Some companies give AI to everyone. This CEO is doing the opposite (www.cnbc.com)

Ben Chisell, CEO of Paysend, has adopted a selective approach to integrating AI tools within his company, granting access only to high-performing employees who can demonstrate the added value of these technologies. Chisell, skeptical of the widespread AI hype, believes that handing AI tools to everyone can exacerbate issues like poor judgment and laziness. Under his leadership, Paysend has managed a 25% increase in productivity with the same team size, focusing on using AI to solve customer problems rather than conforming to industry trends of broad deployment. For new hires, access to AI tools is conditional on a month of experimentation to showcase tangible contributions, as illustrated by a new SEO lead who ultimately found a tailored solution more effective than general AI capabilities. This strategy contrasts with other companies like Lloyds Banking Group and Grant Thornton UK, which have implemented AI tools broadly across their workforce, reporting higher productivity yet little change in revenue. Chisell’s philosophy emphasizes harnessing AI as a “superpower” for high performers rather than a means to cut costs, advocating for human responsibility in the process. As the conversation around AI’s role in workforce dynamics evolves, Chisell argues that success lies in redeploying talent into new roles instead of replacing them, stressing the importance of human ownership in AI-assisted tasks.