Who pays when an organization asks employees to take initiative with AI?
You can encourage people to learn AI without asking them to pay for it. Say which tools, courses and learning time the organization provides, explain how to ask for more, and give people a starting point that costs them nothing.
The continuous innovation discussion included a strong view about taking responsibility for your own learning. That view shouldn't get converted into an expectation that employees pay for their employer's transformation out of their own pockets.
Spell out what the organization provides, then explain the approval route for anything extra and who decides whether it counts as a business expense. One thing to skip: asking someone to buy a subscription on a personal account to work around procurement or access rules. A convenient shortcut like that can leave open questions about data, ownership and reimbursement.
Approved tools, internal practice material or a supported learning session all make a good free starting point. If a resource isn't available, say so in the rollout plan so the gap is visible. Then invite people to propose ideas and tell you what would help them learn. Agency means influence and supported capability, with no unspoken expectation that people absorb costs the organization hasn't planned for.
What to try this week
List what your organization provides for AI learning, plus the approval route for anything extra and who decides if it's a business expense. Send that page to your team.