Deploying an AI tool is the easy part. Getting a team of experienced professionals to change how they work is the hard part — especially when those professionals suspect the tool is a prelude to headcount reduction. This session applies established change management thinking to AI adoption in clinical research organizations. We'll address the emotional reality head-on: fear of obsolescence, skepticism born from previous technology rollouts that overpromised, and the quiet resistance of people who simply keep doing things the old way. Panelists will share what worked and what backfired, including the role of visible executive sponsorship, peer champions, realistic pilot scoping, and the underrated importance of celebrating small wins publicly.

Takeaways

• Diagnose the real sources of resistance on your team rather than assuming technophobia
• Structure pilots that build credibility instead of overpromising
• Build a communication cadence that sustains adoption past the initial launch