Diversity, equity, and inclusion discussions have become contentious battlegrounds in today’s polarized climate. Though well-intended, traditional DEI programs can sometimes exacerbate divisions by categorizing individuals into rigid identity groups. This segmentation may lead to an us vs. them mindset, where in-group and out-group dynamics overshadow shared human experiences. Such dichotomous thinking fosters conflict and hinders collaboration, further enshrining the atmosphere of polarization that characterizes the current political landscape in the US and Europe.
Over the past year, voices of discontent accusing DEI as woke have become louder, tainting the image of an endeavor that started with the aspiration of equal chances for all. Trump’s recent executive order to completely dismantle DEI programs has further complicated the landscape, leading to confusion and retrenchment in both public and private sectors, with harm done to many innocent individuals. Amid this turmoil, hybrid intelligence, which arises from the complementarity of natural and artificial intelligences, emerges as a unifying framework that transcends politicized agendas. It also represents a practical tool to level the playing field for those who risk missing out amid the AI hype. Why?
A Universal Framework
Natural intelligence encompasses the interplay of four individual dimensions and four collective dimensions. It posits that all humans, irrespective of color, creed, culture, context, career, or cash, navigate life through these eight fundamental channels. A word on each:
Aspirations (Individual): Personal goals and a sense of purpose.
Emotions (Individual): Feelings such as joy, fear, empathy, and frustration.
Thoughts (Individual): Processes involving logic, imagination, and problem-solving.
Sensations (Individual): Physical and intuitive experiences influencing decisions.
Collectively, these dimensions manifest through:
Individuals (Collective): Networks of personal relationships.
Communities (Collective): Social groups sharing resources and narratives.
Countries (Collective): National identities, cultural traditions, and legal systems.
Planet (Collective): The global ecosystem and shared responsibilities.
By framing human experience from such a multidimensional lens, we recognize that while expressions of these facets may vary, the underlying structure is universally shared. This perspective shifts the focus from divisive identity markers to the commonalities that bind us. A deliberate shift in this direction is needed for two reasons – on the one hand, the unintended repercussions of AI on those who are already at risk of being left behind in the current social set-up, and on the other hand because of the caveats that derive from the abuse of DEI for political purposes. A word on both:
AI As An Exacerbation Of Inequality
AI has the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. AI systems often rely on historical data that reflect societal biases, leading to discriminatory practices in areas like housing and employment. For instance, algorithms used in screening apartment renters and mortgage applicants have been found to disadvantage Black individuals due to entrenched patterns of segregation embedded in the data. Moreover, AI-driven automation favors highly skilled workers, potentially displacing lower-skilled jobs and concentrating wealth among those who control the technology.
This dynamic risks penalizing already disadvantaged groups twice: first, by limiting their access to opportunities, and second, by amplifying economic disparities through biased technological applications.
Pitfalls Of Politicized DEI Initiatives
President Trump’s recent order, titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, mandates the termination of DEI-related mandates, policies, programs, regulations and activities within the federal workforce and contracting entities. This has led to the abrupt revocation of DEI policies across federal agencies and heavily influenced private sector practices and academic institutions.
Even organizations not directly targeted by the order have begun to reassess their DEI commitments, with some scaling back initiatives due to legal uncertainties and social media campaigns against DEI by conservative groups. For example, companies like Deloitte and Accenture have removed DEI content from their websites and ended DEI goals in the U.S., citing compliance with the new executive orders. Even entities that had heavily invested and proudly spotlighted their commitment to diversity and inclusion, such as Meta, have quickly adjusted to the latest political vibe. As a CEO, it may be hard to steer against the wind, especially in an uncertain climate where repercussions can be harsh and unexpected. What if there was a way beyond black and white, either-or? A neutral common denominator that is undeniable?
By structuring human experience as the cause and consequence of multiple dimensions, the proposed model underscores a truth that is often lost in DEI discourses: we all share a baseline of human aspirations, emotional needs, cognitive processes, and bodily experiences — both individually and as part of broader networks. These are not political constructs; they are intrinsic elements of what it means to be human. One’s ethnicity, religion, or socio-economic status can influence the expression of these dimensions, but the dimensions remain universal.
Beyond DEI Politics To Humane Purpose
Many well-intentioned DEI programs unintentionally reduce complex human identities to a few visible traits — race, gender, or sexual orientation — fostering an “us vs. them” mentality and ignoring subtler but equally important aspects of shared humanity. That does not minimize the importance of representation or systemic corrections. Instead, it suggests we also need a stable anchor, a root system that acknowledges the sameness beneath our differences.
The 2×4 approach establishes a framework where diversity is recognized not as a compliance checklist but as varied ways of experiencing these fundamental human dimensions. This recognition can avert some of the fragmentation caused by zero-sum identity politics. It also opens the door to solutions that engage all individuals — no matter their background — around aspirations (e.g., life goals), emotions (family and interpersonal relationships at work), thoughts (critical thinking and creative problem-solving), and sensations (physical well-being, intuitive insights). Conscious attention to these dimensions creates compassion and synergy that standard DEI sessions rarely achieve.
Beyond AI To HI
Artificial intelligence is a second, equally potent force that is reshaping our work and personal lives. Enterprises must deploy AI for analytics, robotic process automation, or advanced modeling. Yet, purely machine-driven solutions often fail to appreciate the human side—motivation, empathy, ethical reflection—necessary for real transformation.
Hybrid intelligence takes a middle path: it marries machine capabilities with the 2×4 dimensions of natural intelligence. In this perspective:
- AI handles computationally intensive tasks, spotting trends and making predictions from large datasets.
- NI ensures that human creativity, ethical discernment, cultural context, and emotional intelligence guide deploying machine insights.
Practical Implications
Mindset re-shaping: Technology can be reframed. Rather than approaching it as a zero-sum game in which machines replace humans for efficiency, the complementarity of AI and NI can be curated systematically to not just do more of the same at a lower cost but also create something radically new and explore unchartered territory. This shift from either-or to ‘and’ might open the door to a more holistic perspective in which people are not labeled based on gender, nationality, handicap, or color but come together in a win-win equation.
Leadership Development: Hybrid intelligence reframes leadership training to balance data-informed strategy with empathy, ethical decision-making, and cultural sensitivity. Leaders learn to interpret quantitative reports with emotional and contextual nuance, bridging the practical and personal.
Recruitment & Onboarding: Instead of superficial “diversity metrics,” imagine an AI-assisted system that identifies a wide range of candidates while aligning with the company’s deeper values—like a focus on employees’ aspirations or emotional skills. Managers can then evaluate skill sets and how each candidate’s 2×4 profile enhances team synergy.
Team Collaboration: AI tools can analyze communication patterns or productivity metrics, but it is the team’s natural intelligence — recognizing emotional cues, fostering creativity, and acknowledging personal aspirations — that ensures meaningful collaboration. A manager can facilitate conversations that unify diverse perspectives by focusing on the 2×4 dimensions.
Why Hybrid Intelligence Unifies
In many workplaces, DEI efforts inadvertently encourage employees to think of themselves primarily in terms of identity labels. By contrast, the 2×4 model reframes the dialogue around commonly shared realities—everyone has aspirations, emotions, thoughts, and sensations influenced by various communal and societal factors. No one is singled out as the “other,” and no group is the “default.” The conversation becomes inherently more inclusive because it centers on what unites us at the deepest level of being human.
Additionally, bringing AI into the mix in a human-centric fashion prevents technology from overshadowing personal connections or ethical considerations. If left to raw computational logic, AI may inadvertently entrench biases or make decisions that lack compassion. Hybrid intelligence ensures that the technology’s data-driven perspective intersects with our intangible qualities — empathy, moral reasoning, and intuition — so that solutions reflect factual grounding and moral clarity.
Practical Takeaways: A Roadmap
How can organizations adopt a hybrid intelligence mindset anchored in the 2×4 model of natural intelligence? Below are four steps that can translate theory into actionable strategy:
Aspiration – Define a hybrid intelligence philosophy that fits your context
- Identify what AI does best: analytics and large-scale data pattern recognition.
- Clarify NI’s strengths: ethical insight, creative leaps, and emotional nuance.
- Shape policy guidelines so each domain (AI and NI) reinforces the other.
Emotion: Leverage AI for skill support, not human replacement
- Deploy AI tools to handle repetitive tasks or to unearth big-picture insights but keep humans “in the loop” for decisions that involve emotional nuance and interpersonal relationships.
- Encourage teams to interpret AI outputs through emotional well-being, ethical implications, and local contexts—inviting open dialogue and trust-building.
Thought: Map the 2×4 Dimensions
- Conduct NI workshops and team discussions to cultivate a holistic perspective of self, society and the institution within your organisation.
- Understand how these dimensions manifest across the collective environments that your organization is part of and the responsibilities that derive from the mutual interplay of an entity and its environment. Use these insights to enrich recruitment, onboarding, talent development, and project scoping.
Body: Nurture Continuous Learning in practice
- In addition to existing training on the job, introduce double literacy programs that combine algorithmic fluency (data ethics, coding basics, insight generation) with advanced human literacy (comprehension of natural intelligence, cross-cultural collaboration, empathy exercises).
- Empower employees at all levels to become bridge-builders who can interpret data while championing the intangible factors that unify people.
Toward Multidimensional Strength
Diversity, equity, and inclusion remain important goals for any modern enterprise. Yet, without a unifying foundation, DEI efforts risk becoming checkbox exercises or polarizing identity politics. Hybrid intelligence — uniting the 2×4 dimensions of our universal humanity with the practical power of AI — offers a more organic path forward. It acknowledges that we all share aspirations, emotions, thoughts, and sensations shaped by our communities, nations, and world.
By leveraging AI where it excels — data analysis, pattern recognition — and relying on our own natural intelligence for ethical judgment, empathy, and creative vision, we don’t discard the valid points of DEI. Instead, we ensure they flourish on a common ground that resonates beyond labels or political divides. In doing so, we reaffirm what makes us human: the capacity to connect, create, and care, guided by a broader sense of shared purpose — even in an era dominated by technological change
