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Any first step in organisational adaptation starts with individuals’ responses and willingness (or otherwise) to change an aspect of themselves given the transcontextual settings in which they are operating (Bateson in Small arcs of larger circles: framing through other patterns, Triarchy Press, Axminster, 2018). This research explores the implications for organisational adaptation strategies when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being embedded into the ecology of the organisation, and when employees have a dominant fixed or growth mindset (Dweck in Mindset: changing the way you think to fulfil your potential. Robinson, London, 2017). Research participants were supplied with a single scenario based in 2030, where—as a result of Artificial Intelligence technology implementation—employees were going to be displaced. Using Torbert’s (Organizational wisdom and executive courage, New Lexington Press, San Francisco, 1998) ‘first, second and third person’ research theory, participants were asked to independently review their thoughts, sense, and image of the future from a fixed mindset position (considered to be the worst case), then from a growth mindset perspective (best case), and then do the same collectively. Five key findings are outlined which support the principle that having a growth mindset is a key component of adaptive capacity and futures literacy. The five key findings conclude that AI adaptation processes need to include compassion and authenticity, embodiment, fundamental needs and motivations, mutual learning and considering what lies beyond the edges of the organisation (Bateson in Small arcs of larger circles: framing through other patterns, Triarchy Press, Axminster, 2018).

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is a vital driver of the next wave of automatisation of Industry 4.0. It impacts product-based and service-based organisations and is becoming an investment stream in organisational transformation strategies. The transformation teams that deploy AI use agile incremental methodologies that ideally match the learning and adaptation requirements for the machine, as well as the human user who is the source of data and requires a service response. This research outlines a layered analysis process of 65 user stories (a common agile method of obtaining user requirements) generated via a participatory process, involving 110 participants in three workshop settings, in what they determined AI would not do. The results outline the workshop approach undertaken to generate user stories and the analysis of user stories via persona and futures methodology causal layered analysis (Inayatullah S. 1998. Causal layered analysis. Futures 30(8): 815-829). The final component of the analysis generated a futures focussed set of guiding principles that can be used as a lens to broaden the transformation teams perspective in AI deployment. Concepts also consider the importance of futures literacy as a key competency of AI creation teams.