Published: May 5, 2026
An In Good Company podcast with Aleksandra Brzozowska, Head of Learning and Development at Ringier Axel Springer Polska
Keeping it real with AI: why people, not technology, make adoption stick
What really happens when AI tools arrive before people are ready? Why do some organisations move fast, while others quietly resist? And what does it take to turn fear and uncertainty into trust, confidence and impactful adoption?
Listen to hear how leading AI learning and development for around 1,600 people across a global media organisation came with one clear insight: keeping AI ‘real’ means putting people at the heart of every decision.
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In this conversation, we speak with Aleksandra (Ola) Brzozowska, Head of Learning and Development at Ringier Axel Springer Polska. Ola shares how they've approached AI transformation by starting with people rather than technology, using internal research, peer learning, clear leadership messaging and a personalised academy model. She explores fear, resistance and the critical role that trust building plays in making AI part of everyday work. The podcast covers:
- What the research tells us about reducing fear of AI
- What 'two-speed' AI adoption looks like, and why it works
- Why personalised learning is the new normal
- How preparing the skills for AI prepares us for multiple futures
Watch the full episode here
Why should people come first in an AI rollout?
Imagine you are a company board and you want to make this transformation. You have great ideas, you have budget and you have a great IT team on board. But people hate AI, they don't want to use it and they sabotage your actions. How is your transformation going? If we like it or not, AI is just a tool. People need to understand it, need to see the benefits, need to use it responsibly. When we conducted the largest in-house research with our employees, we asked not only about self-assessment, but also what tools they would like to use and how they would like to learn about AI. The insights were fascinating. People said they would like to learn from their colleagues. When it comes to AI, it’s also an emotional thing. It’s better to learn from someone who is nearby, who works in the same context with the same tools. It’s about trust and psychological safety.
How does being a ‘two-speed company’ help rather than hinder AI adoption?
Most companies are two-speed or multi-speed companies. The difference is that we had data for it. At the beginning, we knew that one in six people used AI. Five didn’t. You can treat this as an obstacle, but we treated it as a chance. We had people in the front who could be our ambassadors, who could help us share ideas and translate strategy. There is nothing wrong with having a two-speed company. People are different. They learn at different pace. We had colleagues who needed three intro sessions just to understand what AI is. And we had colleagues who won industry awards using AI even before we started talking about it. What matters is that there is one goal and everyone is moving in the same direction. We said very clearly: it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being on a learning curve. No one expects you to be a master. We want you to try.
How do you stop people at different speeds from being left behind?
We asked people to put themselves into three baskets. One group had very little knowledge but wanted to learn. The second understood AI but couldn’t connect it to tools or business cases. The third were advanced and just wanted a green light. The value added was that people felt recognised and respected. We created an academy, not one course for everyone. It was a portfolio of learning activities. We didn’t want to do the same thing for everyone. We wanted to differentiate and offer different solutions. After a year, when we repeated the research, we lowered the level of fear by more than 70% of those who said they were afraid. Leadership was very important. The board communicated clearly that there is no way back. We need to adopt AI. We need to use it. We want you to go with us.
Bonus insight: a five point plan for successful AI adoption
- Research. Learn who is on board, what behaviours and skills people have. For us, it was a game changer.
- Attitude. No siloed thinking. We have one goal and one direction.
- Spotlight managers. They are under pressure from both sides. Many AI challenges are actually communication, conflict management or fear issues. That’s why we focused on developing transformational competencies. Today it’s AI, tomorrow it will be something else, but managers are still humans dealing with emotions.
- Personalisation. One size does not fit all. It won’t work.
- A mindset check. Don’t expect it to happen overnight - there will be ups and downs. Being prepared for that makes a huge difference.
Listen to the episode on Spotify
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