AI Will Replace Your Job? Not So Fast Says Nick Pericle

Why the future of B2B starts with individual transformation, not enterprise rollout.

The AI wave isn’t coming. It’s already here. And if your only plan is to wait for a “corporate strategy,” you’re already behind.

That’s the message from Nick Pericle, AI strategist and technology leader, who joined the B2B eCommerce Show to share a deeply personal and practical take on what AI really means for B2B.

Spoiler: It’s not just about vendors and platforms. It starts with you.

The AI Paradigm Shift

Nick opens his AI workshops with a deceptively simple exercise: he gives everyone the exact same prompt to enter into ChatGPT. When participants glance at their neighbors’ screens and realize every output is different, discomfort sets in​.

Why? Because it breaks their mental model of how software “should” work. AI isn’t deterministic, it’s probabilistic. And that changes everything.

“It’s not just another tool. It’s a teammate. And it requires a completely new way of thinking.” – Nick Pericle​

Forget Platforms. Start with People.

Most companies obsess over how to “roll out AI” across the org. Nick suggests a simpler and smarter, approach: start by helping individual employees use AI to be more effective in their current roles.

Whether it’s a sales rep prepping for a client call or a category manager wrangling product data, anyone can:

1. List out their core tasks
   
2. Ask ChatGPT how it can help
   
3. Have it write the prompts to automate or enhance the work​
   

It’s recursive. It’s personal. And it works.

The Three Sleepless Nights of AI

Nick borrows a concept from Wharton professor Ethan Mollick: the journey of understanding AI comes in three waves:

1. Awe – Realizing what AI can truly do in research labs and private models
   
2. Fear – Wondering if your job, business, or industry is at risk
   
3. Action – Using AI daily to solve real problems and increase personal impact​
   

Once you reach the “action” phase, the game changes. Nick now uses AI in nearly every moment of his workday, from writing emails to building strategy decks to preparing for meetings in minutes instead of hours.

Personal AI Use Is the Gateway to Enterprise Value

Nick challenges leaders to stop thinking of AI like a CRM, with a rollout plan, licenses, and quarterly training. Instead, think of it as an intern sitting beside every employee, ready to help with ideas, writing, research, or analysis.

The magic happens when that intern learns your tone, your style, and your workflows. But that can only happen if you start engaging personally.

Authenticity Still Wins

One of Nick’s strongest warnings? Don’t let AI write for you, write with it.

People can instantly spot content that’s overly polished, formulaic, or “too good.” It breaks trust. The most effective posts, emails, and pitches are human, imperfect, real, and authentic​.

The Next Frontier: AI as Copilot

Nick sees the next big opportunity in true copilots, AI tools that assist sales reps, operations, and support teams in real-time. Not by replacing them, but by giving them insights, surfacing data, and recommending actions before the rep even asks​.

And this isn’t five years away. It’s already possible. Most orgs just aren’t ready.

Advice for Executives

Nick’s challenge to leadership teams is clear:

• Don’t wait for a polished enterprise use case
  

Empower your team to explore and share learnings