Pragmatism in Practice The soul in the system: Humanizing AI Strategy
Nov 24, 2025
Tiankai Feng, a global director of AI and data strategy and author of Humanizing AI Strategy, shares insights on navigating the human elements of AI adoption. He introduces the five Cs—competence, collaboration, communication, creativity, and conscience—and discusses their relevance in AI applications. Tiankai emphasizes the importance of human oversight in AI projects, utilizing an Ikigai model to align AI purpose with ethics and business goals. He also explores the balance between optimism and skepticism in AI, highlighting the need for critical engagement and targeted solutions.
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Five Cs Frame Human-Centered AI
- The five Cs (competence, collaboration, communication, creativity, conscience) adapt from data to AI strategy and frame human-AI interaction.
- Each C gains new meanings in AI contexts like chatbots and generative risks, shaping enterprise strategy.
Match AI Type To Task
- LLMs are probabilistic and produce plausible not deterministic outputs, making them better for creative divergence than precise decisioning.
- Enterprises must match AI type to task: generative models for ideation, deterministic systems for high-stakes convergence.
Chevrolet Chatbot Contract Failure
- Tiankai recounts the Chevrolet chatbot error that led to a $1 car sale because the bot was empowered to make contractual decisions.
- This illustrates how delegating authority to unvetted AI produces costly, real-world legal and trust consequences.
