A curated Summary by Data Tribes

Bringing AI into the Room: Rethinking Teamwork and Collaboration

A summary of emerging best practices for integrating AI into team-based settings

At a recent workshop on AI strategy, the head of AI — let's call him Marc — brought together a room full of AI-savvy professionals. But when asked for feedback at the end, one comment stood out:

“Did you notice that AI wasn’t in the room today?”

Despite their expertise, no one thought to use AI in the planning, discussion, or facilitation of the session. This is a common blind spot: even experienced teams fall back on traditional collaboration models, missing opportunities for sharper insights, faster alignment, and better outcomes.

Why This Matters

The absence of AI in group collaboration isn’t a technical issue — it’s a mindset. When managers default to old routines, they miss the transformative potential of AI in everyday teamwork.

In studies involving 100+ managers working in small groups, over two-thirds reported:

• Improved output quality
• Better risk mitigation
• Deeper reflection and experimentation

Three Modes of AI-Augmented Teamwork

1. AI Sets the Table

AI is used before the meeting to create content, structure agendas, and anticipate team dynamics.

Case: Anna, a strategy head at an automotive firm, co-created the pre-read, questions, and agenda with AI — leading to richer discussions and high participant engagement.

Key Tips:

• Do: Provide ready-to-use prompts for pre-reading and reflection
• Do: Simulate group dynamics in advance with AI
• Don't: Work in isolation — validate with human experts

2. AI at One Seat

AI joins the meeting through one device and supports the group in real time.

Case: John, an innovation manager, uses AI as a guide, clarifier, challenger, and note-taker in workshops.

Key Tips:

• Do: Introduce team members to AI and define their roles
• Do: Use voice-to-voice features for seamless interaction
• Don't: Let one person dominate or use AI with large groups initially

3. AI at Every Seat

Each participant uses AI on their own device for personal reflection, ideation, and synthesis during the session.

Case: David, a workshop facilitator, had 20 people engage 1:1 with AI during ideation, leading to psychological safety and personalized insight.

Key Tips:

• Do: Time-box individual AI use and give structured prompts
• Do: Have a human facilitator orchestrate the flow
• Don't: Let devices become a distraction or run sessions without clear guidance

How to Start

• Be intentional: Ask “Should we use AI in this group setting?”
• Define the AI mode: Choose based on group size, goals, and format
• Blend modes: Use AI flexibly — start with “set the table,” then shift as needed

As pioneers like Anna, John, and David show, integrating AI into teamwork is not only possible — it’s powerful. The challenge is less about tools and more about mindset.

AI is ready for teamwork. The question is — are we?

Photo credits: HBR Staff/VioletaStoimenova/Getty Images