AI adoption succeeds when managers encourage and enable, not coerce. “There’s a tight space between mandating AI use and empowering employees to become creative with the tool,” said Patrick Weikle, Director, Partner Technology Strategist at Microsoft at the Transporeon Summit. Other speakers at the event also noted that AI often lifts the middle of the performance curve, turning average performers into strong ones by handling menial tasks and improving access to insights.

Only a small minority of the executives we surveyed, however, are comfortable with full automation. The majority prefer human-in-the-loop AI, where systems handle routine tasks and exceptions but humans make the final call. When it comes to user experience, most favor dashboards, embedded recommendations and proactive alerts—that is, enhancements that fit naturally into how they already work.