---
id: "claim-familiarity-confidence"
type: "claim"
source_timestamps: ["¶15"]
tags: ["psychology", "adoption", "sentiment"]
related: ["quote-know-appreciate", "entity-mckinsey", "evidence-adoption-sentiment"]
confidence: "high"
testable: true
speakers: ["Doug J. Chung", "Candace Lun Plotkin", "Siamak Sarvari", "Jennifer Stanley", "Maria Valdivieso"]
sources: ["attention"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-attention"
originDay: 4
articleStem: "hbr-cl-90-genai-myths-sales-marketing"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/02/5-gen-ai-myths-holding-sales-and-marketing-teams-back"
sourceTitle: "5 Gen AI Myths Holding Sales and Marketing Teams Back"
---
# Familiarity with Gen AI breeds enthusiasm and confidence

## Claim: Familiarity with Gen AI breeds enthusiasm and confidence

**Statement:** Actual usage of Gen AI dramatically shifts sentiment.

**Supporting evidence in the source:** Per a [[entity-mckinsey-d4|McKinsey]] survey of B2B leaders, **94%** of those already using Gen AI expressed being "very excited" about its potential, versus only **52%** of leaders who had yet to start — proving that hands-on familiarity is key to overcoming anxiety. The article distills this as [[quote-know-appreciate]] ("To know gen AI is to appreciate it… familiarity breeds confidence").

**Confidence:** HIGH (article) for the direction; the exact percentages are internal to the McKinsey/HBR study.

**Enrichment (calibration):** The directional pattern — adopters more optimistic than non-adopters — is widely reported (e.g., 86% of AI-using sales teams report positive ROI within the first year). But survey enthusiasm can carry **optimism bias** and understate concerns about job security, surveillance, or overwork. A balanced program pairs rollout with transparent role communication and upskilling. See [[evidence-adoption-sentiment]].