Professor Launches Blog Focused on Exploring Human Impact of Artificial Intelligence Integration 

As artificial intelligence continues to rapidly shape industries, one Idaho State University professor is focusing not just on the technology itself, but on how it fundamentally changes human behavior, workplace systems and organizational success.

Rob Lion, Ph.D., professor in the College of Education, started a weekly blog called The Friction Prophet on Substack. Substack is an online platform where writers can publish blogs, newsletters and media content. With a background focused on human behavior and organizational success, Lion’s inspiration for the blog is rooted in his academic work and consulting experience through his firm, which he co-founded with his wife Angie, called Black River Performance Management. Their work focuses on helping organizations succeed with an understanding of the variability in human behavior. 

“The blog focuses on AI-human integration, examining how people interact with AI on a psychological level, both positively and with unintended consequences,” said Lion. “Organizations have always had this level of fragility, and as AI moves into the work and personal space, it adds a dimension of complexity to individual and organizational life. This evolution of complexities has me particularly interested in individual, team and organizational well-being.”                            

Some topics have included higher education's role in preparing students for AI-integrated work, motivation systems under AI integration, psychological safety as infrastructure for effective AI adoption and the gap between technical deployment and human integration in organizations. 

“AI is going to be the most significant technological shift of our time. Its value proposition and unintended consequences far exceed the evolution of any earlier technology,” Lion explained. “The amount of money being poured into AI during this time of high promise and low proof of concept is unprecedented, and that creates unique challenges for organizations and the people working in them.” 

Outside of organizations implementing the use of AI, Lion explained that higher education also faces many challenges. “Here's the challenge for higher education: we have to be nimble and evolving at a rate faster than we've historically operated.”

“At the institutional level, the value proposition has to shift. We can't justify premium tuition by teaching content students could learn faster with AI. What can a quality program provide that AI can't? Mentorship. Feedback on judgment calls. Environments where students learn to recognize when AI is right and when to override it. Spaces to develop the critical thinking that distinguishes good work from polished garbage.”

“In my own teaching, I use AI as a diagnostic tool, but I'm being deliberate and selective about integration. I'm finding my own footing with it as a learning experience, which I think is important. If I'm going to write about the challenges of AI integration and advocate for thoughtful human-centered approaches, I need to model that same deliberate practice myself.”

In addition to the blog, Lion recently published an article in Spark Magazine, an online magazine published by the Leonardo Institute. Lion outlined key elements on what organizations should consider as they integrate AI into their business by following a six-part framework: psychological contract redesign, psychological safety as infrastructure, capacity building architecture, algorithmic accountability, meaning preservation, and consequence design competency.

Looking ahead, Lion wants to continue examining the human side of AI integration to provide people with useful frameworks to tackle leadership and success obstacles. “I want readers to understand that AI integration is fundamentally a human challenge, not a technical one. The organizations succeeding aren't the ones deploying fastest. They're the ones designing for human integration deliberately,” said Lion. 

Lion publishes new posts weekly every Tuesday on Substack and invites readers to join the conversation to explore how human-centered approaches can lead to effective outcomes with artificial intelligence.