Dan Shapero, LinkedIn’s chief operating officer, has shared with Business Insider how he’s integrating AI into his daily operations while maintaining that human judgment remains crucial in key areas. Shapero emphasizes that business leaders must become comfortable with AI technology as they’re likely to be questioned about their AI strategies by their CEOs or boards in the near future.
Shapero highlighted three primary ways he uses AI to enhance his productivity:
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Meeting Summaries: Shapero uses Microsoft’s Copilot, integrated with Teams, to summarize meetings he can’t attend. “There are a lot of meetings that I think would’ve been valuable to attend, but sometimes I can’t be everywhere,” he explained. This helps him stay informed about important discussions and decisions.
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Learning New Topics: The COO turns to AI, particularly ChatGPT, to gain deeper insights into unfamiliar subjects such as new technologies, legislation, or industry trends. “Having a conversation with ChatGPT can be very helpful in me learning deeply about a topic that I’m not familiar with,” Shapero said.
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Meeting Preparation: Shapero utilizes LinkedIn’s Account IQ product to prepare for meetings. This tool compiles news about a company, their LinkedIn activity, hiring trends, and summarizes it into a concise one-page document. He also uses chatbots for advice on presenting ideas more effectively.
Despite his reliance on AI for certain tasks, Shapero stressed that there are aspects of his job where human involvement is indispensable. In the later stages of recruiting, for instance, he believes AI falls short. “How do I really assess whether they’re a good fit for the job?” and “How do I have a conversation with them to convince them that we’re a good match for them?” are questions that require human judgment, according to Shapero.
Moreover, Shapero is skeptical about AI’s ability to perform leadership functions. “While AI has shown that it can synthesize information, I’m not sure that it’s shown that it can inspire a team or that it can connect with people at a deeper level,” he noted. He also pointed out that AI tools struggle when faced with a lack of data, making human decision-making crucial. “Ultimately it has to be you at the center, making the decision and seeing the path forward,” Shapero concluded.
Shapero’s approach reflects a growing trend among top tech leaders, including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, who use AI daily in their work. Some, like Shopify’s CEO Tobe Lütke, have even made AI usage mandatory within their organizations. Shapero’s experience suggests that while AI can significantly enhance productivity, it must be complemented with human insight and judgment to achieve true success in business leadership roles.
