What if AI revealed as much about postures as it does about practices? 

In this article, I share a real-world experience that brought together three different engineering trajectories, three professional rhythms, and one shared desire: to evolve practices, together.

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Opening a space, letting things emerge

In technical professions, AI is often seen as a personal tool.

Everyone experiments, tests, moves forward in their own way.

But what happens when we provoke a real encounter?

When we bring around the same table:

• an experienced director of an engineering firm (IB CONSULT)
• a young independent founder (IES Structure)
• two junior engineers just discovering the profession (IB CONSULT) ​

That’s what I wanted to initiate — in a deliberately non-hierarchical format.

Not a training.

Not a meeting.

A moment of listening, sharing, soft confrontation.

Three paths. Three timelines. And one question: how can we each integrate AI in our own way, without losing what matters most?

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A structured space to let AI usage emerge

I approach AI integration not as a list of tools, but as a human dynamic.

That’s why I created this space for peer-to-peer exchange, with no hierarchy of expertise.

The goal:

• to encourage cross-learning
• to highlight useful reflexes
• and above all, to let knowledge circulate naturally

These kinds of safe spaces allow professionals to say what usually stays unsaid in the rush of daily work. And that’s when real change begins.

These moments are when awareness arises.

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What collective intelligence naturally brings to the surface

1. AI as a tool for dialogue and posture

“I don’t type anymore. I dictate my reports. It’s smoother, faster.”

– Nicolas, IES Structure

Using conversational AI, especially by voice, opened up new ways of producing, thinking, and progressing through projects.

 2. S’appuyer les uns sur les autres, même sur une astuce

“I share my ideas with them without realising it.

– Stéphane, IB CONSULT

AI practices grow faster when shared in a climate of trust. You don’t need to try everything yourself when someone else has already paved part of the way.

And sometimes, the one you mentored becomes a source of inspiration. A reversed mirror — energizing and transformative.

Stécy, at the beginning of her career, did not seek to understand everything or to test everything. She simply observed, absorbed what helped her, and integrated it in her own way. A gentle learning process, through immersion.

3. A reflex to cultivate: "Could AI help me here?"

What’s shifting in engineering through AI isn’t just time savings.

It’s the ability to structure, simplify, and automate part of the work — while keeping the human discernment essential to the job.

“I saved a whole week on my latest call for tenders.”

– Stéphane, IB CONSULT

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What I take away for my AI support sessions

In this field session, I saw exactly what I suspected:

AI adoption in business isn’t linear.

It’s human. Contextual. Collective.

What makes the difference is:

• the quality of the space held
• the freedom to express doubts
• the flow of ideas across professional timelines and roles

AI becomes a posture revealer.

And in my role, I facilitate these revelations —

without pushing, by holding the space, by listening to what’s ready to emerge.

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AI as a catalyst for collective transformation

Artificial Intelligence will never replace collective intelligence.

But it can reveal it, accelerate it, structure it.

This moment shared between IB CONSULT and IES Structure showed that it doesn’t take much to spark a shift:

• a safe framework,
• different voices,
• and a willingness not to walk alone

That’s exactly what I offer in my strategic support:

helping teams evolve their practices without getting lost in the tools.

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Are you an engineering firm or organization looking to structure your AI practices?

👉🏼 Send me a private message or book a call.

Every context is unique. But collective dynamics — they can be cultivated, consciously.

Discover more conversations and experiences that shed light on our work.

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Micheline Boutrin-Deroire

Transformation Strategist – AI & Digital Optimisation

Founder of PAS À PAS DIGITAL

🏆  Europe & France 2024 Award Winner

I support professionals and organizations in simplifying their digital environment, integrating AI with clarity and structure, and transforming their practices for results that are human, fast, and aligned.

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