Beyond the Hype: Sarah Slavik on human-centric AI adoption

For Ohio businesses, the artificial intelligence revolution isn’t just a headline. It’s a deadline. As the technology reshapes industries from manufacturing to non-profits, the risk of "wait and see" is becoming a liability.

Sarah Slavik, COO of Cleveland-headquartered SkillSpout, believes the solution lies not in replacing workers, but in empowering them. A leader known for tackling complex organizational challenges in the political and non-profit sectors, Slavik is now helping companies across the state navigate the human side of the AI transformation. From governance to "human-centric" upskilling, she argues that Ohio’s workforce readiness depends on leaders who are willing to jump in now.

We sat down with Slavik to discuss the urgency of adoption, why CEOs must lead the charge, and how Ohio companies can use state resources to get ahead.

Ohio Tech News: When you look across the Ohio business landscape right now, what worries you most about organizations that remain on the sidelines regarding AI?

Sarah Slavik: As a manufacturing state, Ohio has seen what it looks like to be left behind during major workforce transitions. In many of our lifetimes, we have felt those impacts. My biggest fear is that companies, especially small and medium-sized businesses, will be left behind again because they simply don’t know where to start.

AI is changing so quickly that it is difficult for companies without enterprise-level resources to figure out how to adopt it effectively and safely. Without someone dedicated to it, and without a solid governance foundation, it is hard to devote the resources needed to keep up. Part of our mission is ensuring these organizations don’t get left behind this time and can take full advantage of the opportunity.

OTN: You advocate for a "human-centric" approach to AI. Why is that the key to success versus a pure technology implementation?

Slavik: Human-first technology adoption is a core value of our company. We position our work to amplify and enhance what humans can do, not replace them. AI isn't in the business of creativity; in its current iteration, it doesn't exist without us.

The impetus for creation, idea generation, and managing these tools remains uniquely human. We believe in human potential to iterate and make the technology better. When we work with companies, we see that CEOs love that this is an investment in their teams. Investing in your people ensures they stay, and it often leads to better work-life balance because they can accomplish tasks more quickly.

OTN: Speaking of CEOs, what role does executive leadership play in this transition?

Slavik: CEO buy-in is crucial. Research shows that AI implementations are more than 50% more effective when the CEO is bought in. We are seeing a lot of CEOs lead this charge because they recognize from their visionary seats what an opportunity this is.

However, just knowing you need to do it doesn’t mean you know the steps. That is where we come in with a change management framework. We start with an AI transformation team, leaders and early adopters, to understand the technology and set good governance, like AI policies and acceptable use cases. You can't just address this departmentally; you need to look at the whole ecosystem.

OTN: Change can be scary for employees who worry about their jobs. How do you handle that fear?

Slavik: We employ the Gestalt model, which is really about meeting people where they are. We listen to their fears, whether they come from headlines or bad past experiences, and we don’t shut them down. We acknowledge them.

Then, we invite them to see what’s possible. Often, the biggest skeptics in our first session become the power users by the third. We had a non-profit administrative assistant recently who had never touched an LLM (Large Language Model). She cut a multi-day project down to a couple of hours and was thrilled.

When people see that AI can remove the monotonous tasks they hate, like filling in spreadsheets, and let them focus on higher-potential work, the fear dissipates. We ask them: "What is the thing on your wish list to get off your to-do list?". When they see AI can solve that, it makes a big difference.

OTN: For a business leader reading this who wants to take action, what is the most practical immediate step?

Slavik: First, realize that shadow AI usage is likely already happening in your organization. If you haven't set a policy, your employees are using these tools, and you don't know if proprietary data is being exposed. You can't afford not to do this. You need to educate your team on how to use it safely.

Second, for Ohio companies specifically, do not leave money on the table. Our Momentum AI program is 100% reimbursed through the Ohio TechCred program. It is an incredible opportunity to upskill your team essentially at no cost.

Don’t view this as just another software implementation. AI is not software; it’s a transformation. The time horizon is shorter than many think, but you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Get connected: To learn more about human-centric AI adoption, visit SkillSpout.com or connect with Sarah Slavik on LinkedIn.