Dawn Kovach is VP of Business Development at MeBeBot.com,  an AI-powered assistant that delivers instant, accurate answers to employee and manager questions, improving communication and simplifying processes. MeBeBot is integrated into knowledge-based systems like SharePoint and your communications systems like Slack, MS Teams, and Web Chat, providing 24/7 access for HR, IT, Operational, and Sales Enablement questions, enabling HR and all units of the organization to spend more time focusing on more strategic business objectives. 

As a bonus, we will also talk about Dawn’s parallel life as a writer, with a special interest in  Shakespeare - his work and his life - and how she balances her role with MeBeBot and her writing. We discuss:   

1. The gap in the market that MeBeBot fills; how MeBeBot works, and what it takes to be fully functional within an organization.   
2. As their technology integrates with an organization’s communications systems, how do they address privacy concerns? 
3. The need for HR to adapt to the increasing role of AI in the organization, acknowledging that it may be challenging for HR to embrace this change; why HR must align their needs, concerns, and goals with other departments - IT, operations, and finance - to get buy-in.  
4. What HR leaders need to know to evaluate AI Vendors. 
5. Dawn’s parallel life as a writer: authors she most admires and books she’s written.
   
   

Our conversation with Patrick Sullivan, VP of Strategy and Innovation at A-LIGN, a leading provider of cybersecurity and compliance solutions, was one of the more wide-ranging and provocative ones that we’ve had. Patrick brings over 25 years of experience in the IT security and compliance space, is a TEDx Speaker, a member of the Forbes Technology Council,  and is a self-described AI Ethicist. We discussed: 

• “Systems thinking”:  how AI needs to be thought of in a broader social context in which everything is connected - change one thing and everything is affected, even if those things are not immediately visible. 
• How organizations need to think about - and manage - change: how the four domains in organizational systems - people, process, technology, and the organization itself - need to interconnect;   the ADKAR model for implementing change, which involves creating awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement among employees.  
• Carol Dweck's concept of fixed versus growth mindsets, with Patrick emphasizing the benefits of a growth mindset in business and personal development. 
• Balancing compliance and innovation in the context of AI implementation. 
• AIX is about raising your “AIQ,” which we define as knowing what questions to ask. Patrick discusses the one question he is not asked enough.
• What it means to be an “AI ethicist” and the importance of ensuring that AI systems produce desired behaviors while maintaining individual agency in decision-making. 
• ISO 56001, a structured framework for organizations to think about and consistently approach innovation (we need to have a pod exclusively on this). 
• Patrick’s colorful - and apt! - NBA analogy in describing differences in how Europe views AI regulation and how we view it here in the US. 
• Bag Check: Patrick shares his go-to AI tools, which may surprise you.

This introduces a new feature we’re calling Bag Check, inspired by the Tennis Channel’s recurring segment by the same name, wherein tennis players are asked what they’re carrying in their bag (it’s far more interesting and revealing than it may seem).  The Bag Check segments are excerpted from our longer form AIX Factor interviews - we think you’ll find it strangely fascinating and brimming with great ideas for using AI tools in your work and life.   

On this, our maiden segment, Harold Ford, the Practice Director for the Employer Solutions Practice at Net at Work and a regular AIX Factor co-host, shares his experiences using Chat GPT's operator mode, which can handle tasks such as booking appointments and scheduling haircuts without human interaction. Harold also mentions his use of Grammarly and Writesonic for crafting emails and articles, and how the “humanizer” tool in Writesonic helps him write in a more conversational voice. He also describes how he has used Google's Notebook LM for creating a podcast based on white papers and remarkably life-like YouTube videos. 

Check it out and let us know what you think of our new segment! 

An inspiring and thought-provoking conversation with Faisal Hoque, an award-winning entrepreneur, world-renowned technologist, and tech executive with over three decades of experience working with leadership at companies such as PepsiCo, MasterCard, IBM, Home Depot, and at the US Department of Defense. Faisal is a three-time winner of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50™ and Fast 500™ award…and is the author of the forthcoming book, Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI.  We discuss: 

• His inspiring “journey of gratitude” - arriving here at the age of 19 to study electrical engineering and the various “no's” he encountered - and rose above - along the way.  
• His forthcoming book (his 10th!) on how to use Al to unlock humanity's full potential while protecting what is most precious about the human experience - arguably the biggest challenge AI poses, which goes to the heart of what AIX is all about. 
• What makes him optimistic that AI will be a force for good.    
• Managing “AI personas” in a way that manages the downside risks - how should organizations prepare for this shift? 
• Why “persona management” will become a critical skill in 2025. 
• "What's in Your Bag" - a new AIX segment wherein Faisal discusses his go-to AI tools. 

Faisal has an amazing personal story to tell, and insights to share from his experiences with some of the largest and most complex organizations on earth. 

 Harold G. Ford III is the Practice Director for the Employer Solutions Practice at Net at Work and an Eagles fan. Harold joins us periodically to answer the question: How should organizations re-think their day-to-day HR, IT, and Business processes and all the associated organizational challenges, in the age of AI? We discuss: 

• the upcoming Super Bowl, why it’s the Eagles’ turn to beat the Chiefs, and why more football coaches should consider using AI in game situations. 
• the recent news about DeepSeek, the open source LLM from China, and its implications for AI, Agentic AI and the Future of Work.
• "What’s in Your Bag,” a new segment inspired by the Tennis Channel’s segment of the same name, in which Harold discusses his go-to AI tools and the one’s he’s experimenting with. 

We don't know anyone better than Harold at lucidly explaining the implications and practical uses of AI in improving the employee experience...a must listen for any HR pro looking for guidance in navigating this new world of AI-augmented work.  

We're joined by Hernan Chiosso, Technology Director at the National Human Resources Association and Founder of ProductizeHR. Hernan curates insights on HR Tech, AI, and agility, offering consultancy and resources to address challenges in people, processes, and products. He also mentors HRTech startups and writes on human behavior and talent development.   Key Takeaways from this episode:

• Reimagining HR as a Product: transforming HR by designing processes and programs that delight employees and managers, aligning HR with business goals, delivering faster, and adopting agile practices.
• Delighting Employees: what it means to delight employees, recognize its impact on engagement and performance.
• Improving HR Tech: we explore AI’s role in enhancing user experiences while addressing potential risks.
• HR in AI Strategy: how HR can lead AI discussions, developing technical acumen to shape the future of work.
• AI and “Bullshit Jobs”: AI’s potential to create or eliminate redundant roles.
• Lessons from Kodak and Xerox: how market/tech leadership can stifle innovation. 

Thanks to our conversation with Hernan, we now have a new goal in these podcasts: to delight our listeners. A high, possibly unreachable bar for a podcast on AI and HR, but as they say, it's all about the journey.   

Mark Vickers, HR.com’s Chief Research Analyst & Data Wrangler, joins us to talk about their new report, the Future of AI and Recruitment Technologies 2024-25. Mark was last on the pod in August to discuss “AI’s Bumpy Ascent in HR” - we asked him if the ascent has gotten any less bumpy since (spoiler alert: a little), then homed in on the findings of their latest blockbuster report: 

• the increasing use of AI in recruitment functions (automating job descriptions, candidate communication, resume filtering, interview scheduling, and candidate discovery)
• the positive correlation between the use of effective recruitment technologies and higher quality of hires
• how technology is being used to improve candidate experiences, efficiency, and access to the entire pipeline of candidates.
• concerns about AI usage (depersonalization and vulnerability to bias)

We also discussed the underutilization of mobile tech in recruiting and why this is such an unforced error. Mark closes by providing us with a sneak preview of exciting research projects he and his team have in the works for the coming year,and background on HR.com's new AI for HR Academy (https://tinyurl.com/4uvty3yh).   

We're joined by I/O psychologist, technologist and author Steve Hunt, whose roots in AI go back to his dad, a psychology professor who did pioneering AI work in his field in the late 50s/early 60s.  While wide-ranging, our conversation focused on the one critical thing that we can do that AI can’t: care.  “Caring…is (defined as) a human giving their time and attention to another human…it is literally an organic process. AI can simulate it, it can act like it. A key part of counseling or coaching is knowing that someone cares about you…and AI can’t do that.”  

Steve and I discuss caring from multiple perspectives: its historic role in facilitating work, its unmeasured value to the economy, what it looks like in today’s workforce, how to measure and monetize it. Other topics we discussed include: 

• the importance of using the right data in machine learning and the limitations of AI in predicting job performance based on pre-hire data. 
• concerns about over-reliance on AI (Steve draws an analogy to processed food and AI's potential negative impact on human health and social interaction).
• the need to rethink the role of work, particularly in service jobs, and to value the skills of those who provide caring services. He pointed out that the quality of services is likely to suffer as technology eliminates people from work. 
• the potential for a new category of jobs for care workers due to the shift in work dynamics. 

Combining a rare psychology and tech/AI background, Steve brings a valuable perspective to the challenges of navigating today's world of AI-augmented work.  

This is an excerpt from a fascinating conversation I recently had with I/O psychologist, technologist and author Steve Hunt, whose roots in AI go back to his dad, a psychology professor who did pioneering work with it in his field.  The excerpt focuses on a topic we discuss at length on the podcast: the one critical thing that we can do that AI can’t: care.  “Caring…is (defined as) a human giving their time and attention to another human…it is literally an organic process. AI can simulate it, it can act like it. A key part of counseling or coaching is knowing that someone cares about you…and AI can’t do that.”  

On the podcast, Steve and I discuss caring from multiple perspectives: its historic role in facilitating work, its unmeasured value to the economy, what it looks like in today’s workforce, how to measure and monetize it. Coming soon! 

We have the two founders of CogniTrainer on to find out (spoiler alert: it can). CogniTrainer uses AI to create a simulated training environment for students and mental health professionals, ensuring that they’re prepared for real-world clinical encounters.  Michael Glowik, Emile Rutherford and I discussed: 

• The gaps in mental health training and education CogniTrainer fills
• The challenges in mental health education they believe have been overlooked by conventional programs
• How their AI chatbot/avatar technology so effectively replicates the nuances of real-life therapy sessions 
• Ethical considerations - bias, etc.  
• How the technology will be used in police training 
• Where they see their technology evolving and the future of online learning. 

 Check it out!     

This is the third in a series of talks with David Foote, founder of Foote Partners, on The Big Shift- several tectonic changes sweeping through the workplace and the workforce. 

In this pod, we discuss the shift from a demand for "traditional" tech skills to a demand for a variety of so-called soft skills due to the changing nature of work – hybrid, cross-functional teams that often operate without day-to-day managerial oversight. David categorizes these skills as those that you’re born with, those that can be taught, and those that are difficult – but not impossible - to acquire. These skills include empathy, authenticity, humility, critical thinking, curiosity, passion, and leadership. You’ll have to listen to find out which are innate, and which can be taught and improved upon! 

We also discuss the importance of workplace culture- and HR’s role -  in facilitating the acquisition and development of these skills, especially in the context of AI and workforce transformation.  We encourage you to listen to the first two in the series if you haven't already, though they each stand on their own. Thanks for listening - we welcome your feedback!

On these podcasts, we discuss the challenges of maintaining a balance between AI and our humanity. Today’s conversation focuses almost entirely on the human side of the equation: the challenges of being civil and what this means in an increasingly uncivil world. It’s a timely conversation on a vitally important topic with the best person I can think of to have it with. 

Shola Richards is the CEO and founder of Go Together Global® and is a widely sought-after civility expert. We discuss his latest book, Civil Unity: the radical path to transform our discourse, our lives, and our world. Shola dispels several misconceptions on the topic, and addresses the central question: can civility be learned? Spoiler alert: it can, but it takes commitment to the work, and the willingness to negotiate uncomfortable situations and inconvenient truths. And yes, we also discuss at the very end the impacts and implications of AI in our everyday interactions. 

Much like his excellent book, it’s a lively, insightful, sometimes counterintuitive, and, yes, fun conversation (and I’m not just referring to our occasional digressions into our shared passion, NBA hoops – always, always to support a relevant point). Civil Unity is available at Amazon and wherever books are sold. 

Eric discusses his go-to AI tools - he emphasizes the importance of scientific literacy and critical thinking when evaluating AI tools and marketing claims. He explains why he likes Perplexity for research, and an AI-driven OCR (optical character recognition) tool that works! (OCR tech has come a long way from the semi-legible text these tools used to produce).

Vero AI is dedicated to helping companies understand AI and other algorithmic solutions. This episode of Bag Check was excerpted from a previous interview: Vero AI’s Instrumental Role in Delivering AI-Augmented Compliance.  

Ryan Carrier is Executive Director at ForHumanity/ President at ForHumanity Europe, a public charity operating in 98 countries that examines the impact of AI and autonomous systems on jobs, society, rights and freedoms, as well as the downside risks and challenges associated with these technologies. Ryan shares his unusual career journey, which started in finance  and led to the founding of ForHumanity in March 2020. Initially focused on drafting audit rules for digital contact tracing during the pandemic, they have since developed more than 50 certification schemes and submitted them to governments and regulators for approval. We discuss:

• responsible AI development
• the need for independent audits promote compliance with emerging regulations
• the importance of AI literacy (and how it ought to be defined) 
• why compliance is often cheaper than paying fines for non-compliance, yet many companies currently view fines as just a cost of doing business
• the marketing benefits of a “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval to verify compliance 

We also veer into several other emerging technologies that are problematic from a societal/ethical standpoint, such as emotional recognition technology, those advancing "transhumanism," and gene editing.  Also - ForHumanity just published 62 use cases for HR, designed to provide auditors with examples of best practices and compliant outputs. We discuss one such use case involving mental health chatbots - the potential for good as well as the considerable downside risk. 

A truly fascinating conversation with a man - and organization - doing remarkable, vitally important, and largely unsung work. 

Taylor Bradley is Head of Talent Strategy & Developer Success for Turing, builders of generative AI products and solutions that transform complex data into actionable insights. Taylor is an HR executive with over a decade of experience partnering with founders and executives to drive talent strategies in fast-growing, late-stage tech companies. Our wide-ranging conversation touches on:   

• the unfair advantages of having two first names
• how his previous work as a paramedic informs his leadership style
• Turing’s “AI-powered Talent Cloud” and real world applications for HR
• how Turing scales AI-centric workforces (we discuss the flip-side: maintaining human-centricity)
• aligning HR practices with business goals in an  AI-augmented world
• the major opportunities and challenges going forward  

David Foote, of the eponymous Foote Partners, joins us for  the second in a series of talks on The Big Shift-several tectonic changes sweeping through the workplace, driven by several key high-momentum technologies, including, of course, AI. In the first podcast we discussed the previous four industrial revolutions, going back to the first one in the 1700’s that was chiefly powered by the emergence of the efficient steam engine. On this pod, we examine the shifts in supply, demand and pay  pay for tech skills. As with all the pods in the series, this should be particularly illuminating for the HR pros in our listening audience who want to get out in the front of the trends David and his team have identified that are shaping the future of work. 

Yuval Harari’s brilliant new book, “Nexus, A Brief History of Information Networks From the Stone Age to AI,” speaks about the importance of stories as the building blocks of culture. Geoffrey Klein is CEO and founder of nine dots, which helps businesses create compelling story-driven visual content. He is also an AI consultant, TEDx speaker, Wharton lecturer and best-selling author. He joins us to discuss the business case for spinning a ripping good yarn, how to become an adept storyteller, and why it’s particularly important in the age of AI. Bonus content: Geoffrey shares details of his triumphant appearance on the Dating Game, prompted by a question asked by AIX’s intrepid cohost, NetatWork's Harold Ford III.    

Konnichiwa (こんにちは). Joining me from his HQ in Tokyo is my co-host, Michael Piker, VP, Global Total Rewards for Shiseido, the global beauty giant. Michael and I speak with NetExpat's founder and CEO Alain Verstandig and his colleague Laurette Bennhold-Samaan, Vice President, Global Advisory and Intercultural Services. Both are experts in Global Workforce Management Deployment, which is about establishing and deploying talent in the right location, in the right culture, and in the right context. The topics we discuss include:  

• the challenges and benefits of international assignments and repatriation
• the importance of cultural agility in successfully navigating change,  whether being assigned to an overseas location or moving from the main office to the home office 
• how AI has improved their ability to accurately predict successful assignments/transitions
• the aspects of their work they would happily have AI do, and those that AI will never be able to replicate 
• the importance of ensuring “human centricity” in an increasingly AI-augmented world  

Tanoshinde ne (enjoy)! 

Mark Vickers, HR.com’s Chief Research Analyst & Data Wrangler - aka, the Hardest Working Man in HR Research (TM) - joins us to talk about their new report, HR.com's State of People Analytics (https://tinyurl.com/ywbpmvv8). The report’s exec summary wastes no time laying it out: “HR has an ongoing analytics problem.”  Two stats that bear this out: Only 22% of organizations feel effective in HR analytics; twice as many (44%) say their organizations are only somewhat effective or not effective at all in this area.

We discussed the decline in the use of people analytics and what’s behind it - spoiler alert: design, implementation, cultural resistance. Mark suggested strategies to reverse this trend, including starting small with meaningful metrics, leveraging existing technologies, training HR staff, and holding workshops on storytelling with data to effectively communicate insights to other parts of the organization. Naturally, we also discussed the implications this has for HR using AI to derive insights.  An enlightening, free-wheeling conversation...check it out! 

Today’s guest is uniquely qualified to answer the question: How can we ensure that AI doesn't leave a "body count" in its wake? Steve Levy is the principal talent advisor at DHI Group and an influential voice on all things TA (talent acquisition). By body count, we mean AI’s potential threat to jobs, social equity, and, gulp, humanity. We touch on: 

• Steve’s 34-year stint saving lives (and we assume having some fun) as a Jones Beach lifeguard
• the AI “fear factor”
• the importance of maintaining AI-human balance
• the need for self-learning among recruiters
• ”radical transparency”... and my two favorite topics: 
• “automating stupidity” (what you definitely do not want to do)
• “HR’s Ethan Allen syndrome” (you will LOL). 

Bonus Content: generously waiving his standard Actor’s Equity rate, Steve did a dramatic reading of the famous courtroom scene from "Inherit the Wind" to emphasize the importance of critical thinking over blindly accepting dogma, and offered up a vaguely recognizable Tony Soprano applying for a sales job at a Jersey car dealership. As to the question of AI’s body count, Steve saves the two-word answer to the very end…the wait will seem brief, as we’re sure you’ll be riveted for the 60 minutes that precede it.   

(With apologies to the great Gil Scott-Heron.) This is the first in a series of conversations with the estimable David Foote, Chief Analyst & Chief Research Officer for the eponymous Foote Partners, on the Big Shift: the tectonic changes sweeping the workplace. Highlights: 

- David compares AI to previous industrial revolutions, and why its potential to bring positive change (productivity, innovation, etc.) should outweigh broadly felt fear and uncertainty. 
- The five “shifts” disrupting the workforce, focusing on the massive generational shift, what each generation uniquely offers, and the challenges of managing people with different workstyles, learning styles, goals, and values. 
- The increased value and need for soft skills, one of the Big Shifts that we’ll focus on in a future pod. 

Foote Partners are innovators of advanced techniques for benchmarking enterprise tech jobs, skills supply/demand, and compensation; tracking/forecasting tech labor trends; and analyzing human factors in technology development. 

Michael Borrelli, Director at AI & Partners, joins us from his HQ in London, England to discuss the EU AI Act and its implications for organizations across Europe and for US companies doing business there. We begin with big news on the AI front - the signing of the world’s first treaty on AI - signatories include the UK (awkward!) and the US. We discuss the work that AI and Partners does to help clients navigate the complex and fast-changing AI regulatory landscape, then take a deep dive into the EU AI Act and what US-based companies need to be aware of. In another piece of good timing, this pod drops the same day as their report on “The EU AI Act: Third-Country Preparedness.” Highly recommended: https://lnkd.in/dJ_WQTE5

Harold G. Ford III - yes, the third - is the Practice Director for the Employer Solutions Practice at Net at Work, a leading business technology consulting firm. Harold will be one of our rotating co-hosts, bringing a field-level perspective to AI and HR. Harold and I will ask our guests to answer the question: How should organizations re-think their day-to-day HR, IT, and business processes and all the associated organizational challenges, in the age of AI? We’ll address topics from a practitioner’s perspective - business owner, head of HR, finance, or IT - from an SMB company. In other words, bringing the AI tablets down from the mountaintop.  

On our first pod together, we discuss the most significant changes in the workplace over the past few years, the “hesitational enthusiasm” (his words) with which HR professionals have approached AI, its transformative potential as well as the challenges of efficiently and responsibly integrating AI into HR workflows. We discuss the need for greater AI literacy and touch on topics we’ll be addressing on future pods together.  

“It’s not the lack of candidates that’s the problem, it’s a process problem.” On this week’s AIX Factor, we spoke with Jonathan Duarte, the Founder and CEO of GoHire, the leading provider of Apply-by-Text solutions that help companies hire high-volume, mobile-first frontline workers. For the last 25+ years, Jonathan has been building Recruitment and HR Technology focused on candidate acquisition, engagement, and recruitment marketing. He joined us from his HQ in San Francisco to discuss: 

• How his BA in History directly relates to his HR work.  
• His start as a financial analyst at Aspen Skiing Company, to doing ERP implementations for Gateway, to founding GoHire, and his early experiments with chatbot technology in 2016.  
• Background on GoHire - how it works, gaps in the market that they  fill.  
• The definition of “conversational recruiting.” 
• “It’s not the lack of candidates that’s the problem, it’s a process problem.” How to use multi-channel messaging and AI agents to reach out to candidates more efficiently. 
• Takeaways from HR.com’s HRWest event in Oakland - the response to his talk on” HR navigating evolving challenges and tech.” 
• The importance of playing with AI tools creatively before using them professionally. 
• Bag Check: Jonathan shares his go-to AI tools.  

Dr. Solange Charas, CEO and Founder of HCMoneyball,  Professor of Practice at Columbia University, and author of Humanizing Human Capital, discusses how human capital analytics ensures an efficient, productive, and, yes, “human-centric” workforce. We discuss the four “D’s” disrupting the workplace: Demographics, Digitization, Datafication, and Disintermediation. We also discuss Strategic Workforce Planning and how it aligns HR, Finance, and Governance….and how AI can make us smarter and better. She also gives us insights into the practical benefits of her recent promotion to full professor at Columbia - in case any of you are weighing the pros/cons of a similar gig at a major university near you. 

HR professionals don’t know what to make of AI.  Almost half of those surveyed by HR.com have “super high” expectations - “AI will give me super powers” - and about as many have major concerns, from legal risk to bias. Mark Vickers, HR.com’s Chief Research Analyst & Data Wrangler, joins us to talk about “AI’s Bumpy Ascent in HR,” his recent presentation on AI awareness and adoption among HR professionals, based on data gathered from 18 months of surveys. We discuss their findings regarding AI and Talent Acquisition, Learning, Performance Management, and Engagement & Experience.  We also discuss the implications of a study showing that recruiters using low-quality AI became more engaged with the AI, allowing it to augment - vs. substitute for - their efforts, producing a better outcome. As a bonus, if you listen carefully near the fifteen-minute mark, Mark almost stumbles into a classic line from Taxi Driver: "One of these days I’m gonna get organizized.” 

We know how vital learning and upskilling will continue to be as AI transforms work - the question is:  why are soft skills so key, and how can we ensure that the resources we use for learning are accessible, fair, and effective?  Ioanna Onasi, co-founder & CEO of Dextego, an autonomous sales coaching platform, can legitimately claim to be a grizzled entrepreneur before reaching thirty. Indeed, one of her missions is to share her insights to help fellow Gen Z and under-represented founders accelerate their entrepreneurial journeys - several of which she shares with us on this podcast.  Along the way, Ioanna provided us with an exceptionally accurate and concise description of what it takes to be a successful founder/leader, premised as it is on continuous learning: “recognize patterns, iterate…be resilient.” We also spoke about the importance of learning and developing soft skills in the age of AI…with bonus restaurant tips for those who enjoy quality Greek food.  

Dr. Mark Attridge, President of Attridge Consulting, Inc. ,  a prominent research and analyst firm that focuses on workplace mental health and employee assistance programs, discusses the findings of their recent study (free download) examining the relative efficacy of three different EAP delivery modalities:  in-person (worksite or offsite),  human via some technology channel (phone, online video, text/email) and AI only (self-care with digital tools and no counselor or coach involved). Mark provides a wealth of insight into the future of EAP and mental health delivery in the age of AI. 

With over 25 years of experience as a management-side employment and labor attorney, Jon Hyman,  helps businesses strategically, proactively, and reactively solve their workforce problems. As leader of the Employment & Labor Practice Group at Wickens Herzer Panza, Jon provides practical and strategic advice on a range of employment, labor law, and  workplace technology issues. He also founded and leads the Craft Beer Practice Group at WHP – a pressing topic we explore before digging into what organizations need to do – and think about – in developing an AI governance strategy. Is there a blueprint for evaluating AI risk? What should organizations be most concerned about and prepare for? What challenges loom on the horizon?  Jon lays it all out.  

Matt Burns has been an HR executive leading major change initiatives, a strategy consultant and industry analyst, a serial entrepreneur, as well as a podcast host and producer - he currently hosts and produces the Thinking Inside the Box podcast. He is also a co-founder of Atlas Copilot, whose mission is to transform the way HR professionals, teams, and other people leaders do their work, leveraging the latest in generative AI technology.  Now boarding…

On our maiden AIX Factor podcast we introduce Michael Piker, who will be a recurring co-host. Michael has worked and lived in 9, count 'em 9 countries - currently he’s based in London, but his bags and two chihuahuas are packed and awaiting imminent arrival in Japan, his fourth time working and living there. Michael shares his international perspective on navigating change, different work cultures, and today’s world of AI-augmented work. It was a fun, illuminating and wide-ranging conversation - capturing the kind of exchanges we look forward to having on the AIX Factor. Thanks for listening!  For more, go to AIXonHR.com.  

The pod introduces the AIX platform (developed in partnership with HR.com): a learning community to provide peer and expert guidance and support in navigating the world of AI-augmented work. We get into the defining characteristics of responsible AI, why it's essential, and why you should care! Future pods will feature diverse perspectives on AI and its impact on - and implications for - the "new" future of work. Join us!

Mark Wyatt is the founder and CEO of Quantiv Group, a consulting company dedicated to helping other tech firms improve their sales and marketing processes using an agile approach. Mark is the “serial entrepreneur’s entrepreneur”, having founded six companies, two of which were acquired. We discuss: 

• What drives someone to start six companies, the benefits of “failing fast,” and what he’s learned. 
• What Quantiv does to improve their sales and marketing processes using an agile approach (making them repeatable, definable, and improvable with data analytics). 
• How Quantiv integrates AI into its solutions. 
• What “AI-first business transformation” means, and what it looks like.  
• Comparing the pervasive nature of AI to the early days of the Internet prompts a nostalgic trip down memory lane - don’t worry, it’s brief. 
• Bag Check: Mark shares his go-to AI tools. 

Sri Chellappa is CEO and Co-Founder, Engagedly, an AI-enabled people strategy platform that redefines performance appraisals by simplifying and incorporating elements of employee engagement and development into the performance review process. Sri brings over 20 years of experience leading organizations in software development and consulting,  which includes managing teams at EY and Capgemini. We discuss: 

• His movie-making background - Sri has written and directed seven movies: two documentaries, and five feature films (the Coen Bros. are an influence). 
• The gaps in the marketplace that led him to start Engagedly 10 years ago. 
• How Engagedly “transforms the way talent is managed.”
• The question/s HR people most often ask. 
• The biggest challenges in managing talent over the next 12 months.
• His 2024 book, Into the Blue: Implementing Ikigai Philosophy to Create a Meaningful Workplace. 
• Bag Check: Sri discusses his go-to AI tools. 

Eric Sydell is Co-founder and CEO of Vero AI, a firm dedicated to helping companies understand AI and other algorithmic solutions. Eric has a Ph.D in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and is an experienced Consultant, R&D Leader, and Entrepreneur in the staffing and recruiting industry. Topics we discuss include: 

1. With several guitars visible in his office, we couldn’t resist spending the first five-plus minutes discussing Eric’s guitar-making hobby - the challenges of crafting playable instruments and his dedication to perfecting the process.  
2. Eric’s career journey, from I/O to AI.   
3. The gaps in the audit/compliance marketplace that led to the founding of Vero AI. 
4. How Vero works as a compliance/governance risk compliance (GRC) tool to assist human auditors in processes like ISO 27001 and Sarbanes-Oxley. (Eric insists on the need to ensure human-centricity.)  
5. The current state of AI regulation, the importance of scientific literacy in evaluating AI tools, and the opportunities/challenges of the rapid evolution of AI and large language models.
6. Other planned applications of Vero’s technology beyond compliance. 
7. Bag Check:  Eric shares his go-to AI tools.   

Genevieve Bartuski is a licensed psychologist who brings a unique perspective to the intersection of psychology, privacy, and AI governance.  In her private practice, she focuses on clinical work, addressing severe and persistent mental illness, as well as family and relationship dynamics. She also leads a boutique consulting firm that applies behavioral science to privacy compliance and AI governance. Her approach helps organizations navigate ethical AI development, data protection challenges, and the broader impact of technology on human behavior and organizational culture.

1. Her background in clinical forensic psychology, her work at a maximum security prison, and as a hostage negotiator.
2. How a psychologist ends up in privacy and AI governance consulting. 
3. The impact of digital environments - particularly AI - on the psychological well-being of today’s workforces..
4. The emergence and spread of “therapy bots” and their critical shortcomings:  lack of transparency, inability to fulfill “duty to warn” obligations when a patient expresses suicidal ideation,  etc. 
5. The problem of Shadow AI and how to manage/decrease it (hint: through education and a deeper dive into why individuals need such “extracurricular” tools - is it a sign of being overwhelmed, stressed?) 
6. How behavioral psychology applies to privacy compliance and AI governance 
7. Bag Check: Genevieve shares her go-to AI tools. 

Bonus chat: Genevieve joins the podcast from southwest Virginia, near the Tennessee and North Carolina borders…two hours from Dollywood, a popular destination for Genevieve and her family over the years. We discuss Dollywood, pay our respects to the recently passed Carl Dean, and pay homage to the queen herself.  

Faisal Hoque is an award-winning entrepreneur, world-renowned technologist, tech executive, and best-selling author with over three decades of experience working with leadership at some of the world's most iconic - and complex - organizations. Faisal goes deep into his impressively deep bag of AI "tricks." (Go here for the full conversation - from his inspiring personal journey to why "persona management" will be a thing in 2025.)  

Dr. Anna Tavis is a Clinical Professor and Chair of the Human Capital Management Department at the NYU School of Professional Studies, where she leads MS degree and certificate programs in Human Capital Management. She is also the co-author of Humans at Work: The Art and Practice of Creating the Hybrid Workplace and the newly released bestseller The Digital Coaching Revolution—a must-read for professionals navigating AI-driven coaching, digital assistants, and personalized learning in the age of automation. This week I'm joined by my cohost, straight outta Tokyo, Mr. Michael Piker, VP, Global Total Rewards for Shiseido, the global beauty giant. We discuss: 

1. How Anna has managed to navigate leadership roles in the corporate sector and academia. 
2. The one or two indispensable characteristics leaders across all sectors need to be effective in this environment.   
3. The evolution of human capital management over the years (with shout-outs to Peter Drucker, Milton Friedman and neoliberalism’s influence, etc. ) 
4. Her latest book, The Digital Coaching Revolution, which explores AI-driven coaching.    
5. As agentic AI matures and takes its place in the organization, what must leaders do to keep employees in harmony with their robot cohort? 
6. Why Anna urges HR people to learn to code - yes, you heard that right! HR people should learn to code. 
7. Advice Anna gives to young people early in their HR careers as they navigate this new world of AI-augmented work. 

Class is in session!