How to Stay Human in an AI-Driven Workplace with Marshall Belcher

Summary:

What if the future of work depends less on technology and more on how much humanity we choose to preserve?

This week on The UpLevel Podcast, we welcome Marshall Belcher, Principal Strategist and AI Innovation Lead for Strategic Customer Engagement at a global tech company, for a thoughtful and timely conversation on leadership, right relationship, and artificial intelligence.

Marshall works at the forefront of artificial intelligence, supporting executive strategy and CEO-level engagements across some of the most influential organizations in Silicon Valley.

With more than 30 years of experience across companies like Cisco, AT&T, and Prudential, he brings rare depth at the intersection of technology, leadership, and relationship intelligence.

But what makes this conversation especially powerful is Marshall’s commitment to service, care, and responsibility. 

We’ll explore what it means to be in right relationship with technology as AI reshapes how we work, lead, and connect. Marshall shares why AI must be designed and implemented through intentional alliances, ethical frameworks, and human-centered systems that prioritize safety, dignity, and trust.

As we continue our exploration of right relationship, Marshall reminds us that the question is not whether AI will shape our future but how intentionally and relationally we choose to shape AI.

In This Episode:

• AI as a tool to elevate human potential rather than replace it

• The importance of training, governance, and culture when embedding AI into workplaces

• Why relationship intelligence matters just as much as technical intelligence

• Leadership approaches that preserve humanity in high-performance environments

• Why right relationship requires putting service before metrics

• Friendship and genuine connection as strengths in leadership

• The risks of measuring success through individual performance alone

• Why AI must be approached with discernment, training, and humility

• How emotional intelligence and right relationships are essential for AI safety and alignment

• What it means to design alliances with technology rather than emotional attachments

*Disclaimer: What’s discussed in this episode are Marshall’s personal views and in no way represent Alphabet, Google.

Order of Topics:

• The Three Dimensions of Human Needs

• Right Relationship in Business Settings

• Navigating Friendship and Professional Boundaries

• Balancing Results and Human Connection

• Measuring and Managing Performance Relationally

• AI and The Challenge of Human-Like Connection

• Humanizing AI Interaction

• Societal Adaptation and Training for AI

• The Rise of Wearables and AI Integration

• The Passion Behind the Work

• Social Media, Technology, and Human Connection

• Bringing Right Relationship to Organizations

• Hope and Human-Centered Futures

  
  

Action Items:

• Establishing Right Relationships:

  • Recognize Humanity: Prioritize human connection over transactional interactions in all relationships—work, family, and friends.

  • Address Core Needs: Ensure that physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are acknowledged to prevent misalignment.

• Human-Centered Business Practices:

  • Understand People: Move beyond metrics; focus on coworkers', clients', and partners' holistic needs.

  • Foster Friendships: Cultivate genuine connections with colleagues and clients for sustained benefits.

• Balancing Goals at Work:

  • Set Balanced Objectives: Integrate both individual achievements and team goals to encourage collaboration without undermining collective efforts.

• Performance Metrics Focused on Connection:

  • Implement performance management systems that value teamwork and relationship-building alongside individual success.

• Navigating AI Integration:

  • Collaborate with AI by leveraging human strengths rather than competing against it.

• Aligning AI with Human Values:

  • Ensure AI systems prioritize safety, alignment with human values, and understand our limitations as humans.

• Educating About Emotional Attachments to AI:

  • Promote public education on what AI can truly offer versus perceived emotional intimacy or friendship risks.

• Organizational Design for the Age of AI:

  • Balance productivity gains from AI with structures promoting well-being through thoughtful integration strategies.

About Marshall:

Marshall Belcher is a Principal Strategist and AI Innovation Lead for Strategic Customer Engagement at Google Cloud, where he drives executive AI strategy and supports CEO-level engagements for Alphabet’s largest customers in Silicon Valley. He designs and delivers strategy sessions, consultative workshops, speaking engagements, and advanced AI demonstrations inside Google Cloud’s flagship executive environment.

A recognized Applied AI Engineering Blackbelt, Marshall brings both boardroom fluency and hands-on technical depth to help strategic customers unlock business value through GenAI, data analytics, and cloud transformation. Previously, he served as Head of Customer Engineering, GenAI Blackbelt, Field CTO, and Principal Cloud Architect at Google Cloud, leading global enterprise and SaaS transformations.

With more than 30 years of industry experience—including leadership roles at Cisco, HPE, Avaya, AT&T, Prudential, and D2iQ—Marshall has advised enterprises, startups, and technology innovators worldwide on AI-driven growth and digital evolution.

He is a Wharton CTO Program graduate, holds a Master’s in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from Full Sail University, and earned his B.S. in Microbiology & Cell Science from the University of Florida.

Driven by a belief in AI’s power to elevate human potential, Marshall is a lifelong learner who loves to run, eat well, and explore the world.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbelcher/

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About UpLevel Productions: Founded by Christie Mann, MA, CPCC, PCC, and Rachel Baldi, CPCC, PCC, UpLevel creates, produces, and delivers Transformative Experiences, Workshops, Training, Events + Media that develop leaders who make our world a healthier, more alive, and connected place to be. As Associate CTI Faculty Partners, UpLevel is licensed to sell, produce, and deliver Co-Active coach training and leadership development programs around the world to support the transformational growth of individuals and culture inside the workplace and organization. www.uplevelproductions.com Instagram @uplevelproductions Facebook & LinkedIn @uplevelproductionscompany