In this conversation, I talk with Sarah Downey, founder of Sarah Downey Consulting, about how to use AI to ease workloads while protecting the time and attention people need to do their best work. Sarah helps nonprofit leaders adopt AI in ways that reflect their values and keep people at the heart of the work, but the questions she raises apply to any team navigating AI.

She shares how her own experience with burnout shaped her approach. We explore the promise of AI for people carrying too much, alongside a question for leaders: when AI helps us work faster, does that create room to think, rest, and connect, or does more work simply fill the space?

We also discuss the pressure to keep up as AI becomes more capable. Sarah describes how frequent AI use began to affect her confidence in facing a blank page, and why she makes time to slow down, sit with uncertainty, and find her own ideas. We talk about the role that reflection and mindfulness can play in helping us stay connected to our creativity and judgment.

Throughout the conversation, we return to how leaders can make more deliberate choices about AI. Sarah shares a practical lens for deciding when to use it: does it reduce workload, protect our values, and strengthen human connection? We consider what it looks like to put those questions into practice, from shaping an AI policy with your team to recognizing when a conversation or personal message deserves your own voice.

What you will take away

• Why saving time with AI does not automatically reduce burnout, and what leaders can do with the time it frees up.
• How slowing down can help preserve confidence, creativity, and independent judgment.
• Three questions to guide AI decisions in ways that reflect your values and strengthen human connection.

Learn more at humanequilibrium.ai.

Editing by Earth Dog Films (earthdogfilms.com).

Music by Dan Mahle.