From The Sourcing Paradox series · Week 1: The gap · First shared on LinkedIn, October 8, 2026
71% of U.S. adults are concerned AI will put too many people out of work permanently, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. That's everyone, not just procurement. But your buyers and category managers read the same headlines.
Then leadership asks them to experiment with AI agents, the same tools they're told might replace them.
In my view, people who fear for their jobs don't experiment. They comply. They attend the training, open the tool once, and go back to the spreadsheet.
One study of 2,257 employees found that higher psychological safety was associated with higher odds of adopting AI. I'd put safety first, not after the rollout. Make it safe to try, to get it wrong, and to say what isn't working.
Before your next rollout, ask one question: what happens to the first person on your team who gets it wrong?
If the honest answer gives you pause, message me "PARADOX" and I'll send you our new report, "The Sourcing Paradox".
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This post draws on The Sourcing Paradox, a free Procademai™ report for procurement leaders and professionals (section 3.5, 5.3).
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Sources
- Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,446 U.S. adults, August 13-18, 2025. Source
- Reich et al. (2026), Safety First: Psychological Safety as the Key to AI Transformation, arXiv:2602.23279 (preprint). Source
- Gallup, Makridis (September 2026), Using AI More Does Not Reassure Workers, Managers Do. Source
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