In this episode of The Human Protocol, host Mykel Salomon sits down with Karen Lam, Director of Customer Support at Top Hat and co-chair of the Women in Tech employee resource group, to explore one of the most urgent conversations happening right now: how artificial intelligence is not just changing what we do at work, but reshaping who we believe we are. Karen draws on the Promethean myth to explain why AI feels uniquely threatening to our sense of self, and why generations raised on the idea that hard work equals worth are struggling most with the shift.

Together, Mykel and Karen unpack the gender and age disparities in AI adoption, the invisible labor that limits who gets to experiment with new tools, the "penalty" women face when using AI in the workplace, and how leaders can build a culture of psychological safety and experimentation where AI becomes an opportunity rather than a threat.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

Why AI triggers a deeper identity crisis than previous technological shifts like the internet or even the introduction of time zones
How the Promethean myth connects to the way people feel AI has "taken something" that was uniquely human
The real reason negative headlines dominate the AI conversation and how that shapes fear and resistance at work
What research reveals about gender disparities in AI adoption, particularly among female engineers
How the "penalty" for using AI at work affects women and older employees differently than their counterparts
Why invisible labor at home limits who has time to experiment with and master AI tools
How managers who use AI themselves rate AI-assisted work more fairly than those who do not
What true AI adoption inside a company actually looks like, beyond opening a chat interface
Why experimentation and vulnerability from senior leaders are the two biggest culture drivers for AI success
How AI can actually reduce workplace inequality by removing barriers to polished communication and access to opportunities
Why diverse voices using and shaping AI are critical to reducing the bias baked into training data
Practical advice for individuals, companies, AI builders, and policymakers on staying human while building the future

Connect with Karen Lam
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenklam/
Top Hat: https://tophat.com/

Connect with Mykel Salomon
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykelsalomon/
Website: https://thehumanprotocolgroup.com/