In the current technological gold rush, the term "Artificial Intelligence" often conjures images of complex algorithms and rapid-fire innovation. But for Vera Sell, Co-founder of Clearsight and Adjunct Instructor of Digital Transformation at Portland State University, the true challenge of AI is decidedly human.
Sell is on a mission to shift the focus from chasing tools to defining outcomes. In both the boardroom and the classroom, she champions a principle that cuts through the hype: "AI is an accelerant: useful when tied to real problems, noisy when used for its own sake."
Vera Sell
The Problem-First Approach
Vera Sell’s dual role gives her a unique vantage point on the technology landscape. At Clearsight Marketing, she works with technology and med-tech companies across three continents, dedicating her firm to validating whether a technology truly solves a customer's problem.
"We see companies get excited about a tool - say, a new GenAI model - and then try to find a place for it," Sell explains. "That’s the exact wrong way to start. My core advice for leaders is simple: Start with the problem, not the solution. Define the outcome before choosing tools."
This problem-first mentality was recently applied in a deep dive into internal GenAI adoption at a major utility, PGE. The research went beyond mere usage metrics, analyzing employee workflows and conducting Voice of Customer (VOC) interviews to understand the human factors driving adoption.
"The insight was clear," Sell notes. "We found a correlation between personal, playful use of AI and the confidence and value people ultimately found at work. But for enterprise adoption to scale, there must be clarity around what is and is not allowed."
Navigating the Credibility Crisis
As AI generates content, from text to images, with increasing ease and decreasing cost, Sell warns of an impending crisis of trust.
"The immediate near-term impact of AI is forcing us to confront a fundamental question," she posits. "If AI makes creating content almost free, what alternative signaling can companies use to show credibility and trust? Balancing the benefits and risks of AI will take time to figure out."
She predicts a "backlash" against the tide of low-quality, AI-generated content, what she terms "AI slop" and the "uncanny valley."
"In some ways, the best reaction to an emergent technology is to double down on genuine humanity," Sell argues. "Those who can figure out how to create value while side-stepping the downsides associated with AI, and do so quickly and cheaply, will pull ahead. The new competitive edge is the speed of learning and iteration vs striving for perfection."
The Indispensable Human Leader
In the classroom at Portland State University, Sell translates these market insights into a curriculum focused on framing problems and asking better questions. This emphasis on critical thought, she believes, is the bedrock of future leadership.
"Today, AI can write the email, draft the code, and analyze the data," she says. "But the core human role, the leader’s role, is untouched. In the age of AI, core leadership capabilities are more important than ever: asking the right questions, thinking critically, and connecting deeply."
To help executives navigate this complex environment, Sell's upcoming program offers participants an aggregated view of the entire ecosystem - from students to hiring managers - on how AI is showing up in the workplace. This will include insights from a recent student project in which over 30 professionals in the Portland metro area were interviewed on GenAI use.
"We want to facilitate a discussion with fellow executives focused on three prompts: Where we are today. Where we want to go. The gap we need to fill to get there," Sell concludes.
For leaders taking their first steps into AI integration, Sell offers a final, practical piece of advice: "Surface assumptions early and test them with real users; borrow from design thinking principles. Pilot small, low-risk experiments before scaling." The future of AI leadership, she asserts, isn't about mastering the machine - it's about mastering the human art of defining value.
Seats are limited, register now to be part of the upcoming executive program here.