The Human Capitalist

AI Is Exposing the Biggest Lie About Workforce Productivity

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AI is exposing the productivity problem leaders have ignored for years.

Most organizations optimized for activity — not outcomes — and HR now owns the reset.

As AI automates more work, it’s exposing a hard truth inside organizations:

Much of what we’ve rewarded for years was never real productivity.

Slide decks no one reads.

Meetings that solve nothing.

Reports created for optics, not outcomes.

In this video, I break down how AI is revealing the BS economy at work — and why this moment is a critical reset for leaders, HR, and the C-suite.

With over 20 years in HR leadership, I’m not here to hype tools or trends.

I’m here to help leaders understand AI’s real impact on workforce strategy — and how to redesign work around outcomes, not activity.


In this video, you’ll learn:

  • Why AI is automating “busy work” — and why that’s a good thing
  • What productivity studies are really showing (and what they’re not)
  • Why speed without substance doesn’t drive results
  • The leadership blind spot AI can’t fix for you
  • How HR can lead the shift from visibility → value
  • A practical 4-step action plan to redesign roles, workflows, and priorities

    • AI can move faster than humans ever could but it can’t decide what actually matters.

    That responsibility still belongs to leaders.

    This is a call to stop scaling broken systems with smarter tools and start rebuilding work for impact, meaning, and growth.

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    🎯 Who this video is for:

    • HR leaders & executives
    • C-suite decision-makers
    • People leaders navigating AI transformation
    • Organizations serious about real productivity (not performative work)

      • ⏱️ Chapter Timestamps

      0:00 Why “Busy” Was Never the Same as Productive

      0:45 Why I’m Calling This Out (20+ Years in HR Leadership)
      1:45 AI and the Rise of the “BS Economy”
      3:05 Why Faster Work Isn’t Better Work
      4:10 The Productivity Stat No One Is Talking About
      5:00 The Wake-Up Call AI Is Forcing on Leaders
      6:15 HR’s Moment to Lead (Not Follow)
      6:40 Audit the Busy Loop
      7:10 Rebuilding Roles Around Impact
      7:50 Why Managers Are the Bottleneck
      8:20 Designing for Deep Work
      8:55 Final Thought: Redesign. Don’t Repeat.


      💬 Let’s discuss: Where do you see busy work hiding in your organization and what would you eliminate first?


      🔔 Subscribe for more on:

      AI & workforce transformation

      People strategy for the future of work

      Leadership decisions that actually move the needle

      Redesign. Don’t repeat.

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      The Human CapitalistBy Trent Cotton & Purple Acorn Network