AI should not be measured by how fast it can be deployed, but by the trust it builds and the creativity it amplifies.

In this episode of the Design Executive Outlook on Enterprise AI series, our founder and CEO, Gordon Ching, sits down with Eric Snowden, SVP of Design at Adobe. Eric shares how Adobe resisted the industry rush to bolt AI onto products, choosing instead to prioritize trust, agency, and user choice.

He explains why design leadership in the AI era is not about chasing speed, but about defining the conditions of trust. From giving creatives the ability to opt out of AI workflows, to expanding ambition without reducing teams, to embedding transparency as a differentiator, Adobe’s approach reframes AI as a catalyst for empowerment rather than displacement.

Eric emphasizes that the difference between enabling people and displacing them is the line that defines creative leadership in this moment. By treating trust as a strategy and agency as non-negotiable, leaders can turn AI from a source of fear into a force for growth and lasting empowerment.

Podcast Recorded in February 2025

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AI represents a paradigm shift as profound as the Industrial Revolution, only unfolding at unprecedented speed. In this episode of the Design Executive Outlook on Enterprise AI series, our founder and CEO, Gordon Ching, sits down with Benedikt Lehnert, Entrepreneurship and Design Fellow at Princeton University.

Benedikt describes this moment as one of both fascination and unease: a frontier where the role of design leadership becomes inseparable from questions of ethics, responsibility, and human dignity. He argues that designers must go beyond product-making to become ethical navigators, negotiating the contract between business, society, and the planet to ensure AI delivers net positive outcomes.

From the risks of convergence with other powerful technologies to the promise of multimodal interaction that makes computers more natural and human, Benedikt challenges leaders to move beyond short-lived efficiency gains and focus on creating lasting value. His call to action is clear: design leadership must preserve the human soul in AI, guiding technology to serve humanity at its best.

Podcast Recorded in November 2024

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⁠⁠⁠Learn more⁠⁠⁠⁠ about the Design Executive Council Membership

Read the ⁠⁠⁠⁠AI Report⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the newsletter

Follow the Design Executive Council on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Gordon Ching on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Benedikt Lehnert on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn

AI is not incremental; it’s expansive. It demands that we treat it as a redefinition of experience, not just a tool for automation.

In this episode of the Design Executive Outlook on Enterprise AI series, our founder and CEO, Gordon Ching, sits down with Christina Vallery, Chief Design Officer at The Cigna Group. Christina frames the AI era as an inflection point, one charged with both excitement and uncertainty. The challenge, she argues, is not simply adopting AI, but redefining how design creates value when machines take on routine tasks and humans elevate the craft.

Christina encourages design leaders to adapt alongside AI’s rapid advancements, seeing it not just as a productivity tool, but as a catalyst for redefining human experience and unlocking new dimensions of design once beyond imagination.

Looking ahead, Christina envisions hyper-personalized “couture technology” and immersive environments that will redefine how people engage with technology. Her call to action is clear: leaders who harness AI’s energy to amplify creativity and human connection will define the next era of competitive advantage.

Podcast Recorded in November 2024

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⁠⁠Learn more⁠⁠⁠ about the Design Executive Council Membership

Read the ⁠⁠⁠AI Report⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠⁠ for the newsletter

Follow the Design Executive Council on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Gordon Ching on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Christina Vallery on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn