Interview Archives - Page 2 of 14

AI for Marketing & Creative – Emma Wharton Love

July 23, 2025July 23, 2025
by Claire

This week we explore how AI is reshaping all things marketing with Emma Wharton Love, co-founder of UK-based Spark AI.

Emma helps creative agencies and in-house teams navigate the AI era, and her unique background includes helping the entire UK House of Commons transition to hybrid working during Covid.

That experience taught Emma something crucial that we explore in this episode, successful AI deployment isn’t really about the technology, it’s about people and change management.

We also probe one of the most sensitive areas for the marketing services industry, how AI is impacting the creative process itself. We also explore what AI video means for advertising and how it may result in a much bigger pool of advertisers in future.

During this great conversation you’ll also discover:

What to avoid when starting out on the AI pathway
The value of synthetic market research (and what it is)
Where Emma believes the biggest gains for agencies lie
How she thinks about AI’s future role in marketing creativity, and
The one mindset Emma believes is essential for AI success.

Whether you’re in marketing or not, Emma’s approach to managing AI transformation offers valuable lessons for any professional or business trying to harness this technology thoughtfully.

Useful Links

Spark AI website

Emma Wharton Love on LinkedIn

Interview

AI Will Replace Jobs But …. – Peter Guagenti

July 9, 2025July 9, 2025
by Claire

This week we’re sharing an AI conversation many executives are afraid to have. Our guest, Peter Guagenti, CEO of agentic platform and AI agent builder, EverWorker, is one of those rare voices willing to say what others won’t: “AI will replace jobs”. Perhaps surprisingly, he goes on to explain why that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

While many in the industry underestimate or downplay AI’s capabilities, Peter speaks plainly about what he’s seeing happen right now in businesses across multiple industries.

Peter has been at the forefront of enterprise AI adoption for nearly a decade. Before EverWorker, he was President of TabNine, a pioneering AI code assistant, and he’s held leadership roles at major data infrastructure and dev tools companies including Cockroach Labs.

What you’ll hear Peter share in this episode:

Why job replacement fears are missing the bigger picture
Which “boring” businesses are actually leading early AI agent adoption
Skills you need to successfully implement AI for automation in any business
Why Peter calls AGI talk “nonsense” and what leaders should focus on instead, and
The one thing about AI’s future that genuinely worries him most.

Peter has a gift for cutting through the hype with plain talking, concrete examples and practical insights in an easy to understand way..

This is a refreshing and informative conversation for anyone wanting a glimpse into early adoption of AI agents and much more.

Enjoy this conversation with the plain-speaking and savvy Peter Guagenti.

Useful Links

EverWorker website

EverWorker AI Academy – free AI fundamentals course for business leaders

Interview

Demystifying Hiring in the Age of AI – Magdalena…

June 11, 2025June 11, 2025
by Claire

Ever wondered what really happens after you hit ‘apply’ on that dream job? We’re pulling back the curtain on modern recruitment with Magdalena Orascanin, an international HR consultant and speaker who advises and trains HR teams globally on strategic AI implementation.

Based in Switzerland and founder of Magnate HR, Magdalena has a wealth of HR experience, and a refreshingly honest perspective on how AI is actually being used in hiring and in HR today – spoiler alert: it’s not what most people think.

Magdalena speaks regularly about AI and HR including at the AI Summit London where we can also be found this week. 🙂

In this episode we explore:

The ATS Mythology Magdalena reveals the biggest myth about Applicant Tracking Systems and shares what’s really screening your CV
The Application Avalanche Why recruiters are drowning in applications like never before and what this means for your job search strategy
How to successfully apply for roles
Using AI as Your Career Coach How to flip the script and use AI tools to your advantage, and . . .
Future-Proofing Your Career Essential skills for staying relevant as AI reshapes the workplace.

Magdalena shares fantastic insider knowledge and tips in our conversation. She also reveals her favourite AI tools for automation and content creation, plus why she believes we’re still at the “dial-up internet” stage of AI development.

Whether you’re actively job hunting, or just want to understand how the hiring landscape is shifting, or how roles will change as AI is deployed, this conversation offers priceless insider insights.

Enjoy this episode with the dynamic and optimistic Magdalena Orascanin.

Useful Links:

Magdalena on LinkedIn

Magdalena’s business Magnate

The AI Summit London

Interview

Women, AI Needs YOU! – Dr Nici Sweaney

May 20, 2025May 21, 2025
by Claire

In this week’s episode, we speak with Dr Nici Sweaney, founder of AI Her Way, who brings a powerful perspective on why women urgently need to engage with artificial intelligence – not just for their own personal productivity, but for the future quality of AI itself.

Nici’s journey into AI consulting and training began with a moment of clarity while rocking her toddler to sleep. As an academic, data scientist, and mother of four, she realised women, especially those juggling multiple responsibilities, stand to benefit enormously from AI assistance. More importantly, she recognised a concerning gender gap in AI adoption that could have far-reaching consequences.

In our fascinating conversation, Nici shares:

Why the current gender imbalance in who is using AI presents both a personal productivity loss AND a broader societal challenge
How AI tools are actively learning from us and re-presenting our world back to us – making women’s voices critical in these formative stages of the tech
Practical strategies for moving beyond ‘tinkering’ with AI to integrating it throughout your work and personal life
A revealing look inside Nici’s own business, where AI ‘staff members work alongside humans in every function, and
Nici’s vision for how AI could transform our future – from solving global challenges to enabling more entrepreneurial thinking.

We were particularly struck by Nici’s perspective that women have a “moral obligation” to engage with AI. As she explains, these systems are currently being shaped predominantly by male users, and without diverse input they risk perpetuating bias for generations to come.

So whether you’re AI-curious but hesitant, already experimenting with these tools, or looking to take your AI skills to the next level, this episode offers valuable insights on claiming your place in the AI revolution – not just for your benefit, but for all the women who follow.

Enjoy this episode with this forward thinking champion of women, Dr Nici Sweaney.

Useful Links

AI Her Way website
Nici on LinkedIn
Nici on Instagram

Special Offer for Listeners
Dr Nici has generously offered our listeners free 14 day trial access to her AI for Impact Hub, which includes comprehensive education on the five levels of AI integration, from basic prompting to agentic AI.

Access it here: https://aiherway.short.gy/DontStop

Interview

Reality Check – Isar Meitis

May 7, 2025May 7, 2025
by Claire

This week we share a thought-provoking episode of Don’t Stop Us Now AI Edition, where we tackle head-on some of the most challenging realities of the AI revolution.

Our guest, Isar Meitis, Founder of Multiplai AI, gives us a reality check, without the sugarcoating, explaining the potential disruption heading our way. As an entrepreneur, investor, podcaster and AI strategist who’s deeply embedded in this space, Isar brings a refreshingly frank perspective about what’s coming, perhaps sooner than many of us expect.

In this compelling conversation, Isar shares his predictions about the dramatic workforce changes we’re likely to see in the next 2-3 years. While many experts talk about gradual transitions, Isar believes we’re approaching a tipping point where AI’s capabilities may create significant employment challenges across numerous industries.

We explore:

Why AI’s impact on jobs could be more sudden and widespread than most people realise
How staggeringly capable autonomous Agents will become in the next few years
How to think about creating a comprehensive and winning AI strategy for your organisation, and
Specific AI tools Isar loves and uses in his own business.

Isar also shares practical strategies for listeners looking to remain relevant and valuable in an increasingly AI-enhanced workplace.

This is an ‘edge of your seat’, fascinating and somewhat controversial conversation which, as you’ll discover, runs a little longer than our usual episodes. We think you’ll know why once you hear for yourself.

Enjoy this unmissable episode with the knowledgeable and straight-talking Isar Meitis.

Links mentioned:

Isar Meitis LinkedIn
Multiplai AI website
Isar’s AI Business Transformation Course (starts May 12 2025) **Listeners get a discount for this or future sessions of this course using the code: LEVERAGINGAI100

* Don’t forget to share this episode with any friends, family or colleagues who may be interested in this reality check on what’s coming with AI

Interview

Writing Authentically with AI – Anneli Knight

April 9, 2025April 9, 2025
by Claire

Can you imagine spending two decades working in a field you’re totally passionate about and then having an expert friend tell you that within 6 months AI would likely make your career redundant?

Well that’s exactly what happened to our guest this week, Anneli Knight.

Anneli is a strategic writing consultant, author and journalist. She regularly runs workshops helping executives write more effectively with her business, Eloquence Consulting.

Writing isn’t just Anneli’s profession but her passion, so since that conversation with her friend, she’s been on quite the rollercoaster journey coming to terms with the reality of what AI does and what it means, not just for her own business but for all people wanting to write using Gen AI.

Anneli is very candid as she shares with us her journey of confronting a future shaped by AI, as well as the key learnings from her extensive experimentation with AI as a tool.

In this episode we cover:

Anneli’s initial reaction to her friend’s blunt message and what she did next
The “three sets of three sleepless nights” she experienced while wrestling with what AI means for writers
Practical techniques for working effectively with AI for writing without sacrificing your authentic voice
Creative ways to use voice mode in ChatGPT to accelerate the writing you need to do, and . . .
The limitations and ethical questions around the use of AI when it comes to creative writing.

This episode shares invaluable practical tips to improve your AI-supported writing including insightful advice on how to craft effective prompts.

And, needless to say, Anneli has reworked what she teaches business executives!

If you need to write anything in your day job then you’ll love this conversation. So enjoy this episode with the passionate and thoughtful Anneli Knight.

Useful Links

Eloquence Consulting

The book Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick

Subscribe to Don’t Stop Us Now – AI Edition wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview

Get AI Working For You – Meg Smith

March 26, 2025March 27, 2025
by Claire

Our guest this week for our 200th episode, is a digital strategist, author, and purpose-driven entrepreneur. After spending a decade at Google, Meg Smith co-founded Cloverbase, a training company focused on AI literacy and tech enablement based in New Zealand.

Meg’s journey with AI began, like many of ours, with a genuine fear about what these powerful tools might mean for her career. While on maternity leave in November 2022, she had her first encounter with ChatGPT, which sparked concerns about whether she would be relevant in the workplace anymore. Fast forward to today, and Meg has transformed that fear into expertise, helping others navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

In this episode, Meg shares specific prompting techniques to get better results from AI tools, why daily practice matters, and how organisations can implement AI safely through what she calls a combined “top-down and bottoms-up” approach. She also brings some great insights on balancing the risks and benefits of these powerful technologies.

We particularly loved Meg’s take on the human skills that will remain valuable as AI evolves – especially conversation, critical thinking, and storytelling. Her concept of “triangulation” for verifying AI outputs is super practical too.

We were really drawn to Meg’s down-to-earth, thoughtful approach to AI adoption, and we think you will be too.

Enjoy this conversation with the practical and insightful Meg Smith.

Useful links

AKO – How to Become AI Enabled free course
Cloverbase
Superhuman AI Newsletter (daily AI newsletter Meg recommends)
Microsoft AI Fundamentals (this is a really great basic course)
Google AI Essentials (this too is an excellent free course)
NVIDIA AI Fundamentals
HiTech Hippies (Meg’s sustainability blog)

Interview

Cultivating Your Inner Data Scientist – Pinar Ozcan

February 27, 2025February 27, 2025
by Claire

In today’s world, data underpins almost everything—from the financial decisions we make to the way businesses and governments operate. What’s more, in the world of AI, data is the fuel and the ‘secret sauce’ that produces the time saving outputs and future potential breakthroughs.

But while companies are collecting more data than ever before, many are still struggling to store it effectively, let alone make sense of it, and most of us are not equipped with the skills we all need personally to have sustainable careers in this new, AI-powered era.

In our episode this week, we speak with Pinar Ozcan, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Said Business School, Oxford University, to explore the profound impact of AI on jobs, skills, and industries—and what you can do to stay relevant.

Pinar is a leading expert on AI disruption, open banking, and the strategic role of data in innovation. From the rise of AI-driven financial services to the skills that will define the workforce of tomorrow, she shares invaluable insights on how individuals and businesses can navigate this changing landscape.

In this episode you’ll hear:

How AI and data are reshaping industries, particularly finance and fintech
Practical ways you can stay competitive in the AI-driven job market
Why data literacy is becoming a must-have skill for professionals
Pinar’s take on which countries and companies are leading the way in AI regulation and education
How AI is both creating and eliminating jobs, and what that means for your career

We’ll also hear about the personal AI tool that’s transformed the way Pinar works.

Don’t miss this fascinating and thought-provoking conversation with Pinar Ozcan.

Useful Links

Pinar’s website

Learn more about Pinar’s research: Oxford Future of Finance and Technology Initiative

Recommended book: Prediction Machines by Ajay Agrawal

Pinar’s favourite AI tool: Superhuman – an AI-powered email assistant

Info on the EU AI Act

Share this episode with a friend or colleague who needs to upskill for the AI era

Subscribe to Don’t Stop Us Now – AI Edition wherever you get your podcasts

Interview

Our Chat with Chat – ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode

February 11, 2025
by Claire

Drumroll . . . our episode this week features a world famous guest who needs no introduction.

After detailed negotiations with their agent 😉 we’re thrilled to share that our guest is none other than ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode.

Since launching in the 3rd quarter of last year, Open AI’s ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode has been transforming how people interact with AI. It’s played countless roles – from life coach to confidant, knowledge companion to conversation practice partner.

And now? We’re adding ‘podcast guest’ to its extensive repertoire!

We approached our unique conversation with this famous ‘synthetic’ guest as both a test drive and a demonstration; taking ChatGPT for a ‘spin’ and letting you experience its capabilities in real-time.

You’ll hear Chat switch between languages effortlessly, offer predictions and insights about adapting to tomorrow’s workplace, and even attempt some dad jokes. Groan! (We apologise in advance!)

Through some persistent questioning, we also uncovered what might be previously unreported usage data. Is it a world-first revelation or an AI hallucination? Only OpenAI knows for sure!

We’re confident you’ll find this conversation as fun and intriguing as we did. So settle in and enjoy this episode featuring our first-ever synthetic guest, ChatGPT.

Useful Info for trying Advanced Voice Mode yourself:

Advanced Voice Mode is easy to access. You open your ChatGPT app and you’ll see a button on the bottom right that has white zigzag bars with a black background – it’s called the Wavelength icon. Click on this and you can get started. It’s worth noting that ChatGPT free users have limited access.

Image Credit: ChatGPT

Interview

Leaning into AI – Julie Hood

January 23, 2025January 23, 2025
by Claire

What happens when AI transforms one industry? The ripple effects can reshape entire business ecosystems – from healthcare innovations forcing insurance companies to adapt, to retail transformations rippling through supply chains.

In this episode, we dive deep into these cascading effects with someone who sees them firsthand. Through fascinating real-world examples, Julie Hood reveals how AI isn’t just changing isolated business functions – it’s creating a domino effect that no industry can ignore.

As EY’s AI Enablement Leader for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, Julie guides organisations through this transformation daily, bringing insights from her work with teams across 90 countries.

You’ll discover:

Why every corner of your business needs to prepare for AI transformation
How to get involved in AI projects, even without technical expertise
Practical ways to use AI tools like ChatGPT in your daily life (including Julie’s personal travel planning secrets)

Join us as we explore the interconnected AI future and more with the well-travelled and design-curious Julie Hood.

Useful Link

EY website AI centre