Episode #10- AI Change Fatigue, How Leaders Can Keep Up With the Pace of AI

Episode 10, AI Change Fatigue, How Leaders Can Keep Up With the Pace of AI

Fall has arrived in Metro Detroit, and just like the seasons, AI keeps changing. The difference is nobody enjoys watching their AI tools change the way they enjoy watching the leaves turn. Adam and Chevelle dig into original research Chevelle pulled together charting every release from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot since ChatGPT went public, and the number is staggering. They talk about why the small updates can be more disruptive than the big model launches, why our brains are wired to resist change, and what leaders can actually do to keep their teams from shutting down when the pace feels impossible.

What We Cover

[00:00:00] Sweater weather and football season. Adam and Chevelle kick things off with the first days of fall in Michigan, and why the Midwest makes up for February through April.

[00:02:00] From changing seasons to changing AI. Adam asks how anyone keeps up with the pace of AI, and Chevelle compares it to the I Love Lucy chocolate factory scene.

[00:03:30] Quantifying the chaos. Chevelle's research tracked every release from the major enterprise AI providers since December 2022, adding up to roughly 1,394 changes.

[00:05:00] Big dots and little dots. Reading the chart, where large circles show major model releases and small ones show smaller updates. Why those small changes may matter more to your people.

[00:06:00] Does release rhythm matter? Microsoft tends to bundle its updates monthly while others look more sporadic. Chevelle explains the reporting differences and why predictable change is easier to digest.

[00:08:00] Out of date in three days. The research was finished on September 20th and was already behind by the 23rd, which is exactly why organizations need partners to help them keep up.

[00:09:30] Nobody likes change except a wet baby. Our brains work like prediction engines, so every moved button or renamed feature forces people to restart the learning process.

[00:12:30] The cleaning service problem. Adam compares AI updates to coming home and finding everything moved. Is the cleanliness worth not knowing where your stuff is?

[00:13:30] The bank line lesson. Chevelle shares what happened when she changed how customers lined up as a branch manager, and why AI's inconsistency makes change even harder.

[00:16:30] What leaders can do, starting with acceptance. You will never know it all, and that's hard for leaders who like to be in control.

[00:17:30] Control the pace. Use release filters where you can, sort updates into watch, test, or ignore, and yes, Tuesdays seem to be model release day.

[00:18:45] You don't need a rollout plan for every feature. Decide what deserves training and communication, and bring your employees to the table to help decide.

[00:20:00] Communicate on your terms. Replace 30 announcements with one monthly update, and give curious employees a SharePoint page or wiki to check for more.

[00:20:45] Training is never one and done. Continuous refreshers at every skill level beat a single upfront training session.

[00:22:00] The time savings paradox. Saving 20 minutes on a task doesn't help if people spend six hours figuring it out before it changes again.

[00:23:00] Teach the outcome, not the clicks. Chevelle's baking analogy explains why knowing the goal lets people improvise when the steps change.

[00:24:30] This isn't a trend. Adam on why the basics you learn now build the foundation for everything ahead, and why leaders can't afford to fall behind their own kids.

[00:26:00] Start small. Pick one tool and one use case, because trying to learn everything is like drinking from 17 fire hoses.

[00:27:30] Learn from each other. Build a champion network, compare prompts with peers, and stop waiting for a formal training every time something changes.

[00:29:00] Curious, not frustrated. Individual and organizational capacity for change, and the simplest advice of the episode. Control what you can control.

Favorite Quotes

"Nobody likes change except for a wet baby." Chevelle

"Is the cleanliness worth the stress and anxiety of now not knowing where my stuff is?" Adam

"Just resign to the fact that you're never gonna know it all." Chevelle

"It's like drinking from 17 fire hoses." Chevelle

"Be curious, not frustrated." Chevelle

"Control what you can control."

Chevelle and Adam Links 📅 Book a free discovery call or speaking engagement with Modern Workery https://bookings.cloud.microsoft/book/ModernWorkeryDiscoveryCall@ModernWorkery.com/s/3OSHFvPMm0eRGXe97ckzkg2

📊 Chevelle's AI release chart
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/modern-workery_everyone-says-ai-is-moving-fast-this-is-activity-7508540982565658627-w0KX

🌐 Modern Workery website https://modernworkery.com

💼 Modern Workery on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-workery/

Connect with Chevelle Bedra, Founder and Principal AI Strategist https://www.linkedin.com/in/chevellebedra/

Connect with Adam Espinosa, Co-Founder and VP of Development and Client Growth https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamespinosa2019/

🎧 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id6798381232

🎧 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/03421I71FQOF81FjIdaacB

🎧 Amazon Music https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/629d33cb-6b17-43bd-8fd5-cf1d3f60a1f7

Whether you're rolling AI out across an entire organization or just trying to keep your head above water this week, we're all just trying our best. Subscribe wherever you listen, and if this one helped, send it to a leader who needs to hear it.