‘AI Is an HR Challenge First’: The Human Firewall Could Make or Break Adoption

AI use is now widespread across business. McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI survey found that 88% of respondents said their organizations regularly used AI in at least one business function. Only 7% said AI had been fully scaled across their organization.

Weak foundations remain a major reason projects stall. Gartner predicts that organizations will abandon 60% of AI projects unsupported by AI-ready data through 2026. It also expects more than 40% of agentic AI projects to be cancelled by the end of 2027 due to rising costs, unclear business value or inadequate risk controls.

Maarten Verschuere is an AI expert, entrepreneur and researcher with more than 15 years of experience in data and artificial intelligence. He has developed AI systems for Tesco, Carrefour and P&G, founded conversational AI company Clever and created the AI Navigator Framework for moving organizations from early exploration to adoption at scale.

In this exclusive interview with the AI Speakers Agency, Maarten explains why AI transformations fail, which data and process foundations companies need, and how leaders can test potential use cases without committing to costly long-term projects. He also examines the rise of agentic AI and the role trust, governance and workforce engagement will play in its adoption.

Question 1: Why does human behavior remain a critical vulnerability in otherwise robust cybersecurity systems?

Maarten Verschuere: “The human firewall is the missing link in cyber security because we are excellent at building technology that is 100% accurate. You can set up systems that cannot be penetrated from outside and have technically perfect security processes and protocols.

“But when you have a human in an organization who opens emails, clicks on links or tries new tools without thinking about security, it becomes very easy to cause a breach and threaten the entire organization.

“The human firewall is the last link. It can be the weakest or strongest link in your cyber security.

“If people are not aware of how risky certain tools or technologies can be, they will use them naively and let intruders in.

“I’ve been researching this topic at VIVES University of Applied Sciences. We see that certain people are more prone to phishing, particularly those with a higher cognitive load. The busier you are and the more things you have in your calendar, the more likely you are to follow what an email says and fall into a phishing trap.

“This topic is underappreciated in companies today. We talk extensively about technology and less about the people in the organization. The human firewall will be an important aspect of cyber security in the years to come.”

Question 2: What role should HR play in building an AI-ready workforce and reducing employee anxiety?

Maarten Verschuere: “It’s about preparing your people to develop their perspective on AI and technology.

“Today, there is anxiety: “AI will replace me. I am too old to learn new things. I am too young and don’t know the business yet. How can I use these tools? What will my role be if these tools can do my job?”

“In the AI transformation, HR has a key role because it is in touch with people and can transform AI anxiety into a feeling of opportunity.

“When people understand how AI works, they can see it as a superpower. Because they are experts in their jobs, they know exactly how AI can help them achieve more.

“HR must create awareness, train people and increase AI literacy across the organization. The humans in the business are the experts, and they can help the company use AI as a source of scalable value for the future.

“AI is an HR challenge first.”

Question 3: Which conditions allow organizations to move from AI experimentation to scalable adoption?

Maarten Verschuere: “You have to get through the experimental phase first. A leadership team cannot decide that it will start using AI at scale tomorrow.

“People need to begin using AI and understand what the future will look like before they feel comfortable working with it and achieving the company’s mission.

“As I explain in my AI Navigator Framework, you first inspire, then enable and then scale.

“It’s about taking your people on a journey with a clear mission to create value for the business, its people and its customers.

“Start with simple things. Increase people’s knowledge of how AI will help them and get them enthusiastic. By getting people on board, the solutions will follow.

“People first, then solutions. That’s how you create scalable AI that works.”

Question 4: What leadership mindset is required to turn AI adoption into a sustainable competitive advantage?

Maarten Verschuere: “Leaders first need to let go of their anxiety.

“It’s easy to say that employees are afraid AI will take their jobs. There is also considerable anxiety among leaders who fear making the wrong decisions or investing in something without knowing what the outcome will be.

“Leaders have a crucial role in this transformation. What happens in the world and to their companies over the next five to 10 years will depend on the decisions they make today.

“The mindset should be: “We see the opportunity, we will embrace it, and we are confident that we have the right mission and vision for our company.”

“Once leaders let go of that anxiety, they can transfer the same mindset to their employees.

“Soft skills are critical to creating the right culture. It must be acceptable to fail in small experiments, ask questions, doubt yourself and acknowledge that you don’t know everything yet. Creating a common language allows the organization to move forward.

“The key mindset is to embrace AI as an opportunity and remain people-centric.”

---

This exclusive interview with Maarten Verschuere was conducted by Tabish Ali of the Motivational Speakers Agency.