How Asana Scales AI Fluency from the Bottom Up—And What People Leaders Can Do Next
In many organizations, AI adoption still starts with a mandate: a top-down memo, a tool rollout, a required training.
But Asana is taking a different path. And it’s working.
New research from the Work Innovation Lab, led by Rebecca Hinds, reveals that the most effective AI strategies aren’t driven by executives alone. They’re powered by a layer of influential employees embedded across the org.
The lab’s research shows that AI adoption is 2x more effective when driven by internal influencers—not just leadership. And the companies that scale fluency fastest aren’t necessarily the ones with the most advanced tech. They’re the ones that activate their people.
At Asana, those people are known as AI influencers.
Why This Matters for People Leaders
AI fluency is no longer just a skill. It’s a cultural lever—and People teams are central to scaling it.
Too often, People leaders are tasked with "rolling out AI" without clarity on how to do it in a way that sticks. The Asana approach offers a playbook: start bottom-up.
By identifying and enabling AI influencers across the organization, People teams can:
- Build trust in AI where resistance is strongest
- Increase tool adoption through peer-led experimentation
- Create learning loops that evolve with real needs
This isn’t about mandating fluency. It’s about cultivating it.
The 3 Types of AI Influencers Inside Your Org
According to Hinds and the Work Innovation Lab, the most impactful AI workflows often don’t come from IT or the C-suite. They come from three underutilized roles:
1. The Bridgers
These employees work across silos. Think of a marketing manager closely tied to sales or an executive assistant who supports leaders from multiple teams.
Because they sit at the intersections of teams, they see broken processes no one else can. When Bridgers design AI workflows, they solve real, cross-functional problems—and their solutions are 96% more likely to be adopted.
2. The Domain Experts
They’re deep in the friction. The finance analyst rebuilding the same spreadsheet every month. The HR lead buried in ticket queues.
Domain experts understand where AI can help because they trip over the pain points every day. Their solutions are 27% more likely to be adopted because they’re grounded in experience, not theory.
3. The Operations Specialists
These are the system-thinkers. They zoom out, analyze workflows, and build scalable systems.
Operations specialists ensure AI workflows integrate with existing tools and processes. Their solutions are 9% more likely to scale because they’re designed to last.
The Role of People Teams in Activating AI Influencers
Activating these influencers isn’t accidental. It’s strategic.
People leaders can drive impact by:
- Finding them: Use surveys, referrals, and AI usage data to identify employees already experimenting.
- Investing in them: Provide hands-on training, early access to tools, and visibility in planning conversations.
- Elevating them: Celebrate their wins in all-hands, OKRs, or internal channels. When others see what’s working, they join in.
This peer-driven momentum builds what mandates alone cannot: trust, confidence, and fluency that spreads.
From Top-Down to Trusted
AI change doesn’t happen in isolation. And it doesn’t happen by command.
Asana’s research echoes what many People teams are learning the hard way: real adoption requires shared ownership. Influencers build that bridge.
They bring credibility, local knowledge, and practical relevance to the AI conversation. They don’t just talk about AI—they build with it. And when they share what works, it creates a ripple effect.
For People leaders, this is the future of AI enablement: part grassroots, part strategic, and fully human.
