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What are practical strategies to avoid overload and exhaustion in today's digital world? What norms can organizations create for tool usage, and how can finding offline activities that provide a mental contrast to digital work?Paul Leonardi is the Duca Family Professor of Technology Management at UC Santa Barbara, a consultant and speaker on digital transformation and the future of work, and an author of several works. His latest book is called Digital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life.Greg and Paul discuss the complementary nature of his two most recent books: the first focuses on harnessing digital tools, and the second on mitigating the overwhelm they can cause. They also explore teaching technology management, including the importance of understanding technology's impact on people and organizational processes. Paul explains the 30% rule, emphasizing the need to understand digital tools well enough to use them effectively. They also explore the concept of digital exhaustion, the subject of his most recent book, its symptoms, and how to manage it, both at work and in daily life. *unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*Episode Quotes:How can we reduce exhaustion?41:29: One easy way of reducing our exhaustion is to match the sort of complexity of the task that we are trying to do with the affordances or the capabilities of the technology. And I say match, not over exceed, because we also have the problem where, like me, I am sure you have been in many, many meetings that should have just been an email, that there is not the need. And so what we have done in that situation is we have overstimulated people, right, in a setting with, you know, 15 other folks, and we have taken an hour out of their day and maybe the travel time to get there. And that has created other avenues for exhaustion when, if we had just perceived this information via email, we could not have had the meeting. So you do not want to overmatch, you just want to like match to the complexity of the task. And that is the key to reducing our exhaustion.It's not just distraction that exhausts us18:28: I think we have failed to look at how it is not just being distracted that is a problem, but it is the act of switching itself across all of these different inputs really is a significant source of our exhaustion.Inference is a big driver of exhaustion32:45: Inference is really a big driver of exhaustion. And I would say the place that it most shows up, although not exclusively, is in our social media lives. Because, of course, people are curating their lives in terms of what they post, whether that is LinkedIn or TikTok or Instagram, that does not really matter. And we are constantly not only making inferences of them, but what I find is that we are also very often making inferences about ourselves because we see a past record of all the things that we wrote and all of the things that we posted. And then we are also making inferences of what we think other people think about us based on all the things that we post.Show Links:Recommended Resources:Human MultitaskingTask SwitchingFatigueUnsiloed Podcast Episode 612: Rebecca HindsGuest Profile:Faculty Profile at UC Santa BarbaraPaulLeonardi.comWikipedia ProfileLinkedIn ProfileGuest Work:Amazon Author PageDigital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your LifeThe Digital Mindset: What It Really Takes to Thrive in the Age of Data, Algorithms, and AIExpertise, Communication, and OrganizingMateriality and Organizing: Social Interaction in a Technological WorldCar Crashes without Cars: Lessons About Simulation Technology and Organizational Change from Automotive DesignGoogle Scholar Page Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
From the archive - This episode was originally recorded and published in 2022. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant. Derek Gallimore has built multiple 8-figure businesses based on a global workforce. With COVID, remote and offshore staffing has become a normalized part of business. Outsource Accelerator is the world's leading offshoring and outsourcing marketplace. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Hard work and grit will lead you to success. 2. The world is moving towards a single global economy and workforce. 3. Options and opportunities for your business, the world, and how employment works are quickly changing. Check out Derek's new book: an insider's view on why remote and offshore staffing is radically changing the future of work Inside Outsourcing Sponsors HighLevel - The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies. Learn more at HighLevelFire.com. Freedom Circle - A powerful community of entrepreneurs led by JLD. Are you ready to go from idea to income in 90-days? Visit Freedom-Circle.com to learn more.
Whether you're a construction professional, tech enthusiast, or just curious about the future of work, this episode is packed with insights, philosophy, and practical advice. This show was filmed live from LCI Congress 2025. Tom Feliz, DataGrid's Head of Growth, breaks down how construction professionals can practically apply AI to eliminate waste, improve productivity, and get home by 5 PM. Discover why AI won't take your job—but someone using AI might—and learn actionable first steps to leverage AI agents, visual language models, and automation in your daily construction workflows.
AI Applied: Covering AI News, Interviews and Tools - ChatGPT, Midjourney, Runway, Poe, Anthropic
Jaeden and Conor delve into the Anthropic Economic Index Report, which explores the impact of AI on the economy. Conor shares insights from the report, highlighting how AI usage is predominantly focused on coding and complex tasks, with significant productivity gains expected. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding AI's role in augmenting rather than just automating tasks, encouraging listeners to rethink how they can leverage AI to enhance their work processes. Jaeden adds his perspective on the balance between augmentation and automation, suggesting that many users are still in the experimental phase of integrating AI into their workflows.Get the top 40+ AI Models for $20 at AI Box: https://aibox.aiConor's AI Course: https://www.ai-mindset.ai/coursesConor's AI Newsletter: https://www.ai-mindset.ai/Jaeden's AI Hustle Community: https://www.skool.com/aihustleWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gFVOWuXk8wAChapters 00:00 Introduction to the Anthropic Economic Index Report 00:47 Key Findings on AI Usage and Productivity 04:54 Augmentation vs. Automation in AI 08:45 Personal Experiences with AI Tools 11:03 The Future of Work with AI See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to disrupt the labor market by replacing certain tasks and enhancing the productivity of others. Although these changes could eventually lead to broader prosperity, they could also cause worker displacement, increase inequality, and decrease entry-level work opportunities. In this episode, we talk with Lisa Simon, Chief Economist of Revelio Labs, about the ways AI has already impacted the labor market, its diverse effects across occupations and industries, and what history can tell us about the longer-term future of work.
For years, founders have been told to build a defensible moat. But in AI, where platforms, models, and capabilities can shift overnight, that advice is starting to feel outdated. In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, Simular CEO and co-founder Ang Li talks about what it actually means to build a company when the underlying technology won't sit still. Rather than evangelizing agents or predicting the future of work, Ang gets unusually candid about fragility, speed, judgment, and how founders should think when technical advantages may be temporary by default. The conversation digs into small-team execution, founder productivity, decision-making under uncertainty, and the uncomfortable question many AI founders avoid: what if the next platform update eats your product? Note: This interview was recorded before Simular closed its $21.5M Series A in December 2025. RUNTIME 56:44 EPISODE BREAKDOWN (1:52) What is Simular, and how does it work? (6:11) How Ang and co-founder Jiachen Yang connected (9:00) How much time passed between Day Zero and serving their first customer? (13:54) The moment Ang realized " this is gonna be like something huge." (17:21) How he approaches founder-led sales and what he looks for in a GTM hire (26:34) Maintaining cohesion when you're leading a distributed team (32:23) Should you hire a new employee, or build a new agent? (34:50) Why Ang made talking AI gorillas part of Simular's GTM strategy (38:20)"If everyone becomes too cautious there, that actually prevents the innovation part." (43:55) "There's never a moat on anything." (51:16) The final question LINKS Ang Li Jiachen Yang Simular Meet the AI Agent with Multiple Personalities, Wired, 4/16/2025 Simular Raises $21.5M to Build Autonomous Computer Agents, 12/2/2025 What is Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?, IBM SUBSCRIBE
Is the era of manufacturing-led growth officially over? For decades, the path to a stable middle class was paved through industrialization, but today, even manufacturing giants like China are losing millions of factory jobs to automation.In this episode, Bethany McLean and Luigi Zingales sit down with Dani Rodrik, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard and author of Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World. Rodrik argues that we have "no other choice" but to look toward the service sector to anchor our future economy.But there's a problem: we still treat these essential roles as "bottom rung" jobs in terms of pay and respect. Is it possible to elevate a job's status and pay simply because society needs it to be better? As Rodrik argues, it's a future we must learn to navigate if we want to preserve a stable society. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Summary In this episode, Andy talks with Olivia Montgomery, Associate Principal Analyst at Capterra and a PMP. They discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping project management tools, skills, and expectations. Olivia brings a rare perspective, combining hands-on experience leading a PMO with years of research into how organizations evaluate, adopt, and struggle with project management software. Olivia and Andy explore why buying AI-powered tools is often easy, but realizing real value from them is much harder. Olivia explains the shift from buying software based on seat count to buying based on capability, why security is both the top source of satisfaction and frustration, and how unclear success metrics can quietly derail adoption. They also dig into the hidden risks of delegating too much to AI, including data governance blind spots and misplaced trust in tools that feel intuitive but have real limitations. You'll also hear why emotional intelligence is becoming more important as technology advances, how PMs can stress-test AI tools before committing, and which skills will separate the next generation of project leaders from the rest. If you're trying to prepare for the future of AI, tools, and skills in project management, this episode is for you! Sound Bites "Buying tools is very easy. Realizing the value is extremely difficult." "Security is not IT's job. It's the whole company's job." "If your main metric is just 'use AI,' that's a red flag." "AI is very good at predicting what is most likely to happen next, and terrible at predicting black swan events." "Emotional intelligence is what helps you move forward when technology can't." "Use AI to generate a first draft. That's the safest place to start." "If you don't know the topic well yourself, you won't spot when AI gets it wrong." "Confidence in AI can grow faster than readiness, and that's where problems start." "AI can flag a risk, but it cannot tell you why people are stuck." "Data governance is going to set project managers apart in the future." "No matter what job you have in ten years, emotional intelligence will still matter." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Start of Interview 02:10 Olivia's Role and Career Path 06:53 Shifts in How Organizations Choose PM Software 08:23 The Security Satisfaction and Frustration Paradox 11:25 Why AI Tools Are Easy to Buy but Hard to Use Well 20:18 Warning Signs of Overconfidence in AI 24:03 How to Stress-Test AI Tools Before Buying 27:50 Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More with AI 34:28 The Future of Project Management Software 40:08 Skills That Will Define the Next Generation of PMs 45:20 Where to Follow Olivia's Work 46:20 End of Interview 46:40 Andy Comments After the Interview 49:15 Outtakes Learn More You can follow Olivia Montgomery and her research on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/olivia-montgomery. For more learning on this topic, check out: Episode 479 with Matt Mong, about the AI skills you need to stay relevant in the years ahead Episode 463 with Faisal Hoque, on how to transcend the fear and hype around AI Episode 384 with PMeLa, the first-ever interview with an AI on a leadership or project management podcast Level Up Your AI Skills Join other listeners from around the world who are taking our AI Made Simple course to prepare for an AI-infused future. Just go to ai.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com. Thanks! Pass the PMP Exam If you or someone you know is thinking about getting PMP certified, we've put together a helpful guide called The 5 Best Resources to Help You Pass the PMP Exam on Your First Try. We've helped thousands of people earn their certification, and we'd love to help you too. It's totally free, and it's a great way to get a head start. Just go to 5BestResources.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com to grab your copy. I'd love to help you get your PMP this year! Join Us for LEAD52 I know you want to be a more confident leader, that's why you listen to this podcast. LEAD52 is a global community of people like you who are committed to transforming their ability to lead and deliver. It's 52 weeks of leadership learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Learn more and sign up at GetLEAD52.com. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Business Acumen Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Project Management Software, Project Management, Business Acumen, Data Governance, Security, Emotional Intelligence, AI Adoption, Future Of Work, Leadership Skills, Technology Strategy The following music was used for this episode: Music: Echo by Alexander Nakarada License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
In this powerful episode of Unleashing Intuition Secrets, Michael Jaco sits down with Joshua Hale, known as The Holistic Tech Wizard, for a deep and eye-opening conversation on how artificial intelligence is reshaping not just business — but human potential itself. Joshua brings over a decade of experience in digital marketing, automation, and AI strategy to the table, breaking down how modern tools can help entrepreneurs simplify operations, reduce overwhelm, and scale sustainably without losing their values or humanity. He shares the real story behind AI's evolution, from early development to today's large language models, and explains how business owners can leverage these tools responsibly rather than becoming controlled by them. The discussion goes beyond surface-level tech talk and explores the psychological and ethical implications of AI, emphasizing the importance of human oversight, critical thinking, and intentional design. Joshua introduces his Entrepreneur's Compass and Beyond the Matrix frameworks, which help individuals build profitable businesses while staying aligned with purpose, freedom, and personal sovereignty. Michael and Joshua also dive into the importance of community, decentralization, and the revival of classical thinking through methods like the Trivium. Together, they outline how entrepreneurs can use AI as a tool for empowerment rather than dependency — and how conscious decision-making will define the future of work and innovation. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about AI, entrepreneurship, ethical technology, and how to thrive in an increasingly automated world without losing the human element.
Losing some skills to Gen AI isn't decline — it's evolution. As AI takes over routine tasks, humans gain space for creativity, empathy, judgment, and strategy — the abilities that truly define our value. That's the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which talks about why losing skills to Gen AI is a winning strategy.This article forms the basis for this episode: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/why-losing-skills-to-gen-ai-is-a-winning-strategy/
Something New! For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP236 In episode 236, the second part of a two-part conversation, Coffey continues his discussion with Jacob Morgan about building future-ready organizations by balancing empathy, performance, and technology in the modern workplace. They discuss misalignment between employee expectations and career outcomes; long work hours versus work-life balance tradeoffs; honesty in company culture and career paths; the eight laws for future-ready organizations; decoding the human signal in leadership; empathetic excellence as a talent framework; learning as the new job security; flexibility in career design; people-first leadership principles; the role of leaders in shaping employee experience; using AI and technology to amplify humanity; risks of over-indexing on empathy; managing performance during personal hardship; AI augmentation versus job replacement; and why organizational redesign must precede true AI transformation. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Jacob Morgan is an international best-selling author, professionally trained futurist, and keynote speaker. He also runs "Future of Work Leaders," an exclusive network of the world's top CHROs shaping the future of work and employee experience. His passion and mission is to create future-ready leaders, employees, and organizations. Jacob's work has been endorsed by the CEOs of Mastercard, Best Buy, Unilever, The Ritz Carlton, Nestle, Cisco, Audi, and many others. He has a popular podcast called Future-Ready Leadership With Jacob Morgan and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two kids, and two Yorkie rescue dogs. Jacob Morgan can be reached at https://thefutureorganization.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobmorgan8/ https://x.com/jacobm https://www.youtube.com/@JacobMorgan https://www.instagram.com/jacobmorgan8/ https://www.facebook.com/JacobMorgan8/ https://greatleadership.substack.com/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Understand how misaligned expectations between employees and organizations undermine performance and engagement Evaluate talent using the empathetic excellence framework of competence, merit, and empathy Apply practical leadership approaches to balance empathy with accountability Explain the eight laws that define a future-ready organization Assess how AI and technology can augment human capability rather than replace it
Send us a textEvery January 24, the world celebrates the International Day of Education, a reminder that learning remains one of the most powerful drivers of opportunity, mobility, and social progress.In this special compilation episode of AI and the Future of Work, we revisit conversations with education leaders, university deans, and workforce innovators exploring how AI is transforming learning, access, credentials, and lifelong education.From academic integrity and digital classrooms to reskilling and future-ready education models, this episode highlights one essential truth: technology can accelerate learning, but education must remain human-centered.Featuring insights from:Chris Caren (CEO, Turnitin) - Listen to the full conversation here: https://aiandthefutureofwork.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/15780222 Marni Baker Stein (Chief Content Officer, Coursera) - Listen to the full conversation here: https://aiandthefutureofwork.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/17359747 Dave Treat (Chief Technology Officer, Pearson) - Listen to the full conversation here: https://aiandthefutureofwork.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/17557154 Dave Marchick (Dean, Kogod School of Business, American University) - Listen to the full conversation here: https://aiandthefutureofwork.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/17119724 Gary Bolles (Chair for the Future of Work, Singularity University) - Listen to the full conversation here: https://aiandthefutureofwork.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/9236086 What You'll Learn:How AI is reshaping education and digital learning modelsWhy academic integrity matters more than ever in the age of generative AIHow universities and platforms expand access to global educationWhy lifelong learning and reskilling are becoming essential career skillsHow educators prepare students for future work and leadershipWhich human skills remain critical in an AI-driven economyInspired by something you heard?Share this episode with someone passionate about education and the future of learning. And don't forget to subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping the future of work.Other special episodes: Lessons from Four Unicorn CEOs Disrupting Massive Markets with AI (Special Episode)Artificial General Intelligence: Can Machines Really Think Like Us? (Special Episode)Ethical AI in Hiring: How to Stay Compliant While Building a Fairer Future of Work (HR Day Special Episode)AI and the Law: How AI Will Change Legal Careers (Special Episode)AI and Safety: How Responsible Tech Leaders Build Trustworthy Systems (National Safety Month Special)Lessons from Leaders: How AI Is Redefining Work and the Human Experience (Labor Day Special Episode)365: What We've Learned from 364 Expert Conversations (Special Episode)
Q&A episode with Annette's top takeaways from Russell Beck + critical advice for dealing with burnout at work.IN THIS EPISODE:Annette's 3 Takeaways from Russell Beck:1. The Rise of Artist Engineers (STEM → STEAM)Why creativity and art matter more than ever in the future of work. Drawing as a tool for thinking.2. One Size Fits OneManagers need to understand how each person works best while balancing the team's needs.3. Work as a Friend FactoryWhy having friends at work isn't just nice—it's critical for engagement, retention, and culture.Listener Question: Burnout at a Major OrganisationEllie asked: How do I get out of a toxic workplace without destroying my career?Cathal's advice:- You need at least 2 months off to recover- Consider consulting/contract work instead of another corporate role- Get back to the work you love (not just management drama)Annette's practical daily tactics:- 10-minute morning meditation (Calm app)- Mammalian dive reflex for grounding (2-min exercise)- Schedule 20-min coffee with work friends- Weekend self-care: massage, sauna, nature walks- Career counseling or coaching- Bill Cowan's career transition processKey Insights:"Work can be a friend factory." - Aisha Bousaid"Employees with a best friend at work are 7x more likely to be fully engaged." - Gallup"We take jobs for the salary. We quit because of culture." - Bruce Daisley"Burnout is really real. The longer it goes on, the harder it is to pull back out." - Annette SloanResources:Books: "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards, "Building a Winning Career" by Bill CowanApps: Calm (meditation)Better at Work: Better Careers modules at betteratwork.netSubmit your career dilemma: betteratwork.netNext Episode: Laura Gassner-Otting on "Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody and Carve Your Own Path"Better at Work - Making work better, one conversation at a time.New episodes every Thursday.Hosted by Cathal Quinlan & Annette Sloan
What are the questions only humans can ask in an age where AI seems to have all the answers? In this episode, Kate O’Neill and futurist Ben Pring dive deep into the uniquely human skills and judgments that technology can’t replicate, and explore how leaders and organizations can navigate uncertainty, ask better questions, and shape a more human-centered future. Topics covered:Placing today's AI advancements in historical context How technology replaces skill with judgment The value of asking better questions in an AI-driven world Why leaders avoid tough decisions about humans vs. machines How incentives and alignment shape organizational outcomes The policy gaps at the intersection of technology, strategy, and labor Distinguishing human creativity from AI-generated “slop” How to maintain humanity and funkiness in a synthetic content flood Hope and optimism for the future of work and technology Connect with Ben Pring: benpring.com Episode Chapters:00:00:05 – Welcome to the Tech Humanist Show 00:00:18 – The Human Ability to Ask the Next Best Question 00:00:32 – Computers Are Useless: Asking the Right Questions 00:01:05 – Introducing Ben Pring 00:02:21 – Historical Context for Today's AI Moment 00:04:47 – Technology: Replacing Skill with Judgment 00:08:14 – What Leaders Should Be Asking in an AI-Powered World 00:13:08 – Why Leaders Avoid Tough Questions About Automation 00:16:13 – Decision-Making in Times of Uncertainty 00:19:10 – Distinguishing Priorities from Trivialities 00:24:22 – Aligning Incentives and Unintended Consequences 00:25:41 – Have We Gotten Better at Taming the Monster? 00:29:26 – The Most Important Policy Questions We're Not Asking 00:33:59 – The Car as a Parallel: Infrastructure and Human-Centric Design 00:36:21 – What Remains Distinctly Human in a Synthetic Content World 00:41:01 – Invention, Funkiness, and Problem-Solving 00:42:46 – Hope and Optimism for the Future 00:49:03 – Closing and Where to Find Ben Pring
In this episode of the Shift AI Podcast, Adam Alfano, Global Head of SMB at Salesforce, joins host Boaz Ashkenazy for a wide-ranging conversation on how AI agents are fundamentally reshaping small and medium-sized businesses.Adam shares his unconventional career journey—from growing up in a steel town outside Toronto to building a global sales career and now leading Salesforce's SMB organization. From there, the discussion dives deep into how today's SMBs are navigating constant macro change with resilience, optimism, and an increasingly innovative mindset.The conversation explores how agentic AI is enabling small teams to operate with enterprise-level reach—automating frontline sales development, customer service, onboarding, and even complex workflows traditionally reserved for large organizations. Adam explains why CRM platforms are becoming the operating system for human–AI collaboration, how structured data is the foundation for effective agents, and why managing AI agents increasingly looks like managing employees.Boaz and Adam also examine the growing sense of overwhelm SMB founders feel around AI tooling, why “just help me set it up” is becoming the winning go-to-market strategy, and how natural-language interfaces are collapsing the technical barrier to adoption. The episode closes with a forward-looking discussion on avatars, workforce orchestration, and why the future of work is best described as “limitless potential.”This episode is essential listening for founders, operators, and product leaders who want to understand how AI is moving beyond individual productivity gains to unlock entirely new operating models for small businesses.Chapters[00:00] From Steel Town to Salesforce: Adam's Career Journey[04:24] The State of SMBs: Resilience, Innovation, and Opportunity[07:18] What Defines an SMB—and Why Size Matters Less Than Ever[08:17] Agentic AI in Practice: Sales, Service, and Infinite Reach[11:22] Why CRM Is Becoming the OS for Human–AI Collaboration[14:44] Data as the Foundation: Structuring Information for AI Agents[17:32] Lowering the Barrier: Natural Language, Vibe Coding, and Usability[19:41] The AI Tool Overload—and How SMBs Actually Want Help[21:31] Where AI Delivers the Biggest Near-Term Impact[24:31] Avatars, AI Teammates, and New Interaction Models[28:48] The Future of Work: Limitless PotentialConnect with Adam AlfanoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-alfano-60ab329/Connect with Boaz AshkenazyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boazashkenazy/Email: info@shiftai.fm
Welcome to Exponential View, the show where I explore how exponential technologies such as AI are reshaping our future. I've been studying AI and exponential technologies at the frontier for over ten years.Each week, I share some of my analysis or speak with an expert guest to make light of a particular topic.To keep up with the Exponential transition, subscribe to this channel or to my newsletter: https://www.exponentialview.co/------In this episode, Peter McCrory, Head of Economics at Anthropic, unpacks the company's new Economic Index report. His team analysed millions of real Claude conversations to map exactly where AI is augmenting human work today and where it isn't. We explore the striking divergence between API and chat usage, why businesses need to extract tacit knowledge to unlock AI's potential, the "hollow ladder" risk for junior workers, and Anthropic's estimate that AI could add 1.0-1.8% to annual productivity growth over the next decade.Skip to the best parts:(00:00) Anthropic's Economic Index report(01:20) Claude's two distinct usage patterns(06:22) Examining AI's impact on the labor market(09:20) Where most businesses think too small(12:03) Why extracting tacit knowledge is so important(20:33) How do we create the next generation of experts?(23:22) Why people need to develop cognitive endurance(29:55) Long-term vs. short-term productivity(35:56) The future of human knowledge(37:46) Could AI's greatest impact go unmeasured?(41:55) How task bottlenecks have moved(46:09) Implementation resembles a staircase - not a curve(50:47) "Capability doesn't instantly deliver adoption"------Where to find me:Exponential View newsletter: https://www.exponentialview.co/Website: https://www.azeemazhar.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azhar/Twitter/X: https://x.com/azeemProduction by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1. Production and research: Chantal Smith and Marija Gavrilov. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
January 21, 2026: Most conversations about the future of work in 2026 focus on the obvious things: AI tools, hybrid policies, skills, and perks. That's not where the real change is happening. In this episode, I break down the top future of work trends for 2026 that actually matter—the ones quietly reshaping how work is structured, how value is created, and how organizations really operate. This isn't a prediction episode and it's definitely not a fluffy trend list. It's about a deeper shift in labor architecture, including: Why organizations are now managing a second workforce of AI agents—and why most leaders aren't prepared to govern non-human labor How work is turning into a product, making clarity more valuable than effort Why entry-level jobs are disappearing, and what that means for long-term expertise and leadership pipelines How governance is becoming culture, as systems—not slogans—are increasingly shaping behavior Why truly human work is becoming more valuable and more unequal at the same time Across all of these trends runs one idea most leaders underestimate: legibility. When systems execute work and decisions, organizations must be able to explain what's happening, why it's happening, and who is accountable. Grab a copy of my new book: https://8exlaws.com/ Request to join my CHRO group: https://futureofworkleaders.com/
Why are we still using resumes like it's 1995?!
The future of work is changing fast as longer job searches, rising costs, AI and automation, and remote work reshape today's economy. In this episode, Kara Duffy sits down with April Uchitel, Founder and CEO of The Board, to discuss how professionals and businesses can adapt by creating income streams they control and embracing fractional leadership. April shares why more roles are shifting from traditional employment to consulting and contract work, how building a strong personal brand drives career sustainability, and why community, relationships, and who knows you matter more than ever in today's evolving work culture. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Networking Connections 01:02 Building a Hybrid Agency Community 02:04 The Shift in Corporate Environments 06:20 The Rise of Fractional Work and Hustle Culture 07:59 Burnout and the Unique Challenges for Women 10:40 Navigating Modern Career Paths and Job Security 11:39 Identifying Superpowers and Specialization 14:01 The Importance of Personal Branding 18:13 Community Support and Collective Intelligence 21:20 Reflections on Career Journey and Future Outlook 30:24 Navigating Time Management and Resourcefulness 31:24 Identifying Core Values for Success 32:39 Embracing Innovation and Adaptability 34:48 The Importance of Experimentation 35:59 Understanding the Role of AI in Business 37:49 Personal Well-being and Daily Rituals 40:30 Community and Connection in a Digital Age 42:56 Redefining Success Beyond Exit Strategies 46:32 Legacy, Impact, and Human Connection The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms. Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think. Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of TechMagic, hosts Cathy Hackl and Lee Kebler, unpack the realities behind today's AI headlines. They explore OpenAI's shift toward advertising, the growing human bottleneck in data center expansion, and why the AI conversation is moving beyond productivity toward physical and human-centred systems. The discussion dives into the surprising earning power of skilled trades, how XR is transforming workforce training, and why the metaverse was never just about VR headsets. From VRChat to The Sims, Cathy and Lee reveal where the spatial web is quietly taking shape, and what it all means for the future of work and technology.Come for the tech and stay for the magic!Cathy Hackl BioCathy Hackl is a globally recognized tech & gaming executive, futurist, and speaker focused on spatial computing, virtual worlds, augmented reality, AI, strategic foresight, and gaming platforms strategy. She's one of the top tech voices on LinkedIn and is the CEO of Spatial Dynamics, a spatial computing and AI solutions company, including gaming. Cathy has worked at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Magic Leap, and HTC VIVE and has advised companies like Nike, Ralph Lauren, Walmart, Louis Vuitton, and Clinique on their emerging tech and gaming journeys. She has spoken at Harvard Business School, MIT, SXSW, Comic-Con, WEF Annual Meeting in Davos 2023, CES, MWC, Vogue's Forces of Fashion, and more. Cathy Hackl on LinkedInSpatial Dynamics on LinkedInLee Kebler BioLee has been at the forefront of blending technology and entertainment since 2003, creating advanced studios for icons like Will.i.am and producing music for Britney Spears and Big & Rich. Pioneering in VR since 2016, he has managed enterprise data at Nike, led VR broadcasting for Intel at the Japan 2020 Olympics, and driven large-scale marketing campaigns for Walmart, Levi's, and Nasdaq. A TEDx speaker on enterprise VR, Lee is currently authoring a book on generative AI and delving into splinternet theory and data privacy as new tech laws unfold across the US.Lee Kebler on LinkedInKey Discussion Topics: 00:00 Intro00:33 The Shift in AI Conversation: From Productivity to Humanity05:15 OpenAI's Financial Crisis and the Ad-Supported ChatGPT Problem11:31 Can AI Intentionally Give Wrong Answers to Keep You Engaged?13:46 The Unexpected HVAC and Trades Shortage Fueling AI Infrastructure16:34 How XR Technology Transfers Expert Knowledge to New Tradespeople20:21 Meta's Metaverse Layoffs: Why Spatial Computing Is Still the Future25:33 VRChat Breaks Records While Gaming Embraces Living Worlds26:28 Luxury Brands Return to Gaming with Coach and The Sims28:08 Bethesda Revamps Fallout 76 After TV Show Success32:31 Book Recommendations and Final Thoughts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Jayney Howson, SVP Global Workforce Skills & Talent Readiness at ServiceNow , to unpack why “talent readiness” has become a burning platform for companies trying to keep pace with AI, platform adoption, and customer transformation. Jayney shares how ServiceNow builds skills for both its 28,000 employees and the millions of practitioners who power ServiceNow implementations inside the world's largest enterprises, including 85% of the Fortune 500.She explains how ServiceNow built ServiceNow University, an AI powered, hyper personalized learning platform designed around the concept of the “University of You”, where every learner's journey adapts to their context, their role, their skills, and their career aspirations. Jayney breaks down why minimum viable duration, skills profiles, and embedded learning experiences are replacing traditional course catalogs, and why democratizing training (including making it free) unlocks capability at global scale.Most importantly, she shares why transparency, trust, and psychological safety matter more than ever as skills shift, roles evolve, and automation changes the nature of work, and why, if we do this right, the future of work becomes more human, not less.
Elatia Abate is an entrepreneur with a mission to revolutionize leadership to empower humanity in the Age of AI. Named a Forbes leading female futurist, she is a globally recognized expert on the futures of work and strategy and is a distinguished member of the American Her Future-Led Leadership learning and development content has been utilized in organizations including Verizon, UniGroup RMI – Rocky Mountain Institute, Grupo Globo, CME Group, Arcus Power, GMAC (Graduate Management Admissions Council), and The College of William and Mary Raymond A. Mason School of Business. She previously served as Futurist in Residence for Paylocity. Elatia is a sought-after keynote speaker on the topics of the future of work, leadership and resilience, sharing her message for audiences of tens and auditoriums of thousands for including, Citi, NY Life, VRBO, Deloitte, Honeywell, KPMG, and SHRM, among many others. She has a TEDx talk titled, "Pioneering the Future of Work." Summary: In this episode of The Heartbeat For Hire, we welcome back Elatia Abate, a Forbes-recognized futurist and expert on the future of work. As the conversation around Artificial Intelligence shifts from "possibility" to "pressure," leaders are often left feeling off-balance by the sheer velocity of change. Elatia breaks down how we can move from fear to empowerment in the face of disruption. She introduces the concept of the "Stackable Factory" to explain the evolution of knowledge work and discusses the critical need for "Regenerative Resilience". From the emergence of new roles like "Vibe Coders" to the importance of embodied leadership, this episode is a guide to maintaining humanity and ethics in a rapidly accelerating digital world. Key Takeaways: - The "Stackable Factory" of Knowledge Work - Regenerative Resilience - Business Beyond the Brain - Slow Down to Lead Episode Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: The shift from AI hype to AI pressure. 01:07 – Meet Elatia Abate: Futurist and Leadership Expert. 03:21 – The Leadership Room: What executives are really asking about AI. 06:52 – Operationalizing AI: Focusing on business challenges, not just tools. 08:08 – The "Stackable Factory": How AI changes knowledge work. 10:10 – Future Roles: From Prompt Engineers to Vibe Coders. 12:10 – The Ethics of AI: Safety, profit, and global responsibility. 15:37 – Regenerative Resilience: Thriving in chaos. 18:13 – Business Beyond the Brain: The Think, Do, Be framework. 23:37 – Looking Ahead: Impact and conscious leadership in 2026. 27:37 – Conclusion: Slowing down to speed up.
In this episode, Sagi Eliyahu welcomes back Dr. Elouise Epstein, Partner at Kearney, to explore how AI is reshaping enterprise functions, procurement and the future of work. The conversation moves from personal AI-skepticism-to-believer journeys to radically new mindsets around black-box corporate functions, personal AI productivity and governance for an agent-driven enterprise. Listeners in operations, procurement and technology leadership gain a forward-looking view of how to navigate the next decade of AI-driven transformation.Key Takeaways:00:00 Introduction. 05:05 Education systems face an impending AI-driven learning crisis.09:20 Personal AI productivity is mandatory, not optional, for professionals.13:55 AI job disruption creates a painful lag before new roles emerge.17:18 Corporate functions evolve into AI black boxes managed by specialists.18:10 Procurement shifts from transactional tasks to embedded business partnership.27:44 New mindset favors highly personalized tools over standardized platforms.30:56 Governance must enable experimentation while protecting core enterprise data.34:27 Invisible personal AI agents will outlive roles and preserve institutional knowledge.Resources Mentioned:Dr. Elouise Epsteinhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drelouise/Kearney | LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/kearney/Kearney | Websitehttps://www.kearney.com/This episode is brought to you by Tonkean.Tonkean is the operating system for business operations and is the enterprise standard for process orchestration. It provides businesses with the building blocks to orchestrate any process, with no code or change management required. Contact us at tonkean.com to learn how you can build complex business processes. Fast.#Operations #BusinessOperations
See more: https://thinkfuture.substack.comConnect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordon-millward-13115600---Our education system was built for the industrial age—so why are we still using it in the age of AI?In this episode of thinkfuture, host Chris Kalaboukis speaks with Jordon, a PhD student at Imperial College London and founder of Ask Jordon Ltd, an education consultancy focused on making learning more accessible, engaging, and future-ready.Jordon argues that modern education is still optimized for standardization, compliance, and rapid workforce onboarding—not for creativity, adaptability, or lifelong learning. As AI reshapes how knowledge is accessed and applied, he believes the traditional lecture-and-exam model is increasingly out of sync with reality.We explore:- Why the current education system was designed for factories, not futures- How exam-based assessment suppresses independent thinking- The case for competency-based and project-based learning- How AI could provide personalized, asynchronous support for students- Why teachers should shift from lecturers to facilitators- The risk of schools banning or over-standardizing AI instead of embracing it- A future divide between innovative “maverick” institutions and resistant onesJordon's vision is bold but grounded: education should help people learn how to learn, not just memorize information. AI, when used correctly, could finally make that possible at scale.If you're interested in AI, education reform, lifelong learning, or the future of work, this episode will challenge many assumptions you may still be holding.
The world of work has changed forever—and it's still changing. COVID 19 didn't just disrupt where we work—it transformed how we think about careers, leadership, learning, and culture. In this powerful conversation, Nicole Greer and Steve Cadigan unpack the aftershocks of the “workquake” and what they mean for both employees and employers.Steve shares insights from scaling LinkedIn from 400 to 4,000 employees, explains why learning velocity matters more than tenure, and challenges traditional ideas about loyalty, retention, and talent strategy. From embracing ambiguity and building entrepreneurial teams to rethinking training, alumni networks, and career ownership, this episode is packed with practical wisdom for leaders navigating today's hyper-change environment.If you care about building a vibrant, adaptive culture where people can grow and create value—this episode is for you.Vibrant Highlights:00:03:00 – Steve explains why the “pajama revolution” and remote work debates aren't going away, and why leaders must stop looking for a one-size-fits-all answer and start embracing flexibility.00:07:50 – Nicole and Steve dive into why tolerance for ambiguity is now a critical leadership skill and how being “more human” is the secret advantage AI can't replace.00:13:45 – A powerful mindset shift as Steve reframes loyalty, tenure, and turnover—and explains why creating value is what actually makes employees more valuable in today's workforce.00:22:25 – Steve drops a game-changing insight: people aren't disloyal to companies, they're loyal to learning—and explains what leaders must do to keep great people engaged.00:43:40 – A behind-the-scenes story from LinkedIn on learning velocity, revealing how leaders can identify fast learners and build future-ready talent from within.Connect with Steve:Steve's book, Workquake: https://a.co/d/i5StO4jSteve's website: https://stevecadigan.com/Also mentioned in this episode:Mindset by Carol Dweck: https://a.co/d/i43IUYwListen at vibrantculture.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!Book Nicole to help your organization ignite clarity, accountability, and energy through her SHINE™ Coaching Methodology.Visit vibrantculture.comEmail: nicole@vibrantculture.comWatch Nicole's TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/SMbxA90bfXE
We're back! Explore the future of artificial intelligence in the year 2026 with Patrick McGarry, Federal Chief Data Officer at ServiceNow, and Dr. Jupiter Bakakeu, Lead Generative AI Technologist at Alteryx. This milestone 200th episode examines the critical shift from AI as an answer machine to AI as an autonomous work agent capable of executing tasks independently. Learn about the four characteristics of AI agents (perceive, reflect, act, learn), discover which tasks organizations should and shouldn't delegate to AI, and understand why modernization, trust, and governance matter more than model selection. Panelists:Patrick McGarry, Federal Chief Data Officer @ ServiceNow - LinkedInJupiter Bakakeu, Lead Generative AI Technologist @ Alteryx - LinkedInJoshua Burkhow, Chief Evangelist @ Alteryx - @JoshuaB, LinkedInShow notes: ServiceNowAlteryxData.world"Beyond the Algorithm" by Patrick McGarry (upcoming publication) Interested in sharing your feedback with the Alter Everything team? Take our feedback survey here!This episode was produced by Cecilia Murray, Mike Cusic, and Matt Rotundo. Special thanks to Andy Uttley for the theme music.
This week we launch our Imperatives for 2026, and I discuss the 11 top issues you face and how HR, as we know it, is going to radically change. Our research shows that 30-40% of today's HR roles will go away, soon to be automated by AI agents and Superagents. Read today's news release for more details. This podcast explains the transformative impact of enterprise AI on human resources, emphasizing the redefinition of HR roles, the emergence of super agents, and the future of work. It highlights the need for organizations to adapt to these changes by focusing on employee engagement and the development of super workers, ultimately leading to enhanced productivity and organizational growth. Major Messages AI is redefining what HR does and how it operates. We are in the early stages of a technology revolution with AI. AI can analyze unstructured data, making HR more strategic. The concept of superagents will change HR technology. Many HR roles will evolve rather than disappear due to AI. Employee engagement is at a low despite advancements in health and longevity. Organizations must continuously care for and support their employees. The workforce is becoming more independent and less tied to a single employer. AI will create opportunities for super workers who leverage technology effectively. Companies must rethink talent management to retain top talent. Your Personal Transformation Each of these 11 topics represent a learning opportunity for business and HR professionals. We've built an entire AI-powered learning experience and Supertutor in Galileo to help. We encourage you to get Galileo to dig in and apply these topics to your job, your company, and your career. Additional Information Imperatives for 2026: What's Ahead for Enterprise AI, HR, Jobs, And Organizations The Collapse And Rebirth Of Online Learning And Professional Development Yes, AI Is Really Impacting The Job Market. Here's What To Do. Get Galileo: The World's AI Agent For Everything HR and Leadership Chapters (00:00:00) - The 2026 Imperatives for Enterprise AI in Human Resources and Human(00:01:00) - The Future of AI Is Here(00:04:32) - The 'Super Agent'(00:05:41) - Will HR Jobs Go Away?(00:06:43) - The second part of the people equation(00:09:00) - The era of superworkers and super-Workers
Music:Rooster by Ezra Sykes, 2014https://soundcloud.com/ezrasykes/the-rooster(Disclosure: AI Generated)SummaryIn this episode of the Kite Flying Podcast, hosts Jenny and Mandy dive into the implications of Elon Musk's recent statements regarding the future of work and resources in a world increasingly dominated by AI. They discuss Musk's assertion that retirement accounts may become obsolete in the next 10 to 20 years, as AI will provide an abundance of resources, potentially eliminating the need for traditional jobs. The conversation explores the societal impacts of such a shift, including the potential for social unrest and the existential questions surrounding purpose and motivation in a world where work is no longer necessary. Jenny and Mandy also reflect on the nature of human purpose, questioning whether it is tied to daily activities or if it can be fulfilled in more abstract ways.Chapters00:00 Introduction: Real People, Real Conversations01:49 Elon Musk's Controversial Predictions04:57 The Future of Work and Resources10:41 Social Implications of Abundance15:44 Exploring Human Purpose20:07 Preparing for a New Reality25:24 The Role of Human Interaction in the Future30:34 Conclusion: Reflections on AI and Society
Today, we're diving into the often-overlooked power of alignment as a form of risk management and how designing your work around who you actually are can become a catalyst for resilience, satisfaction, and career longevity in 2026 and beyond.In countless conversations with women at different stages of their careers, I've realised that “working hard and following the rules” is no longer enough. With AI reshaping roles, restructures becoming more common, and traditional ladders breaking down, the safest strategy isn't to hustle harder, it's to get radically honest about your strengths, energy, and the kind of work that truly fits you.In this episode, I'm sharing why I believe 2026 is a pivotal foundational year, and how you can future-proof your career by aligning with your inherent strengths rather than constantly trying to upskill your way out of uncertainty. I'll also talk about the unconventional tool I've been working with, Human Design, and how it's helped my clients (and me) name our natural gifts, make decisions with more clarity, and step off the burnout hamster wheel.We'll walk through a simple, practical framework for setting aligned goals for 2026: from doing an honest review of 2025, to choosing one personal and one professional direction, to creating 90-day “experiments” that help you move forward without perfectionism. You'll hear real examples of where energy returned far exceeded effort—and where overloading the to-do list led to stagnation and frustration.Whilst my work is especially focused on professional women navigating pivots, leadership, and career crossroads, wherever you're based you can use this conversation to rethink how you're approaching the future of work. My hope is that by the end of 2026, you'll feel you spent your time and energy on what truly mattered, and that your work is more coherent with who you really are not who you've been told you should be.For all the show notes for this episode, head over to: https://siobhanbarnes.com/144
In this episode of Workforce 4.0, host Ann Wyatt speaks with Mark Yahiro, Vice President of Business Development from RealSense about the intersection of AI, robotics, and the future of work. They discuss the importance of understanding the true costs of automation, the role of safety in robotics, and how AI can enhance efficiency in manufacturing. Mark shares innovative use cases of RealSense technology, including applications for inventory management and aiding those with visual impairments. The conversation also touches on the human element in AI integration and the future of job security in an increasingly automated world. In This Episode:-00:00: Introduction to Workforce 4.0-00:30: Welcoming Mark Yahiro, RealSense-04:02: The Real Value Of Ai For The Manufacturing Workforce-05:48: RealSense's Mission Behind Making Robotics Safer-08:49: Making Automation Practical And Safe For Humans-11:28: How Any Business Can Get Started With AI-14:15: Defining New Skills For A New Way Of Work-17:14: AI IRL...-22:55: How Manufacturing Companies Are Already Leading In Innovation-27:52: Approachable Robotics Leading To Everyday Interactions-31:04: Mark's Closing Thoughts And Point Of Contact-31:55: Workforce 4.0 OutroMore About Mark:Mark Yahiro is a seasoned business leader who incubates and scales emerging technologies and builds high-impact strategic partnerships. As VP of Business Development at RealSense, he helps drive expansion by securing the right partners for sustainable, long-term growth.Over nearly 15 years at Intel, he held leadership roles across incubation, strategic partnerships, and emerging tech—most recently as GM of the RealSense business, leading computer vision and autonomous mobile robotics initiatives. He also led Intel's Incubation and Disruptive Innovation Group, launching ventures and AI-driven solutions with meaningful real-world impact.Earlier, Mark led strategic business development in Intel's Client Computing Group and helped build the RealSense portfolio through investments, alliances, and M&A work with Intel Capital. Prior to Intel, he led marketing and business development at display-tech start-up PureDepth Inc., which went public in 2008 with a $400M market valuation. He holds a B.S. in Software Engineering (University of Illinois Chicago) and an MBA in International Business (DePaul University). To learn more about Mark, check him out here.
HR and compensation leaders are facing a new set of challenges and opportunities in 2026. From new pay transparency laws to AI-driven decision-making, the landscape is shifting fast. This episode unpacks what is in and what is out for the year ahead and explores the trends that will define the future of work. Email: coffee@payscale.com for listener questions and suggestions. Payscale End-of-Year report and HR Predictions: https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/end-of-year-top-jobs-report?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_eoyreport_wv&utm_content=eoyreport_pst Compensation translator: https://www.payscale.com/research-and-insights/your-compensation-translator?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_comptranslator-asset_wv&utm_content=compensation-translator-asset 2026 Pay increase report – https://www.payscale.com/featured-content/2026-salary-increases-preview?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=cnt_awr_payincreasereport_wv&utm_content=payincreasereport_pst
Everyone is rushing to build AI agents — but most companies are setting themselves up for failure.In this episode of The Neuron, Darin Patterson, VP of Market Strategy at Make, explains why agentic AI only works if your automation foundation is solid first. We break down when to use deterministic workflows vs AI agents, how to avoid fragile automation sprawl, and why visibility into your entire automation landscape is now mission-critical.You'll see real examples of building agents in Make, how Model Context Protocol (MCP) fits into modern workflows, and why orchestration — not hype — is the real unlock for scaling AI safely inside organizations.Subscribe to The Neuron newsletter for more interviews with the leaders shaping the future of work and AI: https://theneuron.ai
In this episode of The People Dividend podcast, host Mike Horne speaks with workplace strategist Penny de Villiers about the future of work, focusing on the importance of redesigning workplaces to prioritize employee wellbeing and sustainable performance. Penny shares her personal journey from experiencing burnout to advocating for a healthier work environment. The conversation explores the current state of employee engagement, the consequences of neglecting wellbeing, and the role of managers in fostering a supportive workplace culture. They discuss the integration of technology in the workplace, the potential of the four-day work week, and practical steps managers can take to enhance their team's wellbeing and performance. Key Points: Penny de Villiers emphasizes the importance of workplace wellbeing and explains that burnout can lead to significant personal and professional consequences. Organizations are beginning to measure employee wellbeing more seriously since investing in this correlates with higher profitability. Workplace redesign should focus on creating environments where people can thrive. The four-day work week is gaining traction as a viable option as technological integration in the workplace is increasingly alleviating mundane tasks for employees. Understanding team dynamics is essential for effective management, yet there is still a gap between leaders' words and their actions when it comes to prioritizing employee wellbeing. Links: Learn more about Mike Horne on Linkedin Email Mike at mike@mike-horne.com Learn More About Executive and Organization Development with Mike Horne Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikehorneauthor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikehorneauthor/, LinkedIn Mike's Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6867258581922799617/, Schedule a Discovery Call with Mike: https://calendly.com/mikehorne/15-minute-discovery-call-with-mike Learn More about Penny de Villiers: https://pennydevilliers.com/about #peopledividendpodcast #podcastepisode #podcastrecommendations #FutureOfWork #WorkplaceWellbeing #SustainablePerformance #Leadership #BurnoutRecovery
The demographic of students in California is changing and education must change with it. Dr. Salvatrice Cummo is joined by Eloy Ortiz Oakley, President and CEO of the College Futures Foundation, to unpack the challenges facing a massive and underrepresented sector of today's learners—students primarily over the age of 25 who are working at the same time as attending school. They cover the impact of outdated educational models, the rapid pace of technological change, and the urgent need for flexibility and employer partnerships. Tune in for a forward-thinking discussion on disrupting tradition and embracing true urgency in reimagining the future of work and learning. You'll learn: How institutions can remain relevant as learners seek education that directly fuels economic mobility. What the demographics of higher education students look like today and why constant re-skilling and up-leveling is a requirement for the current workforce. How community colleges can better personalize learning experiences to fit the needs of diverse students, rather than relying on "one size fits all" approaches. How to address the unique challenges facing working learners who juggle multiple responsibilities along with their education. About the Guest: Eloy Ortiz Oakley is an American educator, leader, and advisor. He is the President and CEO of the College Futures Foundation, where he leads California's premiere philanthropic and post-secondary success organization focused on improving economic mobility for underserved learners through the lever post-secondary credential attainment. Previously, he served as Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for six years, leading the nation's largest and most diverse system of higher education. He is considered a leading voice on improving equity in higher education and positioning institutions for the global shifts in the workforce and the future of learning. Engage with us: LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @PasadenaCityCollegeEWD Join our newsletter for more on this topic: ewdpulse.com Visit: PCC EWD website More from Eloy Ortiz Oakley & College Futures Foundation: LinkedIn: @Eloy Oakley & @College Futures Instagram & Twitter: @collegefutures Website: https://collegefutures.org/ Partner with us! Contact our host, Salvatrice Cummo directly: scummo@pasadena.edu Want to be a guest on the show? Click HERE to inquire about booking Find the transcript of this episode here Please rate us and leave us your thoughts and comments on Apple Podcasts; we'd love to hear from you!
Is AI coming for your job, or just the boring parts you hate? Tim Cakir, an AI consultant who scaled his agency to nearly $1M ARR in the first year, reveals why he believes "boring work" is the enemy of productivity and how AI agents can eliminate it. In this interview, Tim shares the controversial story of how he helped a company replace 50 employees with an automation tool, why he believes leaders are manufacturing AI fear, and how he built a fully automated sales CRM using Claude and Make.com. He also debates Sean on the future of "Vibe Coding" and why the future of work might just be a black terminal screen. Check out the company: https://aioperator.com
About This Episode In this powerful episode of The Future of Work® Podcast, three leaders in workplace design and people strategy — Bree Groff, Priya Rathod, and Selena Rezvani — unpack what truly makes work meaningful today. From the myth that work must be drudgery to the practical systems companies can adopt for wellbeing, belonging, trust, inclusion, and confidence — this conversation reframes workplace culture as a strategic advantage. Drawing on decades of experience working with C‑suite leaders and global teams, our guests provide tangible ways leaders and employees alike can build environments where people show up energized, feel like they belong, and are empowered to bring their full selves to work. For anyone shaping the future of work — whether you lead teams, rethink culture, or build inclusive systems — this conversation is a roadmap to better days at work.
AJ and Johnny sit down with Paul Eastwick, relationship scientist and author of Bonded by Evolution, to unpack what modern dating has gotten wrong — and what the science actually says about love, attraction, and connection. They explore how online dating has distorted our view of desirability, why the search for “the perfect person” makes us miserable, and how real connection comes from shared time, not algorithms. Paul breaks down how our brains evolved for small-group bonding — not endless swiping — and reveals the truth about compatibility, attachment, and the misunderstood “friend zone.” From evolutionary psychology to modern dating anxiety, this conversation is a masterclass in how to build real relationships in a world built on comparison. Chapters: 00:00 – Why love advice is so confusing05:00 – How online dating rewired attraction10:00 – The confidence gap and lost social skills15:00 – The danger of treating dating like a marketplace20:00 – Algorithms, ego, and authenticity in the AI era30:00 – How relationships actually form and last 35:00 – Compatibility is built, not found 40:00 – Why men should stop fearing the friend zone45:00 – Redefining masculinity and modern love A Word From Our Sponsors Stop being over looked and unlock your X-Factor today at unlockyourxfactor.com The very qualities that make you exceptional in your field are working against you socially. Visit the artofcharm.com/intel for a social intelligence assessment and discover exactly what's holding you back. If you've put off organizing your finances, Monarch is for you. Use code CHARM at monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. Indulge in affordable luxury with Quince. Upgrade your wardrobe today at quince.com/charm for free shipping and hassle-free returns. Grow your way - with Headway! Get started at makeheadway.com/CHARM and use my code CHARM for 25% off. This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/charm Curious about your influence level? Get your Influence Index Score today! Take this 60-second quiz to find out how your influence stacks up against top performers at theartofcharm.com/influence. Episode resources: Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection Love Factually Check in with AJ and Johnny! AJ on LinkedIn Johnny on LinkedIn AJ on Instagram Johnny on Instagram The Art of Charm on Instagram The Art of Charm on YouTube The Art of Charm on TikTok meetings, collaboration, leadership, communication, productivity, visibility, AI at work, remote work, workplace culture, career growth, The Art of Charm AI, automation, purpose, identity, future of work, Zack Kass, The Next Renaissance, technology, leadership, creativity, meaning, human connection, emotional intelligence, optimism, The Art of Charm Paul Eastwick, dating, relationships, love, attraction, compatibility, attachment theory, online dating, Tinder, Bumble, match, masculinity, connection, psychology, The Art of Charm, AJ Harbinger, Johnny Dzubak Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us a textWelcome to Season 7 of The Trend Report. This opens with a clear plan and a sharper purpose: weekly episodes that blend deep interviews, fast Hot Takes, and 10‑minute professional wins. We invite listeners to help shape topics, join a new Insider Community, and lean into candid conversations that move workplace design forward.Head over to sidmeadows.com/podcast to learn more about SpeakPipe. Want to learn more about the Insider Community? Go to sidmeadows.com/community and use Coupon Code FIRSTIN at checkout to get 50% off through February 28, 2026.The Trend Report explores the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired. Connect with Sid: Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com Podcast Website: https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast Sid on LinkedInSid on InstagramSid on YouTube The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Steve Smith, Managing Director of Growth at Rep Cap, joins Jess Von Bank and Jason Averbook to delve into the transformative role of AI in the workplace, highlighting the shift from measuring outputs to focusing on outcomes. They discuss the challenges and opportunities AI presents, particularly in enhancing productivity and redefining job roles. The conversation emphasizes the need for leadership to effectively communicate AI's benefits to foster trust and adoption among employees. The episode concludes with insights into the future of work and the critical role of storytelling in driving change.
On today's Legally Speaking Podcast, I'm delighted to be joined by Niki Avraam. Niki is an employment lawyer and law firm founder. She is also the Head of WORKWELL Europe, leading the transformation of workplace culture across the UK and Europe. With 2 decades' expertise in law, leadership and culture change, Niki is passionate about preparing people for the future of work. Niki's mission goes beyond the legal landscape–she believes individuals should have profound satisfaction in their work. So why should you be listening in? You can hear Rob and Niki discussing:- The Importance of Embracing Discomfort in the Workplace- Building Invigorated and Engaged Workforces- The Role of Authenticity in Leadership- Operationalising Ownership Culture in Organisations- Unlocking Potential Through Adaptability and LearningConnect with Niki Avraam here - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/nikiavraam
Artificial Intelligence is transforming the workplace faster than any innovation in recent history. Jobs are changing. Technology is accelerating. Anxiety and excitement live side by side. So how should followers of Jesus respond? In this message, Pastor Tom VanAntwerp explores the future of work through the lens of Scripture, connecting today's AI revolution with the ancient story of the Tower of Babel. Rather than rejecting technology or placing our trust in it, this sermon invites us to rediscover God's calling for our work—and our humanity. In this message you'll hear: Why new innovations often tempt us to replace trust in God What the Tower of Babel teaches us about technology and pride How AI can be a tool without becoming an idol Why work remains deeply human, spiritual, and formative How God's mercy continues to call us forward—even after failure As technology evolves, one thing remains true: you are not replaceable, and God has a future for you and your work.
IWhat is our children's future? What skills should they be developing? How should schools be adapting? What will the fully functioning citizens and workers of the future look like? A look into the landscape of the next 15 years, the future of work with human and AI interactions, the transformation of education, the safety and privacy landscapes, and a parental playbook. Navigation: Intro The Landscape: 2026–2040 The Future of Work: Human + AI The Transformation of Education The Ethics, Safety, and Privacy Landscape The Parental Playbook: Actionable Strategies Conclusion Our co-hosts: Bertrand Schmitt, Entrepreneur in Residence at Red River West, co-founder of App Annie / Data.ai, business angel, advisor to startups and VC funds, @bschmitt Nuno Goncalves Pedro, Investor, Managing Partner, Founder at Chamaeleon, @ngpedro Our show: Tech DECIPHERED brings you the Entrepreneur and Investor views on Big Tech, VC and Start-up news, opinion pieces and research. We decipher their meaning, and add inside knowledge and context. Being nerds, we also discuss the latest gadgets and pop culture news Subscribe To Our Podcast Bertrand SchmittIntroduction Welcome to Episode 72 of Tech Deciphered, about our children’s future. What is our children’s future? What skills should they be developing? How should school be adapting to AI? What would be the functioning citizens and workers of the future look like, especially in the context of the AI revolution? Nuno, what’s your take? Maybe we start with the landscape. Nuno Goncalves PedroThe Landscape: 2026–2040 Let’s first frame it. What do people think is going to happen? Firstly, that there’s going to be a dramatic increase in productivity, and because of that dramatic increase in productivity, there are a lot of numbers that show that there’s going to be… AI will enable some labour productivity growth of 0.1 to 0.6% through 2040, which would be a figure that would be potentially rising even more depending on use of other technologies beyond generative AI, as much as 0.5 to 3.4% points annually, which would be ridiculous in terms of productivity enhancement. To be clear, we haven’t seen it yet. But if there are those dramatic increases in productivity expected by the market, then there will be job displacement. There will be people losing their jobs. There will be people that will need to be reskilled, and there will be a big shift that is similar to what happens when there’s a significant industrial revolution, like the Industrial Revolution of the late 19th century into the 20th century. Other numbers quoted would say that 30% of US jobs could be automated by 2030, which is a silly number, 30%, and that another 60% would see tremendously being altered. A lot of their tasks would be altered for those jobs. There’s also views that this is obviously fundamentally a global phenomenon, that as much as 9% of jobs could be lost to AI by 2030. I think question mark if this is a net number or a gross number, so it might be 9% our loss, but then maybe there’re other jobs that will emerge. It’s very clear that the landscape we have ahead of us is if there are any significant increases in productivity, there will be job displacement. There will be job shifting. There will be the need for reskilling. Therefore, I think on the downside, you would say there’s going to be job losses. We’ll have to reevaluate whether people should still work in general 5 days a week or not. Will we actually work in 10, 20, 30 years? I think that’s the doomsday scenario and what happens on that side of the fence. I think on the positive side, there’s also a discussion around there’ll be new jobs that emerge. There’ll be new jobs that maybe we don’t understand today, new job descriptions that actually don’t even exist yet that will emerge out this brave new world of AI. Bertrand SchmittYeah. I mean, let’s not forget how we get to a growing economy. I mean, there’s a measurement of a growing economy is GDP growth. Typically, you can simplify in two elements. One is the growth of the labour force, two, the rise of the productivity of that labour force, and that’s about it. Either you grow the economy by increasing the number of people, which in most of the Western world is not really happening, or you increase productivity. I think that we should not forget that growth of productivity is a backbone of growth for our economies, and that has been what has enabled the rise in prosperity across countries. I always take that as a win, personally. That growth in productivity has happened over the past decades through all the technological revolutions, from more efficient factories to oil and gas to computers, to network computers, to internet, to mobile and all the improvement in science, usually on the back of technological improvement. Personally, I welcome any rise in improvement we can get in productivity because there is at this stage simply no other choice for a growing world in terms of growing prosperity. In terms of change, we can already have a look at the past. There are so many jobs today you could not imagine they would exist 30 years ago. Take the rise of the influencer, for instance, who could have imagined that 30 years ago. Take the rise of the small mom-and-pop e-commerce owner, who could have imagined that. Of course, all the rise of IT as a profession. I mean, how few of us were there 30 years ago compared to today. I mean, this is what it was 30 years ago. I think there is a lot of change that already happened. I think as a society, we need to welcome that. If we go back even longer, 100 years ago, 150 years ago, let’s not forget, if I take a city like Paris, we used to have tens of thousands of people transporting water manually. Before we have running water in every home, we used to have boats going to the North Pole or to the northern region to bring back ice and basically pushing ice all the way to the Western world because we didn’t have fridges at the time. I think that when we look back in time about all the jobs that got displaced, I would say, Thank you. Thank you because these were not such easy jobs. Change is coming, but change is part of the human equation, at least. Industrial revolution, the past 250 years, it’s thanks to that that we have some improvement in living conditions everywhere. AI is changing stuff, but change is a constant, and we need to adapt and adjust. At least on my side, I’m glad that AI will be able to displace some jobs that were not so interesting to do in the first place in many situations. Maybe not dangerous like in the past because we are talking about replacing white job collars, but at least repetitive jobs are definitely going to be on the chopping block. Nuno Goncalves PedroWhat happens in terms of shift? We were talking about some numbers earlier. The World Economic Forum also has some numbers that predicts that there is a gross job creation rate of 14% from 2025 to 2030 and a displacement rate of 8%, so I guess they’re being optimistic, so a net growth in employment. I think that optimism relates to this thesis that, for example, efficiency, in particular in production and industrial environments, et cetera, might reduce labour there while increasing the demand for labour elsewhere because there is a natural lower cost base. If there’s more automation in production, therefore there’s more disposable income for people to do other things and to focus more on their side activities. Maybe, as I said before, not work 5 days a week, but maybe work four or three or whatever it is. What are the jobs of the future? What are the jobs that we see increasing in the future? Obviously, there’re a lot of jobs that relate to the technology side, that relate obviously to AI, that’s a little bit self-serving, and everything that relates to information technology, computer science, computer technology, computer engineering, et cetera. More broadly in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, that might actually be more needed. Because there is a broadening of all of these elements of contact with digital, with AI over time also with robots and robotics, that those jobs will increase. There’s a thesis that actually other jobs that are a little bit more related to agriculture, education, et cetera, might not see a dramatic impact, that will still need for, I guess, teachers and the need for people working in farms, et cetera. I think this assumes that probably the AI revolution will come much before the fundamental evolution that will come from robotics afterwards. Then there’s obviously this discussion around declining roles. Anything that’s fundamentally routine, like data entry, clinical roles, paralegals, for example, routine manufacturing, anything that’s very repetitive in nature will be taken away. I have the personal thesis that there are jobs that are actually very blue-collar jobs, like HVAC installation, maintenance, et cetera, plumbing, that will be still done by humans for a very long time because there are actually, they appear to be repetitive, but they’re actually complex, and they require manual labour that cannot be easily, I think, right now done by robots and replacements of humans. Actually, I think there’re blue-collar roles that will be on the increase rather than on decrease that will demand a premium, because obviously, they are apprenticeship roles, certification roles, and that will demand a premium. Maybe we’re at the two ends. There’s an end that is very technologically driven of jobs that will need to necessarily increase, and there’s at the other end, jobs that are very menial but necessarily need to be done by humans, and therefore will also command a premium on the other end. Bertrand SchmittI think what you say make a lot of sense. If you think about AI as a stack, my guess is that for the foreseeable future, on the whole stack, and when I say stack, I mean from basic energy production because we need a lot of energy for AI, maybe to going up to all the computing infrastructure, to AI models, to AI training, to robotics. All this stack, we see an increase in expertise in workers and everything. Even if a lot of this work will benefit from AI improvement, the boom is so large that it will bring a lot of demand for anyone working on any part of the stack. Some of it is definitely blue-collar. When you have to build a data centre or energy power station, this requires a lot of blue-collar work. I would say, personally, I’m absolutely not a believer of the 3 or 4 days a week work week. I don’t believe a single second in that socialist paradise. If you want to call it that way. I think that’s not going to change. I would say today we can already see that breaking. I mean, if you take Europe, most European countries have a big issue with pension. The question is more to increase how long you are going to work because financially speaking, the equation is not there. Personally, I don’t think AI would change any of that. I agree with you in terms of some jobs from electricians to gas piping and stuff. There will still be demand and robots are not going to help soon on this job. There will be a big divergence between and all those that can be automated, done by AI and robots and becoming cheaper and cheaper and stuff that requires a lot of human work, manual work. I don’t know if it will become more expensive, but definitely, proportionally, in comparison, we look so expensive that you will have second thoughts about doing that investment to add this, to add that. I can see that when you have your own home, so many costs, some cost our product. You buy this new product, you add it to your home. It can be a water heater or something, built in a factory, relatively cheap. You see the installation cost, the maintenance cost. It’s many times the cost of the product itself. Nuno Goncalves PedroMaybe it’s a good time to put a caveat into our conversation. I mean, there’s a… Roy Amara was a futurist who came up with the Amara’s Law. We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and overestimate the effect in the long run. I prefer my own law, which is, we tend to overestimate the speed at which we get to a technological revolution and underestimate its impact. I think it’s a little bit like that. I think everyone now is like, “Oh, my God, we’re going to be having the AI overlords taking over us, and AGI is going to happen pretty quickly,” and all of that. I mean, AGI will probably happen at some point. We’re not really sure when. I don’t think anyone can tell you. I mean, there’re obviously a lot of ranges going on. Back to your point, for example, on the shift of the work week and how we work. I mean, just to be very clear, we didn’t use to have 5 days a week and 2 days a weekend. If we go back to religions, there was definitely Sabbath back in the day, and there was one day off, the day of the Lord and the day of God. Then we went to 2 days of weekend. I remember going to Korea back in 2005, and I think Korea shifted officially to 5 days a week, working week and 2 days weekend for some of the larger business, et cetera, in 2004. Actually, it took another whatever years for it to be pervasive in society. This is South Korea, so this is a developed market. We might be at some point moving to 4 days a week. Maybe France was ahead of the game. I know Bertrand doesn’t like this, the 35-hour week. Maybe we will have another shift in what defines the working week versus not. What defines what people need to do in terms of efficiency and how they work and all of that. I think it’s probably just going to take longer than we think. I think there’re some countries already doing it. I was reading maybe Finland was already thinking about moving to 4 days a week. There’re a couple of countries already working on it. Certainly, there’re companies already doing it as well. Bertrand SchmittYeah, I don’t know. I’m just looking at the financial equation of most countries. The disaster is so big in Western Europe, in the US. So much debt is out that needs to get paid that I don’t think any country today, unless there is a complete reversal of the finance, will be able to make a big change. You could argue maybe if we are in such a situation, it might be because we went too far in benefits, in vacation, in work days versus weekends. I’m not saying we should roll back, but I feel that at this stage, the proof is in the pudding. The finance of most developed countries are broken, so I don’t see a change coming up. Potentially, the other way around, people leaving to work more, unfortunately. We will see. My point is that AI will have to be so transformational for the productivity for countries, and countries will have to go back to finding their ways in terms of financial discipline to reach a level where we can truly profit from that. I think from my perspective, we have time to think about it in 10, 20 years. Right now, it’s BS at this stage of this discussion. Nuno Goncalves PedroYeah, there’s a dependency, Bertrand, which is there needs to be dramatic increases in productivity that need to happen that create an expansion of economy. Once that expansion is captured by, let’s say, government or let’s say by the state, it needs to be willingly fed back into society, which is not a given. There’re some governments who are going to be like, “No, you need to work for a living.” Tough luck. There’re no handouts, there’s nothing. There’s going to be other governments that will be pressured as well. I mean, even in a more socialist Europe, so to speak. There’re now a lot of pressures from very far-right, even extreme positions on what people need to do for a living and how much should the state actually intervene in terms of minimum salaries, et cetera, and social security. To your point, the economies are not doing well in and of themselves. Anyway, there would need to be tremendous expansion of economy and willingness by the state to give back to its citizens, which is also not a given. Bertrand SchmittAnd good financial discipline as well. Before we reach all these three. Reaping the benefits in a tremendous way, way above trend line, good financial discipline, and then some willingness to send back. I mean, we can talk about a dream. I think that some of this discussion was, in some ways, to have a discussion so early about this. It’s like, let’s start to talk about the benefits of the aeroplane industries in 1915 or 1910, a few years after the Wright brothers flight, and let’s make a decision based on what the world will be in 30 years from now when we reap this benefit. This is just not reasonable. This is not reasonable thinking. I remember seeing companies from OpenAI and others trying to push this narrative. It was just political agenda. It was nothing else. It was, “Let’s try to make look like AI so nice and great in the future, so you don’t complain on the short term about what’s happening.” I don’t think this is a good discussion to have for now. Let’s be realistic. Nuno Goncalves PedroJust for the sake of sharing it with our listeners, apparently there’re a couple of countries that have moved towards something a bit lower than 5 days a week. Belgium, I think, has legislated the ability for you to compress your work week into 4 days, where you could do 10 hours for 4 days, so 40 hours. UAE has some policy for government workers, 4.5 days. Iceland has some stuff around 35 to 36 hours, which is France has had that 35 hour thing. Lithuania for parents. Then just trials, it’s all over the shop. United Kingdom, my own Portugal, of course, Germany, Brazil, and South Africa, and a bunch of other countries, so interesting. There’s stuff going on. Bertrand SchmittFor sure. I mean, France managed to bankrupt itself playing the 75 hours work week since what, 2000 or something. I mean, yeah, it’s a choice of financial suicide, I would say. Nuno Goncalves PedroWonderful. The Future of Work: Human + AI Maybe moving a little bit towards the future of work and the coexistence of work of human and AI, I think the thesis that exists a little bit in the market is that the more positive thesis that leads to net employment growth and net employment creation, as we were saying, there’s shifting of professions, they’re rescaling, and there’s the new professions that will emerge, is the notion that human will need to continue working alongside with machine. I’m talking about robots, I’m also talking about software. Basically software can’t just always run on its own, and therefore, software serves as a layer of augmentation, that humans become augmented by AI, and therefore, they can be a lot more productive, and we can be a lot more productive. All of that would actually lead to a world where the efficiencies and the economic creation are incredible. We’ll have an unparalleled industrial evolution in our hands through AI. That’s one way of looking at it. We certainly at Chameleon, that’s how we think through AI and the AI layers that we’re creating with Mantis, which is our in-house platform at Chameleon, is that it’s augmenting us. Obviously, the human is still running the show at the end, making the toughest decisions, the more significant impact with entrepreneurs that we back, et cetera. AI augments us, but we run the show. Bertrand SchmittI totally agree with that perspective that first AI will bring a new approach, a human plus AI. Here in that situation, you really have two situations. Are you a knowledgeable user? Do you know your field well? Are you an expert? Are you an IT expert? Are you a medical doctor? Do you find your best way to optimise your work with AI? Are you knowledgeable enough to understand and challenge AI when you see weird output? You have to be knowledgeable in your field, but also knowledgeable in how to handle AI, because even experts might say, “Whatever AI says.” My guess is that will be the users that will benefit most from AI. Novice, I think, are in a bit tougher situation because if you use AI without truly understanding it, it’s like laying foundations on sand. Your stuff might crumble down the way, and you will have no clue what’s happening. Hopefully, you don’t put anyone in physical danger, but that’s more worrisome to me. I think some people will talk about the rise of vibe coding, for instance. I’ve seen AI so useful to improve coding in so many ways, but personally, I don’t think vibe coding is helpful. I mean, beyond doing a quick prototype or some stuff, but to put some serious foundation, I think it’s near useless if you have a pure vibe coding approach, obviously to each their own. I think the other piece of the puzzle, it’s not just to look at human plus AI. I think definitely there will be the other side as well, which is pure AI. Pure AI replacement. I think we start to see that with autonomous cars. We are close to be there. Here we’ll be in situation of maybe there is some remote control by some humans, maybe there is local control. We are talking about a huge scale replacement of some human activities. I think in some situation, let’s talk about work farms, for instance. That’s quite a special term, but basically is to describe work that is very repetitive in nature, requires a lot of humans. Today, if you do a loan approval, if you do an insurance claim analysis, you have hundreds, thousands, millions of people who are doing this job in Europe, in the US, or remotely outsourced to other countries like India. I think some of these jobs are fully at risk to be replaced. Would it be 100% replacement? Probably not. But a 9:1, 10:1 replacement? I think it’s definitely possible because these jobs have been designed, by the way, to be repetitive, to follow some very clear set of rules, to improve the rules, to remove any doubt if you are not sure. I think some of these jobs will be transformed significantly. I think we see two sides. People will become more efficient controlling an AI, being able to do the job of two people at once. On the other side, we see people who have much less control about their life, basically, and whose job will simply disappear. Nuno Goncalves PedroTwo points I would like to make. The first point is we’re talking about a state of AI that we got here, and we mentioned this in previous episodes of Tech Deciphered, through brute force, dramatically increased data availability, a lot of compute, lower network latencies, and all of that that has led us to where we are today. But it’s brute force. The key thing here is brute force. Therefore, when AI acts really well, it acts well through brute force, through seeing a bunch of things that have happened before. For example, in the case of coding, it might still outperform many humans in coding in many different scenarios, but it might miss hedge cases. It might actually not be as perfect and as great as one of these developers that has been doing it for decades who has this intuition and is a 10X developer. In some ways, I think what got us here is not maybe what’s going to get us to the next level of productivity as well, which is the unsupervised learning piece, the actually no learning piece, where you go into the world and figure stuff out. That world is emerging now, but it’s still not there in terms of AI algorithms and what’s happening. Again, a lot of what we’re seeing today is the outcome of the brute force movement that we’ve had over the last decade, decade and a half. The second point I’d like to make is to your point, Bertrand, you were going really well through, okay, if you’re a super experienced subject-matter expert, the way you can use AI is like, wow! Right? I mean, you are much more efficient, right? I was asked to do a presentation recently. When I do things in public, I don’t like to do it. If it’s a keynote, because I like to use my package stuff, there’s like six, seven presentations that I have prepackaged, and I can adapt around that. But if it’s a totally new thing, I don’t like to do it as a keynote because it requires a lot of preparation. Therefore, I’m like, I prefer to do a fire set chat or a panel or whatever. I got asked to do something, a little bit what is taking us to this topic today around what’s happening to our children and all of that is like, “God! I need to develop this from scratch.” The honest truth is if you have domain expertise around many areas, you can do it very quickly with the aid of different tools in AI. Anything from Gemini, even with Nana Banana, to ChatGPT and other tools that are out there for you and framing, how would you do that? But the problem then exists with people that are just at the beginning of their careers, people that have very little expertise and experience, and people that are maybe coming out of college where their knowledge is mostly theoretical. What happens to those people? Even in computer engineering, even in computer science, even in software development, how do those people get to the next level? I think that’s one of the interesting conversations to be had. What happens to the recent graduate or the recent undergrad? How do those people get the expertise they need to go to the next level? Can they just be replaced by AI agents today? What’s their role in terms of the workforce, and how do they fit into that workforce? Bertrand SchmittNo, I mean, that’s definitely the biggest question. I think that a lot of positions, if you are really knowledgeable, good at your job, if you are that 10X developer, I don’t think your job is at risk. Overall, you always have some exceptions, some companies going through tough times, but I don’t think it’s an issue. On the other end, that’s for sure, the recent new graduates will face some more trouble to learn on their own, start their career, and go to that 10X productivity level. But at the same time, let’s also not kid ourselves. If we take software development, this is a profession that increase in number of graduates tremendously over the past 30 years. I don’t think everyone basically has the talent to really make it. Now that you have AI, for sure, the bar to justify why you should be there, why you should join this company is getting higher and higher. Being just okay won’t be enough to get you a career in IT. You will need to show that you are great or potential to be great. That might make things tough for some jobs. At the same time, I certainly believe there will be new opportunities that were not there before. People will have to definitely adjust to that new reality, learn and understand what’s going on, what are the options, and also try to be very early on, very confident at using AI as much as they can because for sure, companies are going to only hire workers that have shown their capacity to work well with AI. Nuno Goncalves PedroMy belief is that it generates new opportunities for recent undergrads, et cetera, of building their own microbusinesses or nano businesses. To your point, maybe getting jobs because they’ll be forced to move faster within their jobs and do less menial and repetitive activities and be more focused on actual dramatic intellectual activities immediately from the get go, which is not a bad thing. Their acceleration into knowledge will be even faster. I don’t know. It feels to me maybe there’s a positivity to it. Obviously, if you’ve stayed in a big school, et cetera, that there will be some positivity coming out of that. The Transformation of Education Maybe this is a good segue to education. How does education change to adapt to a new world where AI is a given? It’s not like I can check if you’re faking it on your homework or if you’re doing a remote examination or whatever, if you’re using or not tools, it’s like you’re going to use these tools. What happens in that case, and how does education need to shift in this brave new world of AI augmentation and AI enhancements to students? Bertrand SchmittYes, I agree with you. There will be new opportunities. I think people need to be adaptable. What used to be an absolute perfect career choice might not be anymore. You need to learn what changes are happening in the industry, and you need to adjust to that, especially if you’re a new graduate. Nuno Goncalves PedroMaybe we’ll talk a little bit about education, Bertrand, and how education would fundamentally shift. I think one of the things that’s been really discussed is what are the core skills that need to be developed? What are the core skills that will be important in the future? I think critical thinking is probably most important than ever. The ability to actually assimilate information and discern which information is correct or incorrect and which information can lead you to a conclusion or not, for example, I think is more important than ever. The ability to assimilate a bunch of pieces of information, make a decision or have an insight or foresight out of that information is very, very critical. The ability to be analytical around how you look at information and to really distinguish what’s fact from what’s opinion, I think is probably quite important. Maybe moving away more and more from memorisation from just cramming information into your brain like we used to do it in college, you have to know every single algorithm for whatever. It’s like, “Who gives a shit? I can just go and search it.” There’s these shifts that are not simple because I think education, in particular in the last century, has maybe been too focused on knowing more and more knowledge, on learning this knowledge. Now it’s more about learning how to process the knowledge rather than learning how to apprehend it. Because the apprehension doesn’t matter as much because you can have this information at any point in time. The information is available to you at the touch of a finger or voice or whatever. But the ability to then use the information to do something with it is not. That’s maybe where you start distinguishing the different level degrees of education and how things are taught. Bertrand SchmittHonestly, what you just say or describe could apply of the changes we went through the past 30 years. Just using internet search has for sure tremendously changed how you can do any knowledge worker job. Suddenly you have the internet at your fingertips. You can search about any topics. You have direct access to a Wikipedia or something equivalent in any field. I think some of this, we already went through it, and I hope we learned the consequence of these changes. I would say what is new is the way AI itself is working, because when you use AI, you realise that it can utter to you complete bullshit in a very self-assured way of explaining something. It’s a bit more scary than it used to be, because in the past, that algorithm trying to present you the most relevant stuff based on some algorithm was not trying to present you the truth. It’s a list of links. Maybe it was more the number one link versus number 100. But ultimately, it’s for you to make your own opinion. Now you have some chatbot that’s going to tell you that for sure this is the way you should do it. Then you check more, and you realise, no, it’s totally wrong. It’s definitely a slight change in how you have to apprehend this brave new world. Also, this AI tool, the big change, especially with generative AI, is the ability for them to give you the impression they can do the job at hand by themselves when usually they cannot. Nuno Goncalves PedroIndeed. There’s definitely a lot of things happening right now that need to fundamentally shift. Honestly, I think in the education system the problem is the education system is barely adapted to the digital world. Even today, if you studied at a top school like Stanford, et cetera, there’s stuff you can do online, there’s more and more tools online. But the teaching process has been very centred on syllabus, the teachers, later on the professors, and everything that’s around it. In class presence, there’s been minor adaptations. People sometimes allow to use their laptops in the classroom, et cetera, or their mobile phones. But it’s been done the other way around. It’s like the tools came later, and they got fed into the process. Now I think there needs to be readjustments. If we did this ground up from a digital first or a mobile first perspective and an AI first perspective, how would we do it? That changes how teachers and professors should interact with the classrooms, with the role of the classroom, the role of the class itself, the role of homework. A lot of people have been debating that. What do you want out of homework? It’s just that people cram information and whatever, or do you want people to show critical thinking in a specific different manner, or some people even go one step further. It’s like, there should be no homework. People should just show up in class and homework should move to the class in some ways. Then what happens outside of the class? What are people doing at home? Are they learning tools? Are they learning something else? Are they learning to be productive in responding to teachers? But obviously, AI augmented in doing so. I mean, still very unclear what this looks like. We’re still halfway through the revolution, as we said earlier. The revolution is still in motion. It’s not realised yet. Bertrand SchmittI would quite separate higher education, university and beyond, versus lower education, teenager, kids. Because I think the core up to the point you are a teenager or so, I think the school system should still be there to guide you, discovering and learning and being with your peers. I think what is new is that, again, at some point, AI could potentially do your job, do your homework. We faced similar situation in the past with the rise of Wikipedia, online encyclopedias and the stuff. But this is quite dramatically different. Then someone could write your essays, could answer your maths work. I can see some changes where you talk about homework, it’s going to be classwork instead. No work at home because no one can trust that you did it yourself anymore going forward, but you will have to do it in the classroom, maybe spend more time at school so that we can verify that you really did your job. I think there is real value to make sure that you can still think by yourself. The same way with the rise of calculators 40 years ago, I think it was the right thing to do to say, “You know what? You still need to learn the basics of doing calculations by hand.” Yes, I remember myself a kid thinking, “What the hell? I have a calculator. It’s working very well.” But it was still very useful because you can think in your head, you can solve complex problems in your head, you can check some output that it’s right or wrong if it’s coming from a calculator. There was a real value to still learn the basics. At the same point, it was also right to say, “You know what? Once you know the basics, yes, for sure, the calculator will take over because we’re at the point.” I think that was the right balance that was put in place with the rise of calculators. We need something similar with AI. You need to be able to write by yourself, to do stuff by yourself. At some point, you have to say, “Yeah, you know what? That long essays that we asked you to do for the sake of doing long essays? What’s the point?” At some point, yeah, that would be a true question. For higher education, I think personally, it’s totally ripe for full disruption. You talk about the traditional system trying to adapt. I think we start to be at the stage where “It should be the other way around.” It should be we should be restarted from the ground up because we simply have different tools, different ways. I think at this stage, many companies if you take, [inaudible 00:33:01] for instance, started to recruit people after high school. They say, “You know what? Don’t waste your time in universities. Don’t spend crazy shitload of money to pay for an education that’s more or less worthless.” Because it used to be a way to filter people. You go to good school, you have a stamp that say, “This guy is good enough, knows how to think.” But is it so true anymore? I mean, now that universities have increased the enrolment so many times over, and your university degree doesn’t prove much in terms of your intelligence or your capacity to work hard, quite frankly. If the universities are losing the value of their stamp and keep costing more and more and more, I think it’s a fair question to say, “Okay, maybe this is not needed anymore.” Maybe now companies can directly find the best talents out there, train them themselves, make sure that ultimately it’s a win-win situation. If kids don’t have to have big loans anymore, companies don’t have to pay them as much, and everyone is winning. I think we have reached a point of no return in terms of value of university degrees, quite frankly. Of course, there are some exceptions. Some universities have incredible programs, incredible degrees. But as a whole, I think we are reaching a point of no return. Too expensive, not enough value in the degree, not a filter anymore. Ultimately, I think there is a case to be made for companies to go back directly to the source and to high school. Nuno Goncalves PedroI’m still not ready to eliminate and just say higher education doesn’t have a role. I agree with the notion that it’s continuous education role that needs to be filled in a very different way. Going back to K-12, I think the learning of things is pretty vital that you learn, for example, how to write, that you learn cursive and all these things is important. I think the role of the teacher, and maybe actually even later on of the professors in higher education, is to teach people the critical information they need to know for the area they’re in. Basic math, advanced math, the big thinkers in philosophy, whatever is that you’re studying, and then actually teach the students how to use the tools that they need, in particular, K-12, so that they more rapidly apprehend knowledge, that they more rapidly can do exercises, that they more rapidly do things. I think we’ve had a static view on what you need to learn for a while. That’s, for example, in the US, where you have AP classes, like advanced placement classes, where you could be doing math and you could be doing AP math. You’re like, dude. In some ways, I think the role of the teacher and the interaction with the students needs to go beyond just the apprehension of knowledge. It also has to have apprehension of knowledge, but it needs to go to the apprehension of tools. Then the application of, as we discussed before, critical thinking, analytical thinking, creative thinking. We haven’t talked about creativity for all, but obviously the creativity that you need to have around certain problems and the induction of that into the process is critical. It’s particular in young kids and how they’re developing their learning skills and then actually accelerate learning. In that way, what I’m saying, I’m not sure I’m willing to say higher education is dead. I do think this mass production of higher education that we have, in particular in the US. That’s incredibly costly. A lot of people in Europe probably don’t see how costly higher education is because we’re educated in Europe, they paid some fee. A lot of the higher education in Europe is still, to a certain extent, subsidised or done by the state. There is high degree of subsidisation in it, so it’s not really as expensive as you’d see in the US. But someone spending 200-300K to go to a top school in the US to study for four years for an undergrad, that doesn’t make sense. For tuition alone, we’re talking about tuition alone. How does that work? Why is it so expensive? Even if I’m a Stanford or a Harvard or a University of Pennsylvania or whatever, whatever, Ivy League school, if I’m any of those, to command that premium, I don’t think makes much sense. To your point, maybe it is about thinking through higher education in a different way. Technical schools also make sense. Your ability to learn and learn and continue to education also makes sense. You can be certified. There are certifications all around that also makes sense. I do think there’s still a case for higher education, but it needs to be done in a different mould, and obviously the cost needs to be reassessed. Because it doesn’t make sense for you to be in debt that dramatically as you are today in the US. Bertrand SchmittI mean, for me, that’s where I’m starting when I’m saying it’s broken. You cannot justify this amount of money except in a very rare and stratified job opportunities. That means for a lot of people, the value of this equation will be negative. It’s like some new, indented class of people who owe a lot of money and have no way to get rid of this loan. Sorry. There are some ways, like join the government Task Force, work for the government, that at some point you will be forgiven your loans. Some people are going to just go after government jobs just for that reason, which is quite sad, frankly. I think we need a different approach. Education can be done, has to be done cheaper, should be done differently. Maybe it’s just regular on the job training, maybe it is on the side, long by night type of approach. I think there are different ways to think about. Also, it can be very practical. I don’t know you, but there are a lot of classes that are not really practical or not very tailored to the path you have chosen. Don’t get me wrong, there is always value to see all the stuff, to get a sense of the world around you. But this has a cost. If it was for free, different story. But nothing is free. I mean, your parents might think it’s free, but at the end of the day, it’s their taxes paying for all of this. The reality is that it’s not free. It’s costing a lot of money at the end of the day. I think we absolutely need to do a better job here. I think internet and now AI makes this a possibility. I don’t know you, but personally, I’ve learned so much through online classes, YouTube videos, and the like, that it never cease to amaze me how much you can learn, thanks to the internet, and keep up to date in so many ways on some topics. Quite frankly, there are some topics that there is not a single university that can teach you what’s going on because we’re talking about stuff that is so precise, so focused that no one is building a degree around that. There is no way. Nuno Goncalves PedroI think that makes sense. Maybe bring it back to core skills. We’ve talked about a couple of core skills, but maybe just to structure it a little bit for you, our listener. I think there’s a big belief that critical thinking will be more important than ever. We already talked a little bit about that. I think there’s a belief that analytical thinking, the ability to, again, distinguish fact from opinion, ability to distinguish elements from different data sources and make sure that you see what those elements actually are in a relatively analytical manner. Actually the ability to extract data in some ways. Active learning, proactive learning and learning strategies. I mean, the ability to proactively learn, proactively search, be curious and search for knowledge. Complex problem-solving, we also talked a little bit about it. That goes hand in hand normally with critical thinking and analysis. Creativity, we also talked about. I think originality, initiative, I think will be very important for a long time. I’m not saying AI at some point won’t be able to emulate genuine creativity. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that, but for the time being, it has tremendous difficulty doing so. Bertrand SchmittBut you can use AI in creative endeavours. Nuno Goncalves PedroOf course, no doubt. Bertrand SchmittYou can do stuff you will be unable to do, create music, create videos, create stuff that will be very difficult. I see that as an evolution of tools. It’s like now cameras are so cheap to create world-class quality videos, for instance. That if you’re a student, you want to learn cinema, you can do it truly on the cheap. But now that’s the next level. You don’t even need actors, you don’t even need the real camera. You can start to make movies. It’s amazing as a learning tool, as a creative tool. It’s for sure a new art form in a way that we have seen expanding on YouTube and other places, and the same for creating new images, new music. I think that AI can be actually a tool for expression and for creativity, even in its current form. Nuno Goncalves PedroAbsolutely. A couple of other skills that people would say maybe are soft skills, but I think are incredibly powerful and very distinctive from machines. Empathy, the ability to figure out how the other person’s feeling and why they’re feeling like that. Adaptability, openness, the flexibility, the ability to drop something and go a different route, to maybe be intellectually honest and recognise this is the wrong way and the wrong angle. Last but not the least, I think on the positive side, tech literacy. I mean, a lot of people are, oh, we don’t need to be tech literate. Actually, I think this is a moment in time where you need to be more tech literate than ever. It’s almost a given. It’s almost like table stakes, that you are at some tech literacy. What matters less? I think memorisation and just the cramming of information and using your brain as a library just for the sake of it, I think probably will matter less and less. If you are a subject or a class that’s just solely focused on cramming your information, I feel that’s probably the wrong way to go. I saw some analysis that the management of people is less and less important. I actually disagree with that. I think in the interim, because of what we were discussing earlier, that subject-matter experts at the top end can do a lot of stuff by themselves and therefore maybe need to less… They have less people working for them because they become a little bit more like superpowered individual contributors. But I feel that’s a blip rather than what’s going to happen over time. I think collaboration is going to be a key element of what needs to be done in the future. Still, I don’t see that changing, and therefore, management needs to be embedded in it. What other skills should disappear or what other skills are less important to be developed, I guess? Bertrand SchmittWorld learning, I’ve never, ever been a fan. I think that one for sure. But at the same time, I want to make sure that we still need to learn about history or geography. What we don’t want to learn is that stupid word learning. I still remember as a teenager having to learn the list of all the 100 French departments. I mean, who cared? I didn’t care about knowing the biggest cities of each French department. It was useless to me. But at the same time, geography in general, history in general, there is a lot to learn from the past from the current world. I think we need to find that right balance. The details, the long list might not be that necessary. At the same time, the long arc of history, our world where it is today, I think there is a lot of value. I think you talk about analysing data. I think this one is critical because the world is generating more and more data. We need to benefit from it. There is no way we can benefit from it if we don’t understand how data is produced, what data means. If we don’t understand the base of statistical analysis. I think some of this is definitely critical. But for stuff, we have to do less. It’s beyond world learning. I don’t know, honestly. I don’t think the core should change so much. But the tools we use to learn the core, yes, probably should definitely improve. Nuno Goncalves PedroOne final debate, maybe just to close, I think this chapter on education and skill building and all of that. There’s been a lot of discussion around specialisation versus generalisation, specialists versus generalists. I think for a very long time, the world has gone into a route that basically frames specialisation as a great thing. I think both of us have lived in Silicon Valley. I still do, but we both lived in Silicon Valley for a significant period of time. The centre of the universe in terms of specialisation, you get more and more specialised. I think we’re going into a world that becomes a little bit different. It becomes a little bit like what Amazon calls athletes, right? The T-Pi-shaped people get the most value, where you’re brought on top, you’re a very strong generalist on top, and you have a lot of great soft skills around management and empathy and all that stuff. Then you might have one or two subject matter expertise areas. Could be like business development and sales or corporate development and business development or product management and something else. I think those are the winners of the future. The young winners of the future are going to be more and more T-pi-shaped, if I had to make a guess. Specialisation matters, but maybe not as much as it matters today. It matters from the perspective that you still have to have spikes in certain areas of focus. But I’m not sure that you get more and more specialised in the area you’re in. I’m not sure that’s necessarily how humans create most value in their arena of deployment and development. Professionally, and therefore, I’m not sure education should be more and more specialised just for the sake of it. What do you think? Bertrand SchmittI think that that’s a great point. I would say I could see an argument for both. I think there is always some value in being truly an expert on a topic so that you can keep digging around, keep developing the field. You cannot develop a field without people focused on developing a field. I think that one is there to stay. At the same time, I can see how in many situations, combining knowledge of multiple fields can bring tremendous value. I think it’s very clear as well. I think it’s a balance. We still need some experts. At the same time, there is value to be quite horizontal in terms of knowledge. I think what is still very valuable is the ability to drill through whenever you need. I think that we say it’s actually much easier than before. That for me is a big difference. I can see how now you can drill through on topics that would have been very complex to go into. You will have to read a lot of books, watch a lot of videos, potentially do a new education before you grasp much about a topic. Well, now, thanks to AI, you can drill very quickly on topic of interest to you. I think that can be very valuable. Again, if you just do that blindly, that’s calling for trouble. But if you have some knowledge in the area, if you know how to deal with AI, at least today’s AI and its constraints, I think there is real value you can deliver thanks to an ability to drill through when you don’t. For me, personally, one thing I’ve seen is some people who are generalists have lost this ability. They have lost this ability to drill through on a topic, become expert on some topic very quickly. I think you need that. If you’re a VC, you need to analyse opportunity, you need to discover a new space very quickly. We say, I think some stuff can move much quicker than before. I’m always careful now when I see some pure generalists, because one thing I notice is that they don’t know how to do much anything any more. That’s a risk. We have example of very, very, very successful people. Take an Elon Musk, take a Steve Jobs. They have this ability to drill through to the very end of any topic, and that’s a real skill. Sometimes I see people, you should trust the people below. They know better on this and that, and you should not question experts and stuff. Hey, guys, how is it that they managed to build such successful companies? Is their ability to drill through and challenge hardcore experts. Yes, they will bring top people in the field, but they have an ability to learn quickly a new space and to drill through on some very technical topics and challenge people the right way. Challenge, don’t smart me. Not the, I don’t care, just do it in 10 days. No, going smartly, showing people those options, learning enough in the field to be dangerous. I think that’s a very, very important skill to have. Nuno Goncalves PedroMaybe switching to the dark side and talking a little bit about the bad stuff. I think a lot of people have these questions. There’s been a lot of debate around ChatGPT. I think there’s still a couple of court cases going on, a suicide case that I recently a bit privy to of a young man that killed himself, and OpenAI and ChatGPT as a tool currently really under the magnifying glass for, are people getting confused about AI and AI looks so similar to us, et cetera. The Ethics, Safety, and Privacy Landscape Maybe let’s talk about the ethics and safety and privacy landscape a little bit and what’s happening. Sadly, AI will also create the advent of a world that has still a lot of biases at scale. I mean, let’s not forget the AI is using data and data has biases. The models that are being trained on this data will have also biases that we’re seeing with AI, the ability to do things that are fake, deep fakes in video and pictures, et cetera. How do we, as a society, start dealing with that? How do we, as a society, start dealing with all the attacks that are going on? On the privacy side, the ability for these models and for these tools that we have today to actually have memory of the conversations we’ve had with them already and have context on what we said before and be able to act on that on us, and how is that information being farmed and that data being farmed? How is it being used? For what purposes is it being used? As I said, the dark side of our conversation today. I think we’ve been pretty positive until now. But in this world, I think things are going to get worse before they get better. Obviously, there’s a lot of money being thrown at rapid evolution of these tools. I don’t see moratoriums coming anytime soon or bans on tools coming anytime soon. The world will need to adapt very, very quickly. As we’ve talked in previous episodes, regulation takes a long time to adapt, except Europe, which obviously regulates maybe way too fast on technology and maybe not really on use cases and user flows. But how do we deal with this world that is clearly becoming more complex? Bertrand SchmittI mean, on the European topic, I believe Europe should focus on building versus trying to sensor and to control and to regulate. But going back to your point, I think there are some, I mean, very tough use case when you see about voice cloning, for instance. Grandparents believing that their kids are calling them, have been kidnapped when there is nothing to it, and they’re being extorted. AI generating deepfakes that enable sextortion, that stuff. I mean, it’s horrible stuff, obviously. I’m not for regulation here, to be frank. I think that we should for sure prosecute to the full extent of the law. The law has already a lot of tools to deal with this type of situation. But I can see some value to try to prevent that in some tools. If you are great at building tools to generate a fake voice, maybe you should make sure that you are not helping scammers. If you can generate easily images, you might want to make sure that you cannot easily generate tools that can be used for creating deep fakes and sex extortion. I think there are things that should be done by some providers to limit such terrible use cases. At the same time, the genie is out. There is also that part around, okay, the world will need to adapt. But yeah, you cannot trust everything that is done. What could have looked like horrible might not be true. You need to think twice about some of this, what you see, what you hear. We need to adjust how we live, how we work, but also how we prevent that. New tools, I believe, will appear. We will learn maybe to be less trustful on some stuff, but that is what it is. Nuno Goncalves PedroMaybe to follow up on that, I fully agree with everything you just said. We need to have these tools that will create boundary conditions around it as well. I think tech will need to fight tech in some ways, or we’ll need to find flaws in tech, but I think a lot of money needs to be put in it as well. I think my shout-out here, if people are listening to us, are entrepreneurs, et cetera, I think that’s an area that needs more and more investment, an area that needs more and more tooling platforms that are helpful to this. It’s interesting because that’s a little bit like how OpenAI was born. OpenAI was born to be a positive AI platform into the future. Then all of a sudden we’re like, “Can we have tools to control ChatGPT and all these things that are out there now?” How things have changed, I guess. But we definitely need to have, I think, a much more significant investment into these toolings and platforms than we do have today. Otherwise, I don’t see things evolving much better. There’s going to be more and more of this. There’s going to be more and more deep fakes, more and more, lack of contextualisation. There’s countries now that allow you to get married with not a human. It’s like you can get married to an algorithm or a robot or whatever. It’s like, what the hell? What’s happening now? It’s crazy. Hopefully, we’ll have more and more boundary conditions. Bertrand SchmittYeah, I think it will be a boom for cybersecurity. No question here. Tools to make sure that is there a better trust system or detecting the fake. It’s not going to be easy, but it has been the game in cybersecurity for a long time. You have some new Internet tools, some new Internet products. You need to find a difference against it and the constant war between the attackers and the defender. Nuno Goncalves PedroThe Parental Playbook: Actionable Strategies Maybe last but not the least in today’s episode, the parent playbook I’m a parent, what should I do I’ll actually let you start first. Bertrand, I’m parent-alike, but I am, sadly, not a parent, so I’ll let you start first, and then I’ll share some of my perspectives as well as a parent-like figure. Bertrand SchmittYeah, as a parent to an 8-year, I would say so far, no real difference than before. She will do some homework on an iPad. But beyond that, I cannot say I’ve seen at this stage so much difference. I think it will come up later when you have different type of homeworks when the kids start to be able to use computers on their own. What I’ve seen, however, is some interesting use cases. When my daughter is not sure about the spelling, she simply asks, Siri. “Hey, Siri, how do you spell this or this or that?” I didn’t teach her that. All of this came on her own. She’s using Siri for a few stuff for work, and I’m quite surprised in a very smart, useful way. It’s like, that’s great. She doesn’t need to ask me. She can ask by herself. She’s more autonomous. Why not? It’s a very efficient way for her to work and learn about the world. I probably feel sad when she asks Siri if she’s her friend. That does not feel right to me. But I would say so far, so good. I’ve seen only AI as a useful tool and with absolutely very limited risk. At the same time, for sure, we don’t let our kid close to any social media or the like. I think some of this stuff is for sure dangerous. I think as a parent, you have to be very careful before authorising any social media. I guess at some point you have no choice, but I think you have to be very careful, very gradual, and putting a lot of controls and safety mechanism I mean, you talk about kids committing suicide. It’s horrible. As a parent, I don’t think you can have a bigger worry than that. Suddenly your kids going crazy because someone bullied them online, because someone tried to extort them online. This person online could be someone in the same school or some scammer on the other side of the world. This is very scary. I think we need to have a lot of control on our kids’ digital life as well as being there for them on a lot of topics and keep drilling into them how a lot of this stuff online is not true, is fake, is not important, and being careful, yes, to raise them, to be critical of stuff, and to share as much as possible with our parents. I think We have to be very careful. But I would say some of the most dangerous stuff so far, I don’t think it’s really coming from AI. It’s a lot more social media in general, I would say, but definitely AI is adding another layer of risk. Nuno Goncalves PedroFrom my perspective, having helped raise three kids, having been a parent-like role today, what I would say is I would highlight against the skills that I was talking about before, and I would work on developing those skills. Skills that relate to curiosity, to analytical behaviours at the same time as being creative, allowing for both, allowing for the left brain, right brain, allowing for the discipline and structure that comes with analytical thinking to go hand in hand with doing things in a very, very different way and experimenting and failing and doing things and repeating them again. All the skills that I mentioned before, focusing on those skills. I was very fortunate to have a parental unit. My father and my mother were together all their lives: my father, sadly, passing away 5 years ago that were very, very different, my mother, more of a hacker in mindset. Someone was very curious, medical doctor, allowing me to experiment and to be curious about things around me and not simplifying interactions with me, saying it as it was with a language that was used for that particular purpose, allowing me to interact with her friends, who were obviously adults. And then on the other side, I have my father, someone who was more disciplined, someone who was more ethical, I think that becomes more important. The ability to be ethical, the ability to have moral standing. I’m Catholic. There is a religious and more overlay to how I do things. Having the ability to portray that and pass that to the next generation and sharing with them what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable, I think is pretty critical and even more critical than it was before. The ability to be structured, to say and to do what you say, not just actually say a bunch of stuff and not do it. So, I think those things don’t go out of use, but I would really spend a lot more focus on the ability to do critical thinking, analytical thinking, having creative ideas, obviously, creating a little bit of a hacker mindset, how to cut corners to get to something is actually really more and more important. The second part is with all of this, the overlay of growth mindset. I feel having a more flexible mindset rather than a fixed mindset. What I mean by that is not praising your kids or your grandchildren for being very intelligent or very beautiful, which are fixed things, they’re static things, but praising them for the effort they put into something, for the learning that they put into something, for the process, raising the
The future of work is going to be about advanced manufacturing — cyber security and cyber control, A.I. — robotics, and space. Where will San Antonio fit into that world? Alamo Colleges District is preparing the local workforce for these jobs.
In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with David Sperl, Head of HR for Advanced Visualization Solutions at GE HealthCare, to unpack how HR earns real business credibility by shipping outcomes, not PowerPoints, inside a heavily regulated, science driven environment.David explains why AI literacy must move from theory to hands-on practice, how microlearning and shared baseline tools help drive adoption, and why leadership advocacy is essential to scale change across technical, clinical, and commercial teams. He breaks down GE HealthCare's four stages of AI adoption, how communities of practice create demand pull, and why unlearning outdated mental models is now harder than learning new ones.Most importantly, he shares why user experience and friction removal are the real unlocks for AI in HR and business, and why the future of change isn't “change management”, it's change agility.
Don Dupuis is a Louisiana technology pioneer whose work quietly shaped how businesses across Acadiana and far beyond learned to operate in the early days of the digital age. Don founded Acadiana Computer Systems in 1969, at a time when most offices still relied on adding machines, paper ledgers, and manual calculations. Long before “IT services” was a common phrase, Don saw that businesses, especially medical practices, needed help navigating billing, coding, payroll, and data management. What began as a small, homegrown operation became a regional force, supporting doctors, lawyers, oilfield companies, universities, public offices, and even the horse racing industry. In this conversation, Don walks us through a remarkable journey that begins in Carencro, where he grew up and still lives on the very property where he was born. He shares stories from his early career in banking, including helping launch the credit card business in central Louisiana, complete with a secret U-Haul trip to Baton Rouge to retrieve credit cards during a rainstorm, and how that experience opened his eyes to the power of automation. Without a formal computer science degree, Don built his company by pairing business insight with technical brilliance. He credits early partner Roy Arwood, a mathematician and programmer, as “a genius” who wrote the software while Don sold, ran, and personally operated the systems. Together, they computerized payrolls with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of employees, ultimately processing more than one million W-2s in a single year. Don explains how Acadiana Computer Systems served a wide range of clients: Oilfield companies with massive payrolls Medical practices struggling with complex coding and insurance reimbursement Universities and medical schools, including LSU systems Registrars of voters and tax assessors The horse racing industry, where his team produced race programs before tote boards existed In medical billing, Don describes uncovering widespread inefficiencies, and sometimes outright fraud, costing physician practices tens of thousands of dollars each month. His company didn't just process claims; it helped doctors understand diagnosis codes, CPT procedures, and compliance, often recovering revenue that would otherwise be lost. “A doctor's bill is one of the most complicated things to produce,” he explains, emphasizing how critical accuracy became once Medicare and government oversight entered the picture. The episode also captures the culture of Lafayette's boom years. Don recalls a time when oil money flooded the region, businesses were expanding rapidly, and opportunity felt “wide open.” He also speaks candidly about downturns, particularly the late-1970s and early-1980s oil collapse, when many left Lafayette in search of work elsewhere. After decades of growth, Don sold Acadiana Computer Systems in 2021, staying on briefly before stepping away for good. He reflects on the realities of modern consolidation, offshore labor, and automation, noting that while technology keeps advancing, it often comes at the expense of long-term employees. In late 2025, Don made local news again when he sold the former ACS’ headquarters (nearly 30,000-square-foot building on Dulles Drive) for $3.6-million deal to South Louisiana Community College, allowing the campus to expand classrooms, offices, and student services. Beyond business, Don shares stories of generosity and community, from housing Lafayette's mounted police horses on his rural property to building lifelong relationships based on handshakes rather than contracts. “If you're nice to somebody, it comes back,” he says, reflecting on clients who became partners simply because he helped when they needed it most. The conversation closes with Don's thoughts on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the future of work. Having witnessed the evolution from mainframes to personal computers to AI, he sees enormous potential, particularly in medicine, alongside serious risks if technology is used carelessly. He also laments the massive shift of jobs to foreign countries where people making $2.50 per hour are gladly taking jobs once held by America's talented workforce. This episode is a rare oral history of Acadiana's early technology era, told by someone who helped build it: one payroll run, one program, and one handshake at a time. We thank our dear friend, Don Dupuis, for his generous spirit and the contributions he has made to our business climate in Acadiana. Avec beaucoup d’amour!
AI Applied: Covering AI News, Interviews and Tools - ChatGPT, Midjourney, Runway, Poe, Anthropic
Join Jaeden and Conor as they delve into the evolving landscape of work influenced by AI. Discover insights from industry leaders like McKinsey and General Catalyst on why the era of "learn once, work forever" is over. Explore how AI is reshaping job roles, the importance of strategic thinking, and what the future holds for client-facing positions. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on adapting to rapid technological changes.Get the top 40+ AI Models for $20 at AI Box: https://aibox.aiConor's AI Course: https://www.ai-mindset.ai/coursesConor's AI Newsletter: https://www.ai-mindset.ai/Jaeden's AI Hustle Community: https://www.skool.com/aihustleSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Something New! For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP235 In episode 235, the first part of a two-part conversation, Coffey talks with Jacob Morgan about building a future-ready organization by redesigning employee experience as a leadership system rather than a collection of perks. They discuss the role of futurists and foresight frameworks in business strategy; decoding human signals to anticipate workforce change; why employee experience must balance empathy, competence, and merit; failures of perk-driven engagement models; employee agency and co-creation of the workplace experience; structural work design versus superficial engagement tactics; leadership accountability in shaping culture; using technology and AI to amplify human capability rather than replace it; aligning expectations between employees and organizations in a post-pandemic workforce. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Jacob Morgan is an international best-selling author, professionally trained futurist, and keynote speaker. He also runs "Future of Work Leaders," an exclusive network of the world's top CHROs shaping the future of work and employee experience. His passion and mission is to create future-ready leaders, employees, and organizations. Jacob's work has been endorsed by the CEOs of Mastercard, Best Buy, Unilever, The Ritz Carlton, Nestle, Cisco, Audi, and many others. He has a popular podcast called Future-Ready Leadership With Jacob Morgan and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two kids, and two Yorkie rescue dogs. Jacob Morgan can be reached at https://thefutureorganization.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobmorgan8/ https://x.com/jacobm https://www.youtube.com/@JacobMorgan https://www.instagram.com/jacobmorgan8/ https://www.facebook.com/JacobMorgan8/ https://greatleadership.substack.com/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Understand how foresight tools and human signals help leaders prepare for future workforce shifts Evaluate employee experience using the framework of empathetic excellence instead of perks or engagement scores Apply the eight laws of employee experience to build resilient, future-ready organizations
• Support & get perks!• Proudly sponsored by PyMC Labs! Get in touch at alex.andorra@pymc-labs.com• Intro to Bayes and Advanced Regression courses (first 2 lessons free)Our theme music is « Good Bayesian », by Baba Brinkman (feat MC Lars and Mega Ran). Check out his awesome work !Chapters:11:37 The Hard Tech Era21:08 The Shift in Tech Work Culture28:49 AI's Impact on Job Security and Work Dynamics34:33 Adapting to AI: Skills for the Future45:56 Understanding AI Models and Their Limitations47:25 The Importance of Diversity in AI Development54:34 Positioning Technical Talent for Job Security57:58 Building Resilience in Uncertain Times01:06:33 Recognizing Diverse Ambitions in Career Progression01:12:51 The Role of Managers in Employee Retention01:26:55 Solving Complex Problems with AI and InnovationThank you to my Patrons for making this episode possible!Links from the show:Alana's latest book (Use code BAYESIAN for 10% off + a free interview preparation download PDF)Alana's SubstackAlana on LinkedinAlana on InstagramThe Obstacle Is the Way – The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into TriumphCourage Is Calling – Fortune Favours the Brave
AJ and Johnny sit down with Zack Kass, AI futurist and author of The Next Renaissance: AI and the Expansion of Human Potential, to explore how artificial intelligence will reshape identity, purpose, and meaning. Zack breaks down why our fear of AI isn't really about machines; it's about identity displacement. They dive deep into how creativity, purpose, and work evolve when technology becomes capable of doing almost everything. From artists confronting AI-generated art to professionals watching automation change their industries, Zack explains why humanity's next great challenge isn't survival, it's spiritual. This episode unpacks how to navigate the coming era with optimism, connection, and mastery — and why the most valuable skill of the future is still deeply, unapologetically human. Chapters: 00:00 – Facing the fear: AI, art, and identity06:00 – The loss of purpose in the age of automation10:00 – Infinite creativity and the watercooler effect15:00 – Why community and shared experience still matter20:00 – The automation boundary: where do we stop?25:00 – Political protection, purpose, and work that stays human30:00 – AI, inequality, and the distribution problem35:00 – The real reason cost of living is broken40:00 – Connection vs. artificial intimacy50:00 – How to stay human: learn, lead, and live with optimism A Word From Our Sponsors Stop being over looked and unlock your X-Factor today at unlockyourxfactor.com The very qualities that make you exceptional in your field are working against you socially. Visit the artofcharm.com/intel for a social intelligence assessment and discover exactly what's holding you back. If you've put off organizing your finances, Monarch is for you. Use code CHARM at monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. Indulge in affordable luxury with Quince. Upgrade your wardrobe today at quince.com/charm for free shipping and hassle-free returns. Grow your way - with Headway! Get started at makeheadway.com/CHARM and use my code CHARM for 25% off. This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/charm Save more than fifty percent on term life insurance at SELECTQUOTE.COM/CHARM TODAY to get started Curious about your influence level? Get your Influence Index Score today! Take this 60-second quiz to find out how your influence stacks up against top performers at theartofcharm.com/influence. Episode resources: The Next Renaissance: AI and the Expansion of Human Potential ZackKass.com Check in with AJ and Johnny! AJ on LinkedIn Johnny on LinkedIn AJ on Instagram Johnny on Instagram The Art of Charm on Instagram The Art of Charm on YouTube The Art of Charm on TikTok meetings, collaboration, leadership, communication, productivity, visibility, AI at work, remote work, workplace culture, career growth, The Art of Charm AI, automation, purpose, identity, future of work, Zack Kass, The Next Renaissance, technology, leadership, creativity, meaning, human connection, emotional intelligence, optimism, The Art of Charm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices