How 14 business leaders are maintaining the human touch in an AI world

"The DEI backlash is short-term thinking. This is a time to stick to your values-it will yield better results than if you hadn't."

"Your message supports your mission. When you're doing it right, both of those things are working together. But when those elements get muddied, brands run into problems."

"Many leaders ask employees how they are but don't leave space for a real response. It's about providing space and being prepared for the answer so you can be supportive."

"People like the freedom of remote work, but we also hear from younger employees that they're struggling with the lack of human contact and learnings they'd get in person-because Zoom doesn't cut it."

123 of the Impact Council's 422 members gathered at Grace Farms in New Canaan, Connecticut, on an 80-acre campus designed by SANAA to explore centering innovation around real-world needs and values amid the AI revolution. Panels and roundtables focused on leading with mission, aligning messaging with purpose, and resisting short-term retreats from DEI. Leaders emphasized creating space for authentic employee responses and support, and acknowledged that remote work brings freedom but can erode human contact and in-person learning opportunities that virtual tools like Zoom cannot fully replace. Architecture and environment were used to reinforce humanitarian and community roles.

Read at Fast Company