Why AI Training Is Failing: Neuroscience Insights & Human-Centered AI for Executives

Send us a text

Welcome to AI Café Conversations — where neuroscience meets AI for executives.

In this Forbes Edition, Sahar Andrade explores why so much AI training is failing leaders. The problem isn’t a lack of tools. It’s that most programs ignore the way our brains learn, resist, and adapt.

Through neuroscience and leadership insights, Sahar reveals why executives don’t need coding to succeed with AI. She shares how AI coaching tools for executives can close the gap between resistance and adoption, bringing clarity, trust, and performance back into leadership.

💡 What you’ll learn in this episode:
✓ Why traditional AI training fails to stick in real organizations
✓ Neuroscience-backed strategies to help executives adopt AI without fear
✓ How human-centered AI frameworks build connection, not confusion
✓ Practical ways to integrate AI into executive coaching and leadership development

This episode is designed for executives, HR professionals, and coaches who see the urgency of AI adoption but want it to align with human connection, not replace it.

Email me at [e-mail] with questions or topic suggestions for future episodes.

 My book "The Coach's Brain Meets AI" is available on Amazon, and I'll send extra guides if you email me after purchasing. Follow me on LinkedIn (Sahar Andrade) and Instagram (Sahar the Reinvent Coach). 

Subscribe now to start transforming your leadership with Human-Centered AI!

If you have any questions Email me at [e-mail]

Connect with me on Linkedin

Connect with me on IG: @saharthereinventcoach

#AI #Artificialintelligence #learningpodcast #DailyAI #leadershipcoach #executivepresence #BrainvsAI #neuroleadership #neuroscienceinleadership #Futureofwork #techtalk #innovation #AIpodcast #AIconversations #AIforeveryone #AIInsights #AItrends  #AICaféConversations #ChatGPT #NewWaveAI #AIExplained #TechSimplified  #AInotechrequired #HumancenteredAI 
#AIForEveryone #OptimizeAI #AIChatbot #TechPodcast #UnderstandingAI #AIInteraction #PersonalizedAI #neuroscience #AIforexecutives #humancenteredai #notechrequired #AItoolsforexecutives #neuroscience #AICoachingtoolsforexecutives #AIleadershipdevelopmentforcoaches #AIWhisperer #AIPODCAST #Thecoachsbrainmeetsai #aiintheworkplace #AIenthusiast ##executivecoachingwithai #AIleadershipdevelopmentforcoaches #artificialintelligenceinbusiness #futureofhr #neuroscienceinai #neuroscienceandleadership #AIchallenges

Support the show

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Hello, hello, hello and welcome back to the AI Cafe
Conversations, your favoritepodcast.
This is Sahar Andrade, your AIwhisperer.
This podcast is whereneuroscience meets AI for
executives.
Like I said, I'm Sahar.
I'm a Forbes coach, counsel,influencer and executive coach.

(00:35):
Today I want to explore a truthmany leaders feel, but rarely
say out loud AI training isfailing.
I know no one wants to hearthat, but you know me, I go.
I don't sugarcoat stuff.
I tell you as it is.
I look at the pros and cons.
I'm a big, big, big AI advocateand that's why I want to make

(00:58):
sure that we'll look at it withopen eye and learn about it as
much as we can, the right way.
So, not because executivesdon't care, not because
technology is too advanced, butbecause the way we teach AI
ignores the very basic thingthat makes leadership human, and

(01:21):
it's how our brain learn,resist and adapt.
So in this episode episode, wewill uncover the neuroscience of
learning in leadership, whymost AI training programs
collapse under pressure and howexecutives can adopt AI without
needing technical expertise.
This is not about coding it.

(01:41):
It's about clarity, courage andconnection.
This is based on one of theForbes articles that I have
written lately, and it wastitled why your AI Training is
Failing.
Hope you enjoy it.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Let's be honest Right now, companies are throwing
millions, even billions ofdollars into artificial
intelligence.
But you know, behind all theslick branding and the big,
splashy promises, something isgoing really, really wrong.
The training it's just failing.
You know one leadership coach,after sitting in on a pretty

(02:20):
tense AI rollout meeting, hejust he nailed it.
He said they built thespaceship but they forgot the
ground control.
And that single metaphor.
It explains just abouteverything that's going wrong
with AI adoption today.
And what happens when you don'thave that ground control.
What are you left with?
Well, you get this eerie,uncomfortable quiet, the kind of

(02:41):
quiet that's just filled withconfusion and the sense of shame
for not getting it, and asilence from the very people you
need to be innovating.
So let's really dig into thisscenario this beautiful,
high-tech spaceship withabsolutely no ground control.
Okay, so picture this.
You've probably seen it Acompany launches a huge AI

(03:02):
initiative.
They give it a cool, ambitiousname, something like Project
Apollo.
You've got the inspiringkeynotes, the cross-functional
task forces, a massive budget,the energy is electric, the
vision is aimed right at themoon.
But then fast forward, just twomonths, the rocket it's
stalling.
Adoption has completelyflatlined, as one VP in the

(03:26):
source article.
Put it honestly, I thinkeveryone's just pretending they
know what they're doing.
Wow, does that sound a littletoo familiar?
This whole scenario is a perfectexample of what experts are
calling a strategic freefall.
It's that moment when abrilliant technical moonshot
just doesn't have the basichuman infrastructure to succeed.
Without clear communication andemotional readiness, most AI

(03:48):
strategies right now are in atotal freefall.
But why?
Why does this keep happening?
To understand that we have togo deeper than just business
strategy, we've got to look atwhat's actually happening inside
our own heads.
Let's talk about your brain onAI overload.
So when your team doesn't adoptthat shiny new AI tool, what do
you see?
Is your first thoughtresistance, or maybe laziness?

(04:10):
Or could it be something much,much deeper, something
biological?
And this is where the wires getcrossed.
Later, see what looks likelaziness or maybe even
stubbornness, but inside thatemployee's brain, it is a
completely different story.
This is not a character flaw.
It's a biological survival mode, kicking in, fight, flight or,

(04:32):
in this case, a whole lot offreeze.
So here's what's actuallyhappening on a biological level.
When a person is overwhelmed bya big change, one that maybe
makes them feel obsolete, theirbrain senses massive uncertainty
.
The amygdala, that's thebrain's alarm system.
It hijacks all logical thought.
The prefrontal cortex, which iswhat you need for planning and
learning, it basically shutsdown.

(04:54):
This isn't resistance, it's astate of neurological
dysregulation.
And this neurological reality?
It points to the single biggestblind spot for leadership right
now.
It all leads us to the onequestion that leaders are
completely missing.
Now this is where we find thereal problem, and the data
couldn't be clearer.

(05:15):
People are not the problem.
Get this Excitement for AI hasliterally doubled in just six
months.
Almost half of employees areeager to use it.
The problem isn't desire, it'senablement.
Over half of knowledge workersadmit they have no idea how to
use it, or even what to use itfor.
So why don't they know how Wellit's?

(05:37):
Because most AI training isn'tactually training, it's just a
content dump.
You know theseone-size-fits-all webinars and
endless slide decks that justcheck a compliance box.
It's like handing your team aspaceship manual written in a
foreign language and then askingthem to launch.
It's not empowerment, it'sabandonment, and this creates a
culture of total silence.

(05:58):
The result it's just like thatquote says Everyone's wearing
noise-canceling headphones.
Marketing has no clue whatsales is doing with AI.
Middle managers are way tooafraid to admit they're confused
.
Everyone is just isolated intheir own uncertainty.
So this means leaders have tostop asking, did they complete
the training?
And start asking a much morepowerful question what emotional

(06:20):
state is my AI rollout actuallycreating in my workforce?
Because behavior always followsemotion.
It's a simple but incrediblypowerful equation.
If your team feels curious,empowered and psychologically
safe, they're going to explore,they'll practice, they'll share
what they learn.
But if they feel incompetent,afraid and alone, they're going
to hide, freeze and disengage,and no software platform on

(06:43):
earth can override thatfundamental human truth.
Okay, so that's the problem.
I know it's big, it's messy andit's very human, but there is a
way forward.
So let's look at a blueprintthat actually works.
This is it.
This is the ground controlmanual.
And notice, it starts with thehuman.
First, you have to regulate thenervous system Before you even

(07:03):
talk about prompts.
You got to address the fear andnormalize the confusion.
Second, make it personal.
Forget the abstract theory.
Training has to be role-basedsolving a real problem for
someone today.
Third, create internalchampions.
Find those naturally curiouspeople in your org and empower
them to teach their peers.
That's always more effectivethan a top-down mandate.
Fourth, tie AI to identity.

(07:24):
You have to frame this not as atool for more output, but as a
way to enhance their uniqueexpertise and value.
And finally, number five, andthis one's huge lead with
vulnerability.
Leaders have to model thelearning process.
Admit they don't have all theanswers.
That is what creates safety foreveryone else.
And let's just double click onthat second step because it's
just so important.
The mantra here should be thisThink 15-minute transformations,

(07:47):
not three-hour theory.
Don't just teach abstract AIskills.
Train specific use cases.
Show a marketer how to generate10 versions of ad copy in
seconds.
Show a manager how to use AI tosummarize dense meeting notes.
Make it real, practical andsomething they can use
immediately.
So as we start to wrap this up,it becomes really clear that

(08:11):
we've been looking at thisentire challenge through
completely the wrong lens,because the real transformation
here it isn't technological atall.
Your AI transformation isn't asoftware problem, it's a human
one.
It's stalling not because thetech is bad, but because your
people don't feelpsychologically safe enough to
try to fail and ultimately, togrow with it.

(08:31):
So the final question for everysingle leader out there is this
you built the spaceship.
It's impressive, it's powerful,but will you take the time to
build the ground control?

Speaker 1 (08:46):
That was today's Forbes edition of AI Cafe
Conversation.
Like I always say, this is anextra flavor, this is an extra
cup of coffee for you.
This is not my regular episode.
That is usually on Wednesdays.
So if you are an executive, hrprofessional or coach, remember

(09:10):
this AI training does not needto be technical to be
transformational.
With neuroscience insights andAI coaching tools for executives
, you can bridge the gap betweenwhat your team fears and what
your leadership demands.
Thank you for listening.
Share this episode with aleader who's ready to grow.

(09:32):
Show me some love, like it,share it, comment and join me
next week on our regular episodeon Wednesday, as we keep
brewing conversations that bringhumanity back into AI
leadership.
This is Sahar Andrade, your AIwhisperer.
If you have any questions, anycomments, I would love to hear

(09:53):
them, please.
You can reach me on my LinkedInprofile, sahar Andrade.
You can reach me on myInstagram, sahar the Reinvent
Coach, or you can email me atsahar, at saharconsultingcom.
I would have all thisinformation in down below in the
description.
I would love to hear from youand for now, I will tell you.

(10:17):
See you next Wednesday.