Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
AI can help leaders communicate more effectively. But that doesn’t mean every part of communication should be handed over to it.
Matt Abrahams, a lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, draws a clear line: Don’t automate empathy.
For high-stakes communication, however, AI can be a useful tool. Leaders can give it context about their audience and ask it to help make a message tighter, more specific, and more relevant to the people receiving it.
The challenge is knowing which parts of communication benefit from AI—and which need to remain distinctly human.
Tune in for the full IdeaCast episode this Thursday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or here: https://s.hbr.org/4Ak4Yx5
AI can help leaders communicate more effectively. But that doesn’t mean every part of communication should be handed over to it.
Matt Abrahams, a lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, draws a clear line: Don’t automate empathy.
For high-stakes communication, however, AI can be a useful tool. Leaders can give it context about their audience and ask it to help make a message tighter, more specific, and more relevant to the people receiving it.
The challenge is knowing which parts of communication benefit from AI—and which need to remain distinctly human.
Tune in for the full IdeaCast episode this Thursday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or here: https://s.hbr.org/4Ak4Yx5
