How do business leaders manage the complexities that arise from the intersection of human belonging and Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Is it possible to transform AI from a disruptor into a catalyst for deeper organizational connection?
Those were just two of the many topics discussed on December 11, 2025, at the Executive Roundtable, “Advancing Belonging Through AI.” This event, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Business, brought together senior executives from a wide range of sectors—education, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofit organizations, retail, and technology—to explore the implications AI has on belonging in the workplace.
Mark Henderson, Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer for the University of Pittsburgh, started the discussion. In his role, he sits at the intersection of innovation, security, access, and trust, ensuring that emerging technologies, including AI, are deployed responsibly and in the service of people and the institutional mission.
Henderson told the executives, “I fully believe, and am committed to, the promise of AI. But I would be negligent if I didn’t talk about the realities of AI.”
While AI offers unprecedented tools for efficiency, the executives agreed that organizations need to utilize the technology to amplify human potential and create worker-centric AI instead of replacing human workers. This can be accomplished by having AI handle repetitive tasks and enabling humans to focus on high-value, empathetic, and creative work.
Narayan Ramasubbu, Professor of Business Administration, centers his research on assistive technology, especially human-AI collaboration and community-driven development. He challenged the senior leaders in the room to redefine the relationship between machines and employees.
“The machine must be useful for the worker. Augmentation must be at the center of it. Replacement is not a choice if we want to live as we live and prosper and take advantage of those wonderful GDP growth projections,” he said.
The Strategic Value of Belonging
Robert James, the Director of the Office of Inclusion and Engagement at Pitt Business, reminded the senior leaders, “a significant amount of research says that if you do well in your belonging metrics, you’re going to drive financial performance, you’re going to drive outcomes. Now that technology is changing, we must consider how this is going to shape belonging in our prospective organizations.”
Clyde Pickett, the University of Pittsburgh’s Vice Chancellor for Institutional Engagement and Well-being, said, “The simple truth is that belonging isn’t a perk; it is not something that is an objective, ‘nice-to-have’ for our organizations. It is a critical thing that we all must invest in.”
The executives in attendance appreciated the opportunity to have a frank, open conversation on this timely and complex topic.
Staceylyn Machi, Director of Consulting Services at CGI, called the conversation around belonging and AI crucial. She added that “we really have to think about what that means for us as individuals, our organizations, and our community.”
Future Implications
The leaders also discussed the need to shift the mindset away from fear and instead educate people on how AI can be helpful to them. Doug Heuch, CEO of Pittsburgh Tomorrow, emphasized the importance of utilizing AI for the greater good. He suggests taking the emphasis away from solely profit and using it to improve healthcare, transportation, and other vital services.
There was agreement that significant challenges exist with AI. For example, the existing bias in AI-generated content, the rate of inaccuracies, the lack of regulation, and the focus on reducing costs. The answer to these challenges is the need for human oversight when using AI. Employees must be given the freedom to trust their ethical intuition instead of blindly believing what a machine tells them.
The senior leaders all shared the same vision: the goal isn’t just efficiency, but the expansion of what a human being can accomplish.
“We have to shape the conversation of what performance looks like now. It’s no longer about who can do the task fastest; it’s about who can apply the most wisdom to the machine’s output,” said Ramasubbu.
About the Executive Roundtable Series
This is the first of a series of Executive Roundtables Pitt Business is offering to provide actionable insights between academia, industry, civic leadership, and policy experts.
“I think it’s important for Pitt Business to be involved in this topic and bring people together in the community because Pitt is at the center of our community,” said Gina Coleman, senior vice president, culture, and engagement at PNC. “I think their vision, their mission, their traditions really align with forward thinking.”
To learn more about future Executive Roundtables, contact our strategic partners team at partners@business.pitt.edu.