AI is the biggest workplace behaviour change since the industrial revolution, says this week’s guest, Helen Matthews, former CPO of creative powerhouses Weber Shandwick and Ogilvy UK.
For more about our forthcoming FREE webinar on AI in the workplace, see the foot of this article, or find out more and register here
Helen has just completed a qualification in Generative AI in Business from the University of Cambridge and admits to being fascinated by the topic and voraciously consuming anything that mentions it.
For her, the biggest challenge she has encountered – which she talks through in this podcast episode – is how to create the psychological safety around AI to make people feel comfortable using it in the office. Particularly those who are reluctant to use it which, currently, she estimates is the majority.
You can listen on the Spotify link below, or wherever you access your podcasts:
She describes the difference between safety levels at home compared to the office as the ‘adoption gap’. It falls to the CPO, often, to bridge this gap and take the pressure from CEOs who are increasingly investing in AI tech and want to see a return.
In this conversation she discusses, not only psychological safety but also guardrails and ethics giving her strategic, but also practical, advice.
Why co-creation is so important
For instance, she covers how to leverage early adopters, how to ensure people get time to learn and make mistakes and why co-creation is so important in this space. As well as this, she also talks about what concerns her most about AI, now and going forward, and what we can all do to shape a better AI future.
AI, and its impact on employee health and wellbeing and workplace culture is one of the hottest topics currently being debated, and one that came out as a top priority in research we’ve just conducted (more on this soon).
So, it’s essential all businesses think about it now – that’s why we’re running a free webinar on Tuesday 17th March 9am – 10am, 2026. For more info and to register, see here:
Time stamp of conversation:
00:00 Welcome to the Leaders Podcast + How to Join the Leaders Club
00:44 Bonus: Free AI Workplace Webinar (March 2026)
01:29 The AI Adoption Gap: Leaders Under Pressure, Employees Anxious
03:15 Building Psychological Safety: Training, Guardrails & Safe Sandboxes
05:58 Why People Play with AI at Home but Avoid It at Work
07:33 Wellbeing Risks: AI Coaches, Therapy, Hallucinations & Human Checks
10:10 Creativity & Connection: Early Adopters, Communities, and Real Collaboration
12:56 Where to Start: Practical Steps, Governance, GDPR & Upskilling Options
15:29 AI and Creativity: Craft, Ethics, and Using AI Without Replacing Humans
17:11 The Next 5 Years: Agents at Work, Shaping the Future, Ethics First
20:27 The Alien Question + Sustainability: Invest in People, Don’t Humanize AI
22:52 Wrap-Up: Thanks for Listening, Share the Episode & Subscribe
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