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Is your team actually using AI, or are they just playing with it?

In this episode of Human X Intelligent, host Madalena Costa sits down with Kaisa Martiskainen, AI Operations lead, to uncover the hidden gap in corporate AI adoption. While usage metrics might be up, true understanding is often lagging. Kaisa explains why providing access to chatbots isn’t the same as building capability and how the 'Interface Trap' prevents organizations from seeing the real value of AI.

In this episode, we explore:

• The missing conceptual layer: Why mental models are more important than tool proficiency.
• The interface trap: How limiting AI to a chatbot window narrows your strategic vision.
• Human learning vs. Machine speed: Why humans need friction and failure to truly 'get' AI.
• Predictors vs. knowers: Understanding the three foundational concepts every employee needs before their first prompt.
• Beyond surface level: How to transition from "interacting" with AI to 'integrating' it into your organizational DNA.

If you’re a leader, manager or individual contributor feeling overwhelmed by the AI hype, this conversation will help you shift from reactive usage to intentional system thinking.

Connect with Kaisa Martiskainen:
→ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kaisamartiskainen
→ Substack: https://mamaknowsai.substack.com

Human × Intelligent is a podcast at the intersection of design, AI and human agency. Hosted by Madalena Costa.
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Guest bio
Kaisa works at the intersection of technology and human understanding. She helps organizations and individuals understand how to work with artificial intelligence in practical, thoughtful ways, focusing not just on tools, but on how technology changes the way people think, learn and make decisions

Chapter timestamps

• 00:00 – Use vs. Understand
• 01:09 – Real AI Adoption
• 02:49 – AI Mental Models
• 04:29 – The Metrics Myth
• 05:35 – How Humans Learn AI
• 07:21 – 3 Rules of Prompting
• 10:06 – The Interface Trap
• 12:38 – Access ≠ Capability
• 15:47 – AI as a Collaborator
• 17:28 – The Teaching Problem
• 19:54 – A Learning Challenge
• 21:43 – The "Ideal" AI Org
• 24:32 – The Best Investment
• 25:49 – Where to Learn More
• 26:57 – Final Takeaways

Concepts to explore further:
→ AI vs Automation
→ AI as a multiplier (not a fixer)
→ Problem-first vs technology-first thinking
→ User trust in AI systems
→ AI readiness (data, workflows, goals)

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Hosted by Madalena Costa · Senior product designer and AI systems strategist