Microsoft’s ex-HR VP shares 3 effective ways to use AI at work—and what he never uses it for

Ask AI what you missed

The former Microsoft HR executive, now a leadership advisor with more than 50 years of business experience, says AI can help people notice viewpoints they overlooked. He recommends asking it what is missing from an idea or analysis.

He says AI often agrees with users, so he asks it to push back and identify where he may be wrong. Although he considers much AI-generated creative work generic or mediocre, he sees value in its ability to surface overlooked points.

AI can also help people prepare for discussions by showing them perspectives others may raise, he says. That can be useful when colleagues use AI to draft their arguments.

Cut through lengthy responses

AI can produce lengthy responses that obscure the main point, the former executive says. When faced with a wall of text, he asks the person to explain the meaning or summarize the argument in a couple of sentences.

He says AI is good at reducing that noise, even if it seems circular to use one AI system to condense another’s output. In his view, tools that help people get to the point are useful.

Organize, but review actions

Sorting, filtering and filing are tasks AI can handle well, he says. It may help people make sense of large backlogs, such as 8,000 emails or an overgrown documents folder.

But he is wary of allowing AI to filter or file without supervision and says users should not simply tell it to deal with everything. He would never let an AI system send emails, texts or documents without careful review.

His broader advice is to use AI with care and keep human judgment involved. He encourages people to use it to find perspectives, identify key points and organize accumulated material.