Sound Off with Sean Wood, Founder of Human Pilots AI
Sean Wood, CEO of Human Pilots AI, discusses the challenges and opportunities of implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in businesses
Sean Wood is a trusted AI advisor for growth-minded executives and their teams. As the founder of Human Pilots AI, he drives value by increasing performance and innovation while managing risks. His career focuses on the intersection of human-centered technology, business, and the design of new products, services and organizational culture. With a background in user experience design, he understands how to connect human needs to business results. Sean has led advanced experiences for global enterprises, including Coca-Cola, AT&T, Comcast, Cox, IHG, Home Depot, and NCR.
Human Pilots AI is a professional services firm that supports leaders in creating transformative results through innovative and responsible AI. The firm helps organizations navigate and adapt through AI strategy, innovation and change management. Human Pilots AI takes a pragmatic approach by implementing manageable AI pilots, delivering measurable outcomes, and accelerating adoption to drive value.
In our discussion, Sean underscored the importance of change management and human oversight in AI adoption, advocating for a pragmatic, balanced approach emphasizing small, iterative steps. He highlighted the substantial investment required for effective change management, often exceeding the allocation for technology itself, and advised businesses to focus on achieving short-term gains while building sustainable, long-term value.
Sean also discussed the evolving landscape of consulting in the AI era, predicting a shift toward service-as-a-subscription models and outcome-based billing. He emphasized the critical role of personalized learning and training to ensure successful AI implementation, positioning these elements as essential for smooth and effective adoption.
Key Highlights
High AI project failure rate: Up to 90% of AI initiatives fail to meet their objectives, highlighting the need for experienced guidance and effective change management.
Human-centric approach to AI adoption: Emphasizing the importance of human involvement, training, and oversight for successful AI implementation.
Balancing ambition with pragmatism: Encouraging a “think big, start small” mentality, focusing on pilot projects and iterative learning for realistic AI adoption.
Shifting focus towards change management: Highlighting the need for increased investment in change management, with experts recommending a ratio of $20 spent on change management for every $1 spent on AI technology.
The evolving landscape of AI consulting: Exploring how AI is impacting consulting services, with potential shifts towards subscription-based models and outcome-based pricing.
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Transcription - Sound Off
Host Reed Dailey (@ReedDailey): This is a transcription of the Sound Off Interview a segment of the Dailey Blend Show.
Interview with Sean Wood of Human Pilots AI
Reed: Hey everyone, we’re here with Sean, talking about his company, Human Pilots AI, and everything AI. So Sean, where are you calling in from?
Sean: Hey everyone, thanks, Reed. I’m calling in from Atlanta.
Reed: Perfect. So, tell us a little bit about your company. Give us some background on how long you’ve been running and what you’re bringing to market.
Sean: Absolutely. The company is called Human Pilots AI, and we’re a human-driven management consulting firm. We experiment and build AI solutions for other companies, advising leaders and their teams. We’ve been around for a couple of years, starting right after ChatGPT came out in late ’22, based on my prior experience with AI from about ten years ago. I’ve seen where AI can succeed and where it can fall short. As with any major transformation, research shows that up to 75% of these initiatives don’t meet business objectives, and in AI, failure rates can reach 90%. So, there’s a big problem here, and I’m bringing proven strategies to market to help leaders and their teams succeed.
Reed: Perfect. AI means a lot of things to a lot of people, and new AI startups are emerging daily. When customers come to you, interested in AI but unsure where to start, how do you approach it? How do you typically guide a customer from the initial stages to where they need to be?
Sean: There are three main entry points where we engage with customers: starting out, scaling up, and finding value. For new entrants, we conduct a readiness assessment, like an AI audit, to understand the state of their data, governance, and cultural readiness. Interestingly, with generative AI, around 80% of use cases involve non-technical users, so we look at their work culture and risk profile to identify high-impact, low-risk opportunities for pilot projects.
Reed: And when users want to tackle big challenges with AI, how do you balance their desire for quick results with realistic expectations? How do you coach customers on setting attainable goals?
Sean: That’s a core value proposition for us—being realistic and pragmatic. Having seen multiple waves of AI, I know where expectations can be too high. AI isn’t a magic solution. We encourage clients to think big but start small, focusing on small, rapid iterations. We set a vision for the big goal and build a strategic roadmap that grows from those pilot stages.
Reed: One thing we discussed in preparation is how you coach clients on the balance between technology investment and change management. How much of a budget should be devoted to technology versus change management?
Sean: This is an area where companies often go wrong in early planning. Traditionally, with digital transformation, there was a 1:0.5 ratio of tech to training. But for AI, major firms like McKinsey suggest a 1:5 or even a 1:20 ratio, with significantly more spent on change management. This aligns with our pivot at Human Pilots, as we’ve leaned heavily into change management to ensure companies can be as adaptive as needed to make these transformations successful.
Reed: My assumption is that after McKinsey’s study, they probably sent out a white paper promoting their change management services! Jokes aside, when GPT-3 and ChatGPT launched two years ago, what were people initially excited about, and how has that evolved?
Sean: Initially, generative AI’s promise was all about productivity gains—saving time, faster decision-making, and quicker access to insights. Employees tend to be more engaged with AI after some training, but training and upskilling have often been overlooked. Productivity and cost reduction remain big, but innovation has been slower among legacy companies. Many companies start with AI in customer service, but that can be tricky because they’re legally responsible for what AI chatbots produce.
Reed: Yeah, I think I heard about a chatbot that was mistakenly giving away free cars on a dealership website. In terms of balancing speed with risk, how do you guide clients in developing a framework for managing this?
Sean: We conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify any potential vulnerabilities with implementation—data privacy, IP, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, and public brand image. Responsible AI is crucial, so we help clients implement policies and governance that ensure transparency, accountability, and adherence to ethical practices, which helps them avoid long-term issues.
Sean: At Human Pilots, we’re focused on ensuring strong human oversight with AI. I haven’t seen any successful use cases where AI is entirely autonomous. Even in sectors with heavy AI usage, like manufacturing or autonomous vehicles, human oversight is still essential. Full AI autonomy isn’t feasible just yet.
Reed: Interesting. As AI tech continues to improve, how are you staying current and helping clients prepare for what’s next?
Sean: I’m naturally curious, so I’m constantly reading, talking to scientists and researchers, and engaging with universities. I think a lot about how schools are teaching the next generation, as that’s our future workforce. Personalized learning has become a big area for us—tailoring training for different roles and learning styles. Traditional video training doesn’t work well; it has to be hands-on, applied to real-life workflows, and customized for different departments. That’s where our tailored consulting approach really adds value.
Reed: As you work with a variety of clients, have you identified personality traits that affect how ambitious or cautious people are with AI? How do you guide them based on those traits?
Sean: Great question. Mindset is essential. Mission-driven organizations often have a unified goal, while large corporations may have varied incentives. For overly ambitious clients, we temper expectations to avoid disappointment. Some companies have poured significant resources into AI without immediate payoff. For more cautious clients, there’s often fear around AI’s impact on their jobs, which is natural. I help them see small wins, encouraging them to take incremental steps, like learning to ride a bike—you understand it better once you start pedaling.
Reed: I imagine you pull out the change management curve diagram often! Two final questions: How do you see consulting evolving with AI in the next two to five years, both as a service model and in delivery?
Sean: One of the biggest opportunities in AI consulting is the rise of AI agents. We’ll see more service-as-a-subscription models, with AI performing some workflows. Traditional management consultancies struggle here due to legacy structures and hourly billing models, but they’re starting to explore new business models. Smaller upstarts like us have more flexibility, which will lead to innovative incentive models and payment structures.
Reed: Moving away from time-based billing to outcome-based billing will be interesting. So, for those interested in working with you, how can they get in touch?
Sean: You can find me on LinkedIn—just search for Sean Wood and AI—or visit our website, humanpilots.ai. Reaching out is easy, and we’re here to help.
Reed: Perfect. Thanks, Sean. Looking forward to seeing how AI consulting evolves in the years ahead.
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