Building an AI-friendly culture at Fifty Thousand Feet

Embedding AI at Our Core

We began laying the groundwork for building an AI-friendly culture in 2023, as generative AI was gaining traction. We established an AI task force, invested in team training, and surveyed our teams to understand their current use of AI. We provided employees with access to AI platforms, inviting them to test, explore, and develop their own use cases. The objective: cultivate curiosity and creative experimentation, anchored firmly in the belief that AI extends our capabilities rather than replaces them.

We chose not to reposition ourselves as an “AI-first” agency. Instead, we have evolved from our core strengths, enhancing rather than overshadowing them with AI. Our intention isn’t to be known simply as an “AI agency” but rather to integrate AI deeply into how we deliver lasting value. At the heart of this vision, lies a simple yet powerful belief: our people drive the solution. AI doesn’t alter why clients choose us. AI amplifies what makes us uniquely valuable.

Soon, explicitly highlighting AI will feel as unnecessary as labeling ourselves “digital.” AI will become an ordinary, yet crucial, element of every strategic and creative decision we make. Still, just as digital ushered in a culture of rapid iteration, AI introduces its own dynamic: accelerated insight and boundless imagination. Beyond mastering technical skills like prompt engineering, it’s about fostering genuine curiosity and the enthusiasm to explore uncharted possibilities. Applying AI enables us to see patterns and insights otherwise invisible, enhancing our consumer research and quickly pinpointing emerging trends.

Championing Experimentation and Responsibility

We nurture a culture of fearless curiosity by ensuring our teams are confident and comfortable using AI. Psychological safety enables bold experimentation and a learning environment where teams embrace both success and failure. We encourage our teams to let AI surprise them, pushing creative boundaries and reimagining what’s possible.

Experimentation cannot simply be mandated from the top. The swift pace of AI demands decentralized learning. Teams must have the autonomy to innovate, adapt, and learn organically. Leadership entrusts teams with the freedom to explore AI creatively.

Leadership remains essential in providing strategic direction and guiding experimentation toward tangible, high-quality outcomes grounded in responsibility. Clear, consistent training and robust guidelines ensure our teams fully grasp the ethical dimensions, data integrity requirements, and quality standards necessary for responsible AI use. These documented processes and frameworks are central to our approach, so that everyone appreciates and internalizes the accountability that accompanies the power of AI.

Taking Action and Scaling Impact

Practical actions anchor our cultural transformation, resulting in both clarity and consistency. We are updating job descriptions to reflect AI competencies, refining our objectives and key results (OKRs) for effective AI integration, and running structured team workshops based on MIT’s methods for AI-driven innovation. Every team includes an AI practice lead, engaged with our broader AI working group to promote shared learning and empower experimentation across the agency.

We are also piloting new AI-driven processes and preparing to launch innovative client-facing offerings powered by AI. This approach makes it possible for our teams to develop at a challenging yet manageable pace, building essential experience and confidence.

We recognize the potential challenges of rapid AI adoption (such as roles evolving from creation toward curation) and proactively manage these shifts. Drawing from collective experience and strategic foresight, our teams maintain clarity about what success looks like, skillfully employing AI to achieve it.

A Culture of Continuous Growth

Our journey toward becoming AI-friendly has no end point. It thrives on ongoing improvement, constant curiosity, and a steadfast commitment to ethical practices. Achieving AI fluency goes beyond technical mastery; it demands a vibrant culture of creativity, courage, and collaboration. This is precisely the culture we’re building. Our teams are inspired to innovate, experiment responsibly, and thoughtfully integrate emerging technologies into their daily workflow.

By purposefully embedding AI into our culture, we’re doing more than adapting to change. We’re actively shaping our future.