand that the bike is safe. With AI, building comfort means overcoming that initial hesitation. It’s logging in, asking a casual question, and realizing that you aren't going to break the system.
Confidence
Next, you start pedaling with training wheels. You are moving forward, but you have a reliable safety net keeping you balanced. In the AI world, this is when you start testing out simple, pre-written prompts (like our Prompt a Day free newsletter). You see the results, you start trusting the tool to assist you, and the fear of the unknown begins to fade.
Competence
Finally, the training wheels come off. You are steering, navigating your neighborhood, and confidently controlling where you go. With AI, competence is fluency. It’s writing your own nuanced prompts, troubleshooting when you don't get the exact answer you wanted, and integrating the technology seamlessly into your daily HR workflow.
You can't rush straight to competence without building comfort and confidence first. That's exactly how we design our learning programs to meet your team where they are, then guiding them safely to where they need to be.
The Next Chapter: AIQ Advantage™
As we sunset the Promptly HR™ newsletter and The AI Klatch™ learning community, I want to thank you for joining me on this journey to better manage people, one AI prompt at a time.
If you want to continuously develop your AI skills, check out other ways that Paul can assist you.
Bring AIQ Advantage™ to Your Team
Reach out to Paul to learn how his new keynote speeches and learning programs can equip your workforce with the fluency and trust needed to thrive with AI.
Oh, and he can help you develop answers to your C-Suite when they start asking about the “ROI - Return on Investment” from AI. Paul will share with you metrics called AIQ Return on Intelligence™ that you can use to show how AI fluency increases your organization’s intelligence. It has completely changed the conversation for many HR leaders!
Subscribe to AIQ with Paul™
Get a free Prompt a Day in Paul’s 5-minute daily email briefing that gives you one copy-paste prompt, explains why it works, and shows you how to use it at work today. No tech jargon, no hype, no wasted time. And it’s completely free!
Or do you just want to chat with Paul about he can help you be more confident with AI? Set up a time on his calendar.
Let's continue to lead with empathy, speak with clarity, and prompt with purpose.
📄 Prompt of the Week
Use this prompt to learn how to respond to AI hesitation and anxiety:
ROLE:
You are a communications and change management expert who understands how to tailor messaging based on audience concerns, trust levels, and organizational roles.
REQUEST:
Create tailored talking points for different workplace personas—employees, managers, and executives—who may be skeptical or resistant to AI adoption. These talking points should address common concerns in a supportive, practical tone and help build trust in AI as a workplace tool.
GOAL:
Equip HR professionals with audience-specific language that can be used in conversations, town halls, training sessions, or internal messaging. Encourage open dialogue while reinforcing the value of AI when used responsibly and transparently.
Help reduce fear and increase understanding through role-sensitive communication.
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Use our ###Company_Context as a basis for understanding.
• For each persona (employees, managers, executives), identify likely concerns or resistance points related to AI.
• Develop 3–5 talking points per persona that speak directly to their role, using clear, accessible language.
• Avoid technical jargon; instead, focus on real-world examples and reassurance grounded in trust, not hype.
• Keep tone professional, supportive, and solution-oriented.
• If possible, include one prompt-style question that each persona could ask AI to better understand its usefulness.
• Feel free to note assumptions or suggest ways these messages can be adapted for specific industries.
OUTPUT FORMAT:
Persona (title + key concern)
Talking Points (bullet list, 3–5 bullets)
Suggested AI Prompt for Exploration
Adaptation Notes (if applicable)
###Company_Context:
[Insert details about your organization or audience, such as industry, recent AI initiatives, or known concerns]
Replace the items in the [ and ] brackets to meet your specific needs.
🤩 The Fun Side of AI
Using AI doesn’t have to be all work. Here is a fun way to interact with AI.
Tell Me What I Mean
Attached are a rough handwritten outline of my blog post idea for the topic: [enter your topic here].
Convert it into a well-structured article with a clear introduction, key points, and a conclusion.
Replace the items in the [ and ] brackets to meet your specific needs.
Until next time, keep managing and developing people, one AI prompt at a time! 💎