What AI Can’t Do (Yet) Why Presence, Memory, and Intention Still Belong to Us
David Feldman
Head of Digital People Experience @ Takeda | AI Powered Workplace Leader
Presence Because machines do not carry silence, shame, or the weight of a glance.
AI can answer. It can summarize, synthesize, suggest, simulate.
But it cannot stand in a moment of tension and hold it. It cannot feel discomfort radiating across a conference table when truth remains unspoken. It doesn’t hesitate before delivering hard news. It doesn't carry decisions home, pacing floors at night, breathing differently as the stakes rise.
Presence is not productivity. It is gravity.
As we flood our organizations with ambient intelligence, ambient insight and action—we risk forgetting how to be fully, uncomfortably, undeniably human.
To show up. To absorb complexity. To lead—especially when the script disappears.
In a world relentlessly optimized, presence is subversive.
Memory Because machines do not remember. They retrieve.
AI can pull from the past. It can pattern-match, auto-suggest, surface precedent.
But it cannot remember heartbreak. It cannot feel the sting of a lesson learned in public. It does not relive the choice that nearly broke the team—or quietly saved it.
Memory is not recall. It is identity.
Human memory is flawed, messy, emotional. It’s why judgment still matters. Why two leaders, with identical data, will make vastly different decisions.
AI does not carry scars. It does not hesitate from history. We do.
And in that hesitation—that restraint—lives the soul of leadership.
Intention Because machines process goals, not purpose.
AI executes with precision. It finds the shortest path, the optimal route, the statistically perfect next step.
But it never pauses to ask:
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It cannot choose courage over efficiency. It cannot stop, pivoting to something larger than performance. It does not sustain a vision when metrics falter.
Intention isn’t built-in. It is chosen. Declared. Defended. By humans. For humans.
As we embed AI into every workflow, every interface—we must relentlessly question the values embedded alongside.
Because scale without intention is merely acceleration. And speed has never defined progress.
Legacy Because AI measures in cycles, not centuries.
Working within a company that has navigated 240 years of change teaches perspective. AI can optimize operations, predict outcomes, enhance shareholder returns.
But it cannot appreciate the profound responsibility of creating lasting value for generations—for our employees, their families, and communities.
Legacy is not just long-term thinking; it is trust, reputation, and stewardship.
Machines do not inherit wisdom, or uphold honor, or carry forward a shared narrative. We do.
This is the line—and we must hold it. We’re not here to compete with machines.
We’re here to remain human inside systems even when they no longer require us.
Perhaps, today, that is leadership’s most essential act.
To show up. To remember. To intend.
Not louder. Not faster. Not more efficient.
But more human. On purpose.
If you're designing, leading, or grappling with a future rapidly rewriting itself—I’d love to connect.
Let’s talk. Let’s lead. Let’s bring our humanity to work and make the future great.
#Leadership #HumanCenteredAI #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #Authenticity #AIandHumanity #EnterpriseAI #IntentionalLeadership #PresenceMatters #AILeadership #WorkplaceCulture #Legacy #Trust #Reputation
Optometrist at Warby Parker/ Ophthalmology & Private Practice Expert /Bilingual (English/Spanish)
5dThank you for this thoughtful reflection. As an optometrist practicing in a space that balances both clinical care and retail innovation, I see firsthand how AI can enhance—but never replace—the human connection at the core of patient-centered care. AI has offered us tools to streamline diagnostics, identify patterns in ocular disease earlier, and personalize care recommendations in exciting new ways. But the trust patients place in us—their vulnerability when they walk into the exam room, especially when vision or quality of life is at stake—reminds me that human leadership, empathy, and ethical discernment remain irreplaceable. Technology should support, not overshadow, our commitment to holistic care. The challenge isn’t just in deploying AI effectively, but in doing so in ways that respect the patient’s experience, uphold professional integrity, and serve long-term health outcomes. I’m encouraged by conversations like this one that push us to think not just about what AI can do, but what it should do—with humanity leading the way.
Enterprise Transformation Strategist | Creator of S.C.A.L.E.™ | Advisor to Executive Leaders Driving Measurable Change
6dSuch a timely reflection, David In a world increasingly driven by AI, I believe the most valuable advantage leaders hold isn’t speed or scale, it’s presence, clarity, and intention. I’ve built frameworks around this very idea: that transformation isn’t just technical, it’s human. And sustainable outcomes will always come down to how well we define, align, and honor what humans lead into the system.
IT Director | Product & Business Operations | PMO & Governance | Portfolio Management | Pharma & Biotech | Maximizing Team Potential | Agile Champion | Empathetic Leader | Collaborator | Data-driven | Customer Focused
1wThank you for sharing this article, Dave! (as well as the one you wrote offering the opposing perspective). It’s such an interesting time we’re living in, and both viewpoints are important to consider. I truly believe there is so much to be gained from harnessing the power of AI to help us work smarter and achieve more. But I also fully agree that AI can never replace the essential human elements of perspective, honor, empathy, and intuition, or the ability to lead with presence and intention.
Associate Director/Director IT Systems Applications- Business Partner
1wSome great points to ponder.
Data & AI US Lead, Microsoft Healthcare Strategic Payors & Providers
2wThis really hits home for me, thank you for writing and sharing.