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How Many Employees to Include in Your First AI Pilot (and Who to Hold Back)

How Many Employees to Include in Your First AI Pilot (and Who to Hold Back)

Yaroslav Maxymovych· with AI assistance9/14/20260 views3 min read

TL;DR

  • Identify key employees who can drive AI adoption fastest.
  • Engage proactive team members to create positive experimental momentum.
  • Clarify which tasks will be prioritized for automation in your company.

Launching AI in a company often raises questions for founders. One of them is: how many employees should join the first AI pilot, and who should wait for the second wave? In this article, we walk through a step-by-step approach to building the right team for AI implementation.

1. Who Are the Key Employees for the First AI Pilot?

It's recommended to include up to five key employees who have direct responsibility for the processes being automated. These could be:

  • Sales department head
  • Customer service specialist
  • Data processing specialist
  • Product manager
  • Or other representatives from key departments who can gain practical benefits from implementation.

2. Why Keep Other Employees on the Second Pilot?

It's essential to retain specialists in their roles so they can continue performing their daily tasks. This is important for:

  • Ensuring continuity of business processes
  • Executing analogous tasks not yet eligible for automation
  • Supporting the climate of change and adaptation to new technologies

3. What Selection Criteria Should You Consider?

Evaluating these important aspects can help you choose the optimal team for the AI pilot:

  • Flexibility: Employees must be open to change.
  • Experience: The more hands-on experience your team has, the faster the implementation process.
  • Interest in Technology: If an employee shows interest in emerging tech trends, it can serve as added motivation.

4. What First Steps Should You Take?

First and foremost:

  1. Conduct a diagnostic of current company tasks: identify which ones require automation.
  2. Have all participants complete a questionnaire on tasks that consume the most time.
  3. Together with key employees, select priority tasks to focus efforts on.

How This Works on Our Side:

In our program, up to 20 employees are engaged to maximize AI implementation effectiveness in your company. Groups work on individually selected tasks, and within two weeks, users receive working automations built from their real processes. Engaging only active participants and precisely selecting tasks—this is the key to success. https://course.aiadvisoryboard.me/corporate?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=article_body&utm_campaign=corporate

FAQ

  • How many people are needed for the first AI pilot? We recommend including 5–7 key employees who are most motivated to improve processes.

  • Do all teams need automation? No—use automation advantages only for tasks that take up a significant portion of work time.

  • If I'm still unsure about key employees, should I still include them? Include people who show initiative and are ready to learn—this will help deepen their involvement in implementation later.

Conclusion

The right team for your first AI pilot is the foundation of successful technology adoption in your business. Start by selecting key employees, then gradually bring in the rest. Tomorrow, you can begin with a free consultation to deeply discuss your company's needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Yaroslav Maxymovych
Author
Yaroslav Maxymovych
Founder & CEO, AI Advisory Board

Implements AI agents in companies and teaches founders and their teams to work with them — through courses and corporate programs.

This article was prepared with AI assistance, based on Yaroslav Maxymovych's methodology and materials. Spotted an inaccuracy — let us know via the form below.

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