As artificial intelligence reshapes how work gets done, organizations face a central question: What kind of organizations do we want AI to help us build? That question was the launching point of a recent session of Conversations that Matter, a public event series presented by Columbia University’s M.S. in Information & Knowledge Strategy (IKNS) program.
In the discussion, Culture Consultancy’s Dr. Drew Jones and organizational change expert Dr. Matthew Hill examined how organizations can navigate the rapid expansion of AI by keeping human experience at the center of technological change. Moderated by IKNS alum Jessica Malloy, the conversation highlighted the role of anthropology in moving beyond both utopian promises and apocalyptic fears of AI toward ethical, effective, and sustainable organizational strategies.
Centering Humans in the Technological Era
Jones and Hill began by defining business anthropology as the application of ethnographic methods and empathy to understand how people actually experience work, technology, and organizational life. Jones described the field as “leading with empathy to understand experience from other people’s point of view,” with the goal of translating those insights into strategic decisions.
Both speakers emphasized that, while AI may seem revolutionary, it reflects a long history of technological change. As Jones noted, “AI is just the latest chapter in human innovation.” Anthropology, Hill argued, helps organizations cut through the extreme utopian and “apocalyptic scenarios” associated with AI by focusing on lived human impact.
Anthropology in Practice
The discussion then shifted to how anthropological insight operates in organizational settings. Hill described anthropology’s expansive view of culture as “everything that’s socially learned and transmitted,” distinguishing it from related fields such as industrial and organizational psychology. This lens captures both tangible norms and subtle symbolic practices that influence employee behavior and organizational dynamics.
The speakers traced the evolution of anthropology in business, from early 20th-century human relations research to ethnographic work on human-computer interaction at Xerox PARC, and into contemporary roles in innovation, design, and strategy. As Jones observed, much of this work has traditionally centered on consumers, but “we’ve kind of moved up the food chain into strategy consulting,” even as recent AI-driven approaches threaten to sideline human-centered methods.
Hill illustrated these ideas with a case from his own practice, describing a process re-engineering effort at a major metropolitan credit union. Through ethnographic interviews, his team identified “friction points” caused by siloed perspectives and miscommunication. Mapping the workflow across roles revealed a shared understanding of the system, reinforcing that organizational processes are inherently sociotechnical—shaped by both people and technology.
Ethical AI in the Future of Work
The session concluded with a call for intentional leadership in the design and deployment of AI. Both speakers emphasized the need to preserve human judgment, ethical reflection, and shared understanding as organizations adopt new technologies. Hill highlighted the importance of strengthening an organization’s “collective brain,” while Jones underscored empathy as the foundation of responsible knowledge strategy.
As part of the ongoing Conversations that Matter series, the event demonstrated how human-centered disciplines like anthropology can help organizations navigate AI not just as a technical challenge, but as a cultural and ethical one.
Watch the recording of the full discussion here.
About Columbia's IKNS Degree
Columbia University’s M.S. in Information & Knowledge Strategy (IKNS) degree integrates data, people, and strategy skills for the A.I. age. The flexible and interdisciplinary curriculum trains leaders across the entire value chain of data-driven management: Getting the data and analytics right (e.g., A.I. adoption, business analytics), creating a high performing, people-centric culture (collaboration, team/project management, organizational psychology), and finally the right change management to turn your strategy into reality.
IKNS is available full-time or part-time, online or in-person on Columbia’s landmarked campus right here in New York City. To maximize opportunities for networking and community building, our online students join our New York-based students on Columbia’s campus for three in-person Residencies during their studies. The STEM-designated Master of Science degree offers International Students (F-1/J-1 visa) an opportunity for Curricular Practical Training during their studies (CPT) and 3 years of work authorization in the US upon completing their studies (OPT).
Students train under world-class faculty, including former and current executives from Google, IBM, NASA, and Oliver Wyman, and join a powerful global alumni network in coveted positions, including at Alphabet, Goldman Sachs, Nike, Pfizer, and the World Bank.
For more IKNS insights, news, and events, please go to our website, connect with us on LinkedIn, or attend one of our online info sessions. Visit the School of Professional Studies website to learn more about the SPS Student Experience.
