Episode #1: “What AI Change Programs Get Wrong: The Hidden Psychology Behind Resistance (and How to Get It Right)”
Hi, I’m Astrid, and I’m an organisational psychologist. Some people hear that and immediately assume I can read their mind. I can’t. But I do apply a psychological lens to everything we do. Whether it’s strategy, innovation, working with AI, or managing change — there’s one thing always sits at the centre: people. And where there are people, psychology runs the show.
In this series, I’ll be lifting the curtain on the hidden psychological forces that drive us. Get ready to read between the lines.
A few months ago, we were hired by an organisation to help manage a change. They were trying to implement a new AI-powered invoicing system in response to staff feeling burned out and overwhelmed. The system was easier to use, eliminated a large chunk of repetitive work, improved speed, and was ultimately cheaper to run. And yet, resistance to the change was fierce.
It stumped the leadership team. Why, when the benefits were so clear, weren’t people getting on board? Surely this was one of those “easy” changes — the kind people would welcome?
I loved working with this company. It was full of people who genuinely cared about their work. Many had been there a long time. They carried a lot of corporate intelligence and had become the ‘go-to people’ for navigating complex processes. And there, hidden in plain sight, was the answer. This wasn’t about system functionality. It almost never is. It was about something deeper: identity.
The new system disrupted how people saw themselves. It changed how they created value, how they supported others, how they were recognised. The place they had in the company. So they resisted. Not because they didn’t understand the change — but because they felt it threatened who they were.
This is an incredibly common story. And with the rise of AI-driven transformation, it’s one I see almost daily.
As humans, we don’t just respond to change functionally — we respond to it psychologically. We go through an internal process that begins with an ending: the loss of something familiar, something meaningful, something we associate with who we are. On the surface, it might look like resistance to the change.
But beneath the surface, it’s resistance to the loss of identity.
For the Invoicing team, being the go-to people — the ones who knew how to navigate the system when no one else could — had become a core part of their professional identity. Taking that away wasn’t just changing a task. It was taking away something they were deeply proud of.
And that’s why understanding (and facilitating) peoples’ psychological response to change is at the heart of managing change successfully. This is true of any change — but with AI, where the shift often threatens not just what we do but who we are, the psychological response becomes impossible to ignore.
If you’re about to roll out an AI initiative, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Understand what’s really being disrupted.
- It’s rarely the tasks people are attached to — it’s what those tasks represent. Expertise. Status. Contribution. Before you roll out AI tools, ask: What identities might this challenge?
- Talk about identity — openly.
- People often treat change as if it’s purely rational. It’s not. Create space for people to express what they feel they’re losing. Acknowledge it. Celebrate what they’ve contributed so far. Don’t skip this step.
- Help people reframe their value.
- If AI takes over the repetitive parts of someone’s job, help them understand what their value looks like now. Perhaps they become mentors. Problem-solvers. Relationship-builders. Don’t assume they’ll make that leap on their own — guide them.
- Skill up in emotional leadership.
- Rolling out AI isn’t just a technical exercise — it’s a psychological transition. Leaders need to support people through endings, ambiguity, and reinvention. That means naming fears, reimagining roles, and modelling adaptability.
In the end, the success of your AI initiative won’t be determined by how good the tech is. It will be determined by whether your people can see themselves in the future you’re building.
And as for the Invoicing team? They eventually embraced the new system. But not because someone convinced them with a benefits case. They got there because we helped their leaders pause, listen, and help them let go. They told stories about the “old days,” laughed about the workarounds, and gave space to acknowledge what was being lost.
Through this and the other initiatives we helped them implement, they had support to find their place in the new world — with a new sense of identity — they were all in.
If you’re wrestling with how to bring your people on the AI journey — in a way that builds trust, not fear — check out our change masterclass. Or contact me, I’d love to chat. You can reach me at astrid@orangesquid.com.au.