AI and the Future of Work: Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace, Business, Ethics, HR, and IT for AI Enthusiasts, Leaders and Academics

Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether and co-founder of Holepunch, dives into the transformative potential of decentralized finance. He discusses how USDT became the go-to digital dollar by addressing banking challenges. Ardoino argues for a math-based governance of money over political influences. He also explores the future of brain-computer interfaces, highlighting the fusion of human and AI as the next frontier. With a hopeful outlook, he debates the long-term safety of AI, suggesting a new era of collaborative intelligence could solve societal issues.

Kyle Daigle, Chief Operating Officer at GitHub, shares his unique journey from fine arts to leading the largest code hosting platform. He discusses how GitHub Copilot empowers developers, allowing them to focus on creativity and problem-solving. The importance of human oversight in coding, especially with AI tools, is emphasized, along with the ethical implications of software development. Daigle envisions a future of "ambient AI" that is context-aware, privacy-conscious, and personal, transforming the coding landscape while keeping humans at the center.

Anders Indset is a Norwegian philosopher, author, tech investor, and former Olympic handball player often called “the business philosopher.” He is the founder of the Global Institute of Leadership and Technology and chairman of Njordis Group, a venture firm focused on the intersection of humanity and exponential technologies. Anders has invested in deep tech companies like Terra Quantum and launched The Quantum Economy Alliance to explore the future of innovation. He brings a unique mix of philosophical insight and real-world experience to today’s conversation.In this conversation, we discuss:Why Anders believes our economy is society’s “operating system” and how AI might destabilize or enhance itHow we’ve built an economy driven by reaction rather than reflection and what it takes to shift toward more thoughtful progressWhat the “final narcissistic injury” means for humanity as we face the rise of superintelligenceWhy it's naive to separate economy from ecology and how the concept of the quantum economy offers a new way to align hyper-efficiency with sustainabilityThe difference between artificial general intelligence and artificial human intelligence and why Anders argues for enhancing ourselves before trying to replace usWhat the technological singularity really is, why it's misunderstood, and how Anders thinks we should prepare for itResources:Subscribe to the AI & The Future of Work NewsletterConnect with Anders on LinkedIn or on his websiteExplore Anders’ published work, including “The Quantum Economy”AI fun fact articleOn How to Optimize Hiring Processes and Celebrate Cognitive Diversity

Silvio Savarese, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientist at Salesforce, shares insights into building trustworthy AI systems. They discuss designing AI with safety and human oversight to protect users. The conversation dives into the critical need for data privacy and bias mitigation in predictive models. There’s a focus on balancing the speed of innovation with long-term impacts on trust and compliance. The episode also emphasizes the necessity of transparency in navigating AI ethics, particularly in high-stakes decision-making.

Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera, shares her insights on how AI is transforming education. She discusses the shift from traditional degrees to personalized learning experiences and microcredentials. Marni emphasizes the vital role teachers play, advocating for their integration into AI-enhanced environments. The conversation touches on how AI tools are democratizing access to education while maintaining integrity, highlighting the need for a blend of technical skills and critical human abilities in the evolving job market.

Tess Posner, CEO of AI4ALL, is on a mission to diversify the AI field and embed ethics in tech education. She discusses the importance of AI literacy for everyone and how project-based learning empowers students to grasp AI's real-world impact. Tess highlights the need for equitable access to AI education, stressing that AI can either reinforce biases or drive positive change based on who leads its development. She also shares insights on shifting the narrative around AI from fear to creativity, emphasizing the role of critical thinking in navigating the future of technology.

Brian Elliott, CEO of Work Forward and bestselling author, shares his journey from Google and Slack to advising leaders on healthier workplace cultures. He highlights the dangers of hustle culture and the need for alignment and accountability. The discussion dives into the hidden risks of AI, revealing how employees often adopt it in secret due to anxiety about judgment. Elliott emphasizes the importance of fostering trust and experimentation, arguing that the future of work relies on collaboration and valuing human craftsmanship in an AI-driven world.

Martin Goodson, CEO of Evolution AI and former Oxford researcher, shares his fascinating journey from biological data to pioneering AI in optical character recognition. He discusses the shortcomings of traditional OCR and how contextual understanding transforms document intelligence. The conversation touches on the importance of domain knowledge in financial analysis and the challenges of accuracy in AI, particularly with numerical data. Goodson questions the pursuit of AGI, advocating for AI systems that enhance human capabilities rather than mimic them.

Scott Stevenson is the CEO and co-founder of Spellbook, a legal tech company transforming how attorneys review contracts with AI. Since launching in 2018, Spellbook’s AI copilot has been adopted by more than 1,700 legal teams and helps review over a million contracts annually. Scott recently led the company through a $20 million Series A backed by Inovia Capital, Thomson Reuters Ventures, The Legaltech Fund, and others. Before Spellbook, he founded Mune, a startup at the intersection of music and technology, and holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador.In this conversation, we discuss:Scott Stevenson’s journey from building electronic instruments to launching Spellbook, the world’s first generative AI copilot for lawyers.Why contracts, not court cases, were the ideal entry point for legal AI and how Spellbook now helps 3,000+ legal teams review over a million contracts a year.How AI is expanding access to legal services by reducing costs and enabling lawyers to serve the 70% of clients who previously couldn’t afford help.Why AI won’t replace lawyers and how tools like Spellbook enhance human judgment rather than automate legal decisions.Why now may be the best time to enter the legal field as AI eliminates drudgery and creates more room for strategy and client work.What product-market fit really looks like and how Scott found it after testing more than 100 hypotheses before landing on a solution that clicked.Why the best AI products embrace controlled chaos over rigid structure and how leaning into complexity reflects how the real world actually works.Resources:Subscribe to the AI & The Future of Work NewsletterConnect with Scott on LinkedInAI fun fact articleOn How to Build an AI platform that's growing faster than OpenAI

To coincide with International Human Resources Day (May 20th), this special compilation episode of AI and the Future of Work explores the promises and pitfalls of AI in hiring.HR leaders are under pressure to innovate—but how can we automate hiring ethically, avoid bias, and stay compliant with evolving laws and expectations?In this episode, we revisit key moments from past interviews with four top voices shaping the future of ethical workforce automation:🔹 Sean Behr (CEO, Fountain) – Listen to the full conversation here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/14183120 🔹 Keith Sonderling (U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor, formerly EEOC Commissioner) – Listen to the full conversation here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/15934483 🔹 Guillermo Corea (Former Director, SHRM Innovation Lab) – Listen to the full conversation here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/12706119 🔹 Josh Drean (Futurist, Co-Founder, Work3 Institute) – Listen to the full conversation here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/16473644 💡 What You’ll Learn:How AI is already transforming the hiring processWhat compliance really means in the age of automationWhy HR professionals must take the lead on responsible innovationHow to balance efficiency with fairness and transparency  ResourcesSubscribe to the AI & The Future of Work Newsletter: https://aiandwork.beehiiv.com/subscribe Data Privacy Day Special Episode: AI, Deepfakes & The Future of Trust: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/16554098 The Future of AI Ethics Special: Perspectives from Women Leaders in AI on Bias, Accountability & Trust: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/16733990World Health Day Special: How AI Is Making Healthcare Smarter, Cheaper, and Kinder: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/16935235