Conversations about technology often begin with excitement—until they threaten comfort. The moment a discussion shifts from new tools to actual institutional change, the mood quickly alters. What was once curiosity becomes caution. For many, technology isn’t just about progress; it’s about disruption. It challenges established routines, questions human indispensability, and forces a reckoning with inefficiencies long buried under layers of bureaucratic comfort.
As someone deeply trained in publishing systems and workflow software, I’ve seen this play out repeatedly. My professional journey began not by chasing the latest version of every tool but by thoroughly mastering the one I had—pushing it to its limits to understand its full capacity. I’ve always believed that software, no matter how advanced, is still just a tool. What matters is the user. Or more precisely, the super user—the one who knows how to drive change from within the system.
It’s in that pursuit of mastery that I’ve encountered the real battleground: human resistance. Not resistance to technology as a concept, but to the personal and institutional discomfort it brings. Many professionals would rather remain stuck with outdated systems than face the learning curve of a new one. Even in highly capable environments, productivity is often sacrificed at the altar of familiarity. This resistance isn’t just inconvenient; it’s strategically dangerous. Without a foundation of efficiency, every policy, every committee resolution, every ambitious roadmap becomes little more than cosmetic.
Coming from a science background, I’ve always approached these realities without sugar-coating. Science is grounded in truth, patterns, and outcomes—not sentiment. That same mindset shaped my transition into the creative and publishing industries. And yes, at times, it has made my delivery seem blunt. But the truth doesn’t bend for comfort: technology is not your cousin. It will not wait for you to adjust. It will not slow down for your comfort zone. And if you fail to integrate it into your strategy, it will replace you—quietly and swiftly.
I’ve delivered this message in boardrooms and commission chambers, to executive teams and management groups. Every time, the conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) sparks unease. When I argue that AI will outperform humans in complex decision-making, I often receive raised eyebrows and defensive smiles. But the truth remains: AI doesn’t forget, it doesn’t fatigue, and it doesn’t lobby for recognition. It works with massive datasets—historic and real-time—and produces insights with speed and neutrality no human committee can match.
One of the moments that tends to shift the tone in these sessions is when I say, “A billion brains are better than one.” That line is no longer a metaphor; it’s a description of AI’s capacity to analyse, compare, and conclude across countless variables and contexts. In that moment, I often see optimism fade into a sober recognition: the ground beneath the old way of doing things is shifting.
What AI can already do within institutions is transformative. In board management, for example, an AI engine can scan years of meeting minutes, policy documents, strategic plans, and financial reports, then generate decision-ready board papers tailored to current goals. These systems don’t just summarise—they simulate the implications of various options based on historical patterns and predictive analytics, giving leadership a sharper edge in decision-making.
In the role traditionally filled by a company secretary, AI can now automate the recording of proceedings, track compliance issues, analyse boardroom sentiment, and generate action summaries in real time. It indexes and flags key issues before they become blind spots—improving not just record-keeping but institutional memory and accountability.
Even in human resource management, the shift is undeniable. Institutions once driven by an ethos of perpetual hiring are now, quietly, hoping for natural attrition. The goal is no longer headcount—it’s productivity. I recall one case of a Kenyan professional who secured a prestigious position with a tech-driven international firm. Before they could report, before they earned a single salary, they were replaced. Not because they weren’t qualified—but because automation made the role redundant before their onboarding.
In the field of auditing, AI systems are already redefining what’s possible. During a demonstration I led for a team of internal auditors, we fed an AI engine with five years of procurement data, HR files, compliance records, and performance reports. In minutes, it flagged inconsistencies and inefficiencies that might have taken a human team weeks to identify—if at all. When I asked the group whether they could have achieved similar results in under an hour, the silence in the room was deafening. It wasn’t a challenge to their competence. It was a wake-up call to their limits.
Succession planning, too, is evolving. One of the least acknowledged setbacks in many institutions is the loss of momentum when leadership changes hands. New board members often spend months repeating past efforts or revalidating settled decisions due to lack of contextual knowledge. AI bridges that gap. By preserving institutional memory, analysing past decisions, and aligning new actions with prior strategies, it accelerates onboarding and reduces strategic drift.
But AI is not just an assistant. It is a force multiplier. It has the ability to reorganise how institutions think, plan, and act. With the right integration, a board can function without traditional subcommittees. AI can parse through the tasks typically handled by separate committees—finance, human resources, strategy—and present synthesised recommendations for the full board to act on in a single session. In some cases, this consolidation could eliminate the need for repetitive deliberations, reducing months of meetings into one decisive afternoon.
Of course, the speed and scale of AI also come with risks. Just as it can expose inefficiencies, it can be misused to conceal them. The same systems that audit in seconds can also be manipulated if not properly governed. That’s why I’ve advocated for a new layer of oversight—AI auditors. These are not just software tools but dedicated mechanisms for monitoring the integrity of AI-driven processes. In the same way we expect transparency in financial audits, we must demand traceability and accountability from the algorithms that are beginning to run our institutions.
Which brings us to a deeper reckoning. If AI can already read your strategic plan, internal circulars, procurement acts, and minutes—if it can compare them with best practices and generate better resolutions—what is the role of institutional leadership? What happens when AI knows more about your organisation’s past, present, and future than the people in charge?
This is not a philosophical exercise. It is an operational question that every board and executive must now ask. Because institutions, by nature, are continuous entities. And yet, too often, they operate with the memory of individuals rather than the memory of systems. Leadership tenures come and go, often repeating the same strategies, policies, and mistakes. AI, if properly embedded, breaks that cycle. It creates continuity, enforces institutional learning, and empowers leaders with the clarity to build on progress—not repeat it.
The future of institutional efficiency lies not in tradition but in bold transformation. We can no longer afford to romanticise the past or cushion the present. While we sip tea in our offices reflecting on our contributions, algorithms are making decisions that shape the course of governance, commerce, education, and public service. That reality is already here.
Technology will continue to make us uncomfortable—because it demands growth, not comfort. But discomfort is not our enemy. It is the beginning of transformation. The question now is no longer whether AI will change our institutions—it already has. The real question is: will we have the courage to change with it?
Edward Mwasi, Media Industry Strategy and Innovation Consultant, CBIT, www.cbit.co.ke
