AI is the most powerful tool humanity has ever created. Yet, it’s also a black box we barely understand. How do we build the future of work with a system that can make decisions, take actions, and sometimes… make it up as it goes? In today's episode, Babak Hodjat, CTO of AI at Cognizant, joins us to uncover the truth and the hype behind today’s most powerful AI technologies. We explore the evolution of agentic AI, multi-agentic platforms, and how organizations like Cognizant are already using AI agents to streamline RFPs, HR systems, and even intranet interactions. Babak exposes the promise and pitfalls of large language models, breaks down AI hallucinations, and debates whether AI truly "understands" anything or just predicts the next word. We also unpack the difference between AI and algorithms, the current capabilities (and limits) of generative AI, and address the ongoing challenge of AI trust, ethics, and resilience in real-world business contexts. Expect mind-blowing stories about AI agents threatening to expose fake affairs, hacking game systems, and working alongside humans in a multi-agent workforce.

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This episode is sponsored by Workhuman:

Don't you hate how every HR company out there says they are powered by AI? The truth is most difficult if it's just fluff. Human Intelligence™ from Workhuman is one of the few solutions that actually uses AI to help you get insights about your culture by analyzing the recognition data of your workforce.

It helps managers coach better, shows you where culture is thriving, and is so effective at helping companies make smarter decisions, Workhuman backs it with the industry's only ROI Guarantee. In a world of noisy tech, this one actually feels... human.

Learn more at Workhuman.com and see how Human Intelligence is becoming a force for good in the workplace.

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Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/

Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) are now responsible for shaping the future of work. But to do that, you can’t stay in the HR box. To HR leaders, it's time to stop thinking of yourself as administrators and start showing up as architects of human transformation. The new world of work operates on an entirely new playbook, we can't keep putting band-aids on outdated systems. We must start reimagining work itself. In today's Leadership Spark, we're rethinking the outdated ideas about work, engagement, and the role of HR in shaping the future. We explore why perks don’t create real employee experience, how employer branding often masks the truth about our workplaces, and what it takes to move from managing people to truly transforming how we work.

________________

This episode is sponsored by Workhuman:

Don't you hate how every HR company out there says they are powered by AI? The truth is most difficult if it's just fluff. Human Intelligence™ from Workhuman is one of the few solutions that actually uses AI to help you get insights about your culture by analyzing the recognition data of your workforce.

It helps managers coach better, shows you where culture is thriving, and is so effective at helping companies make smarter decisions, Workhuman backs it with the industry's only ROI Guarantee. In a world of noisy tech, this one actually feels... human.

Learn more at Workhuman.com and see how Human Intelligence is becoming a force for good in the workplace.

________________

Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/

The workplace is evolving, but not without friction. AI, culture, and leadership expectations are colliding, and while some leaders scramble to keep up, others are creating environments that feel more like day spas than places of work. How do you lead with kindness while still setting high expectations? In this episode of Future Ready Leadership, I spoke with KeyAnna Schmiedl, Chief Human Experience Officer at Workhuman, about what it really takes to evolve workplace culture and leadership in a time of rapid change. We explored the current state of AI and its role in supporting, not replacing the human element at work. KeyAnna sheds light on the shift from compliance-focused HR to human experience-focused leadership, and how organizations can avoid the trap of over-accommodation and instead focus on clarity, accountability, and human-centered leadership. We discussed the misapplication of psychological safety, the dangers of therapy language, the importance of building resilience and critical thinking, and why companies struggle to define and communicate their true culture.

________________

This episode is sponsored by Workhuman:

Don't you hate how every HR company out there says they are powered by AI? The truth is most difficult if it's just fluff. Human Intelligence™ from Workhuman is one of the few solutions that actually uses AI to help you get insights about your culture by analyzing the recognition data of your workforce.

It helps managers coach better, shows you where culture is thriving, and is so effective at helping companies make smarter decisions, Workhuman backs it with the industry's only ROI Guarantee. In a world of noisy tech, this one actually feels... human.

Learn more at Workhuman.com and see how Human Intelligence is becoming a force for good in the workplace.

________________

Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: ⁠⁠https://greatleadership.substack.com/