How AI is reshaping work—and why meaning matters more than efficiency

As a CEO in the global supply chain—where every purchase is tied to efforts to end forced and child labor—I often reflect on the purpose of work: not just making it faster, but making it matter. That’s why the latest Gallup findings on AI are so revealing. The headline isn’t about productivity. It’s about engagement. Employees report that AI makes them more productive, yet global employee engagement has declined for two consecutive years, now sitting at just 20%. We’re optimizing how work gets done, but for many, we’re eroding the experience of doing it. This gap reflects a failure of intention, not technology.

AI gives back time

AI is transforming how work happens, reducing friction across writing, analysis, operations, and decision-making. In our business, we seek people who embrace AI—it signals curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to evolve. We’re equally deliberate about how we use it. AI automates repetitive tasks, streamlines workflows, and surfaces better information. It saves time, reduces costs, and creates capacity that didn’t exist before.

Efficiencies give you a choice

AI unlocks speed and a choice: what will you do with that time? Leaders often treat productivity as the goal, but it’s actually a byproduct. The real question is what productivity enables. Without a clear answer, efficiency gains get absorbed into more output, tasks, and noise. When those gains are intentionally redirected, something different happens. Teams gain space to think, connect, and focus on the work that differentiates a business. Over time, this shift compounds in performance—and in how people experience their work.

You can’t automate meaning

I saw this firsthand while visiting a women-led coffee partner in Ethiopia. Coffee is one of the world’s most widely traded commodities, yet the people behind it are often invisible. Women worked side by side, singing as they carefully sorted and dried coffee by hand. It’s slow, skilled work, and processes could improve over time. But what stood out was the pride. They were producing coffee while supporting their families, strengthening their community, and connecting to something far beyond their region. That sense of meaning is difficult to describe but easy to recognize.

Some things need protection, not automation. As Robin Wall Kimmerer writes,

“All flourishing is mutual.”

Where AI strategies actually succeed (or fail)

One of the clearest insights from Gallup’s research is that management is among the top drivers of successful AI adoption. As Gallup’s chairman, Jim—