Code Red: Zapier's Approach to Move from AI Fear to AI Integration w/ Zapier's Brandon Sammut

Episode notes

Send us Fan Mail “With AI you can delegate a bunch of the work, but you cannot delegate the accountability.” This week on Your Work Friends , we sit down with Zapier’s Chief People & AI Transformation Officer Brandon Sammut to break down how Zapier hit 97% AI adoption without traditional L&D, why they declared an internal “ Code Red ,” and how culture - not tools - is the real engine of AI transformation. We get into Zapier’s AI fluency rubric for new hires, their “ clear the lane ” discipline that freed HR to actually innovate, and the role of AI Automation Engineers reshaping how teams work. If you’re stuck in pilot purgatory , wrestling with tool sprawl, or trying to get your leaders hands-on with AI, this episode gives you the moves. What you’ll learn: Why Zapier called “Code Red” on AI early The habits behind their 97% adoption rate How transparency + psychological safety supercharge experiments The AI fluency bar every new hire must meet One golden rule: delegate work, not accountability If you’re a CHRO, CPO, or operator trying to make AI real inside your org - not just a slide - this one’s your playbook.

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