Building Trusted AI For The Future Of Work Ft. Naomi Lariviere, Chief Product Owner & VP At ADP

In this episode of TechDogs Discover Dialogues, host Vikramsinh Ghatge sits down with Naomi Lariviere, Chief Product Owner and Vice President at ADP, to explore how AI, data, trust, and human-centered product leadership are changing workforce technology.

The conversation begins with Naomi’s professional journey across more than 20 years of building technology products. Her career began in financial services before moving into human capital management, where she saw the human side of workforce technology more closely. For Naomi, technology is not the destination. It is a tool. The real work of product leadership is understanding people deeply enough to build tools that support them through important moments.

At ADP, those moments are personal and meaningful. They include getting a new job, getting paid, receiving a promotion, developing skills, moving into a new department, and navigating changes in work and life. Naomi believes the best products are not defined by the number of features they contain. They are defined by how well they remove friction, build confidence, and help people get something important done.
 

Workforce Platforms Are Moving Beyond Systems Of Record

Naomi explains that HCM platforms were historically designed to store information, automate transactions, and manage processes. Employees used them to look up information, view paychecks, and clock in or out. Managers used them for reports. HR teams used them to track processes, manage risk, and automate workflows.
 

Useful AI Starts With Customer Friction

One of Naomi’s strongest points is that AI should not be added for the sake of AI. The novelty of AI has already faded. Product teams must now focus on what AI is actually solving. The question should not be, “Where can we add AI?” The better question is, “What are customers struggling with, and can AI solve that problem better?”

In HR and payroll, customers are not simply asking for more technology. They want less effort, faster answers, simplified tasks, and support navigating complex decisions. If AI helps deliver that, it creates value. If it becomes another button, another chatbot, or another feature users must learn, it becomes noise.
 

Trust And Innovation Must Work Together

In HR and payroll, trust is not optional. Products can affect someone’s paycheck, employment records, compliance posture, benefits, and major life moments. That means AI innovation must be evaluated differently than in lower-risk environments.
 

Human Oversight Still Matters

The episode also explores where human oversight should remain part of HR and payroll processes. Naomi points to the moments that matter most: recruiting, selecting candidates, pay, compliance, and other decisions that directly affect people. AI can reduce noise, remove friction, and support employees, managers, and HR professionals. However, in moments where bias, livelihood, compliance, or trust are at stake, human judgment remains essential.
 

Leadership Lessons For Product Professionals

Naomi’s leadership advice is rooted in curiosity, empathy, and learning. Early in her career, she believed success meant having the right answers. Over time, she learned that great leaders are often defined by the quality of the questions they ask. Her advice to young professionals is to stay curious, seek learning over comfort, and remain open to roles that stretch their perspective.
 

From Individual Contributor To Leader

For professionals moving into leadership roles, Naomi believes the biggest shift is recognizing that the skills that earned the promotion are not the same skills that create leadership success. Individual contributors are often rewarded for expertise, execution, domain knowledge, and problem-solving. Leaders must shift from personal performance to team performance.

Key Takeaways:
 

• Workforce platforms are evolving from systems of record to systems of guidance and action.

• Employees want answers, not more systems to search through.

• Leaders need guidance on next-best actions, not just dashboards.

• Useful AI starts with customer friction, not technology placement.

• The best AI experiences often feel invisible because they help users complete important tasks.

• In HR and payroll, trust and innovation must go hand in hand.

• AI use cases should be evaluated by asking what happens if something goes wrong.

• Human oversight remains critical in high-risk moments involving pay, compliance, hiring, and employment decisions.

• Data is valuable only when paired with context, domain expertise, and responsible application.

 

About Naomi Lariviere

Naomi Lariviere is the Chief Product Owner and Vice President at ADP. She brings over 20 years of experience across product management, software development, customer experience, human capital management, payroll, data analytics, and AI-powered innovation. At ADP, Naomi focuses on building workforce technology that helps employees, HR teams, managers, and business leaders navigate important moments at work.