Most companies struggle with AI. And it’s usually not because the technology doesn’t work, but because the right adoption approach isn’t followed. As Conor Grennan, Chief AI Architect at New York University, puts it, treating AI like a digital transformation initiative is a recipe for failure. What actually works is when leaders move beyond rolling out AI tools and drive the behavioral shift that sets clear expectations and enables real change. When leadership teams get the people part right, they can avoid the usual mistakes, align teams on what matters and turn AI into real business results. Learn about AI agents and application architecture → https://ibm.biz/BdbR2B 0:00 Intro04:52 AI adoption is a behavioral challenge07:55 AI isn’t digital transformation 11:30 The risk of using AI agents as mere replacements16:31 Finding the AI champion who drives change18:18 The shift from commands to conversations22:39 The foundation for scaling AI workflows32:22 Why AI agents aren’t just machines33:15 Trust, hallucinations and the data problem The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity. AI news is moving fast. Keep your business ahead with updates about AI advancements, strategies and expert perspectives → https://ibm.biz/BdbdvS

Conor Grennan is Chief AI Architect at NYU Stern School of Business and CEO of AI Mindset, an AI consulting company that trains organizations on a new and effective framework for generative AI rooted in behavioral shifts. Conor has worked with teams across industry, including at OpenAI, McKinsey, NASA, Google, PWC, Amazon, Microsoft, ServiceNow, JP Morgan, New York Life, DaVita Healthcare, BlueCross/BlueShield, Blackstone, WelshCarson Private Equity, and more. He is also a NY Times and #1 international bestselling author, published in 15 languages. He is also a sought-after keynote speaker, serves on the Board of Directors of the SHRM Foundation and has been named a Top Trusted Voice in AI by Edelman. Conor’s AI insights have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Washington Post, BBC, Forbes, Business Insider, Vox, and other media. He co-hosts the AI Applied Podcast (top 20 in Business News) and has over 130k followers on LinkedIn that track his genAI insights. Outside of his work in AI, Conor has been named a Huffington Post Game Changer of the Year for his humanitarian work with trafficked children in Nepal, and in 2014 was given the Unsung Hero of Compassion Award by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He has a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA from NYU Stern, and lives in New Canaan with his wife Liz and his two children, Finn (Class of ‘27) and Lucy (Class of ‘29). 

Conor Grennan

Chief AI Architect, NYU Stern School of Business & CEO, AI Mindset

Want AI to truly work? Focus on people, not tools. Learn from Conor Grennan, Chief AI Architect at New York University, how C-suite leaders should drive behavior change to fuel the right result.

AI adoption demands more than just new tools

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AI in Action explores what it takes to put artificial intelligence into action across a rapidly evolving business and tech landscape. Each episode focuses on responsible AI implementation and real-world business challenges, examined through a practical use case lens.

AI in Action

AI and robotics are revolutionizing industrial work and automation by enhancing efficiency, reducing costs and safeguarding human workers from hazardous tasks.&nbsp;In this episode, Aaron Saunders, CTO of Boston Dynamics, delves into the transformative potential of AI-powered robotics, highlighting how robots are becoming safer, more cost-effective and widely accessible through Robotics as a Service (RaaS).&nbsp;He shares real-world applications of industrial robotics, insights into ROI and the shift from deterministic systems to open-ended technologies, while also addressing key challenges, such as managing expectations and ensuring data privacy.&nbsp; Timestamps:0:00&nbsp;Intro03:03 The future of robots with generative AI07:22 Beyond warehouses: New uses for AI robots12:29 ROI from AI-powered robotics15:13 The next phase of AI and robotics18:41 Guidance for CTOs on AI and robotics The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.&nbsp;&nbsp;AI news is moving fast. Keep your business ahead with updates about AI advancements, strategies and expert perspectives&nbsp;→&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE5rRFZONlk5TzdkUWhNdnNmdG5MdG5JU3JVUXxBQ3Jtc0tuR01jX1Z5ZVp2NHVKeHAzQmVKSDZxWjdXc2o1MGtWUXRTeUVCQWhJSERCU2NNOVVGaHlaQjVHSEhBZkpVNFlrbDByMmZfLXZGaDBkUFVmLVRrazh0dlJjUnlRcTFvMHN0UXFBXzVweFRpSmNHOFZCMA&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fibm.biz%2FBdnXVJ&amp;v=R-ndBZzLxJA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ibm.biz/BdnXVJ</a>&nbsp;#AI #Robotics #IndustrialAutomation #RoboticsasAService #ReturnOnInvestment #SafetyInAutomation #FutureTech&nbsp;#AaronSaunders&nbsp;#DavidLevy&nbsp;

Aaron Saunders, Chief Technology Officer at Boston Dynamics, is a dedicated expert in innovative robot development. With over 20 years at Boston Dynamics, he has held key roles, including Vice President of Engineering. He leads multidisciplinary teams to set the company’s technological vision and align R&D with business needs. He holds a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria and a Bachelor’s from the University of Alberta. 

Aaron Saunders

Chief Technology Officer, Boston Dynamics

Learn from Aaron Saunders, CTO of Boston Dynamics, how AI and robotics are impacting industrial operations—boosting efficiency, lowering costs and protecting workers from monotonous, dangerous tasks.

Industrial work reimagined with AI and robotics

AI in retail is no longer a buzzword. It’s a reality, and Tractor Supply Company has been one of the pioneers in driving it forward. In this conversation, Glenn Allison, VP of AI platforms at Tractor Supply Company, explains how AI communicators, mobile apps and computer vision are making life easier for teams and creating a truly AI-enabled customer experience. Watch the episode to witness generative AI in action. Discover how it’s reshaping workflows, powering decisions and fueling innovation across retail.&nbsp;Timestamps:0:00&nbsp;Intro03:34 Balancing AI innovation and operations06:09 AI agents transforming retail12:54 Scaling up for AI17:25 Continuous learning in the age of AI19:56 Boosting ROI through AI22:40 The workforce response to AI&nbsp;The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.&nbsp;&nbsp;AI news is moving fast. Keep your business ahead with updates about AI advancements, strategies and expert perspectives&nbsp;→&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE5rRFZONlk5TzdkUWhNdnNmdG5MdG5JU3JVUXxBQ3Jtc0tuR01jX1Z5ZVp2NHVKeHAzQmVKSDZxWjdXc2o1MGtWUXRTeUVCQWhJSERCU2NNOVVGaHlaQjVHSEhBZkpVNFlrbDByMmZfLXZGaDBkUFVmLVRrazh0dlJjUnlRcTFvMHN0UXFBXzVweFRpSmNHOFZCMA&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fibm.biz%2FBdnXVJ&amp;v=R-ndBZzLxJA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ibm.biz/BdnXVJ</a>&nbsp;#AIinRetail #TractorSupply #ArtificialIntelligence #CustomerExperience #Innovation #GlennAllison&nbsp;#DavidLevy

Glenn Allison is Vice President, Enterprise AI Platforms and AI Solution Engineering for Tractor Supply Company, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States with more than 2,300 stores in 49 states and 52,000 Team Members. In his role, Glenn is responsible for AI & ML Platforms, TSC & Me AI Platform, LLMOps and MLOps AI Engineering, Data Engineering & Governance, Cloud AI Platforms, Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure, Data Centers & Critical Facilities, Merchandising Systems, Product Information Management, SAP / Finance, Legal, Real Estate, HRIS. 

Tractor Supply is frequently recognized as one of the best workplaces for IT professionals, including 2024 CIO 100 award for innovation with AI and Computerworld Best Places to Work in IT. 

Prior to Tractor Supply, Glenn worked at Kellogg Company, where he led global architecture and engineering functions to support supply chain modernization. Glenn also previously held several leadership roles at W.W. Grainger, one of the largest eCommerce retailers in the United States. Glenn received his MBA from the University of Chicago and Master of Science in Information Technology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. 

He currently serves on the CNBC Technology Executive Council, Technology Leadership 
Council for the National Retail Federation (NRF), Nashville Technology Council, and is a lifetime member of the FFA. Glenn was named to the “40 Under 40” list by the Nashville Business Journal in 2016. 

Glenn Allison

VP, IT Enterprise AI Platforms and AI Solution Engineering of Tractor Supply Company 

AI is reshaping every aisle of retail. Learn more about this topic from Glenn Allison, VP of AI platforms at Tractor Supply Company.

Tractor Supply Company shows the power of AI in retail

Is generative AI just a productivity hack—or your team’s secret to loving work again? Deborah Lovich, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group, believes that when AI is used to decrease the grind and increase the joy, employees embrace it instead of resisting.&nbsp;Hence, Deborah encourages businesses to develop AI tools with employees, equip managers to lead AI adoption and customize AI learning opportunities. The result? Motivated teams, lower churn and bigger profits.&nbsp;Catch the full discussion to learn how you can transform work by putting your people at the center of all AI initiatives. The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.

Debbie Lovich is a Managing Director & Senior Partner in the Boston office of BCG.She is a global thought leader on the Future of Work as well as leadership, culture, and broader people topics. She is also a fellow in BCG's Henderson Institute (BCG Think Tank).  Debbie has published extensively in Forbes, has written several HBR articles, and spoken for TED. She works with global clients across industries and settings to make work better for all employees.  

 

Her work includes: 

Co-creating future-forward work models to improve productivity and joy 

Addressing the human side of large-scale change, post-merger integration, and digital transformation 

Front line / deskless worker programs that tap into the best performers to enable their peers 

 

As part of her practice, Debbie launched BCG's leadership coaching/ advisory offering that has >45 former c-suite executives coaching/advising executives and their teams to deliver organizational priorities 

 

Over fifteen years ago, Debbie collaborated with an HBS professor to design and globally implement an internal BCG program called "PTO" (Predictability, Teaming and Open Communication).  This transformed BCG's own ways of working and culture.  It has been a key reason why BCG is consistently recognized as one of the best places to work. 

 

Debbie has a BA summa cum laude/Phi Beta Kappa in economics from Barnard College, Columbia University, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. 

Deborah (Debbie) Lovich

Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG 

AI adoption succeeds only when it goes hand in hand with employee happiness and growth. Learn more about this topic from one of the leading industry experts, Deborah Lovich.

Why AI adoption starts with employee happiness

AI is using more energy than ever, but it’s also making us more productive and efficient. So how can we dial down energy consumption without losing the momentum?&nbsp;Let’s find out from Joseph Majkut, Director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).&nbsp;In this episode of AI in Action, Joseph talks about the critical intersection of AI and energy, explaining the impact of AI on power grids and discussing the potential solutions for efficient power generation.&nbsp;Watch the full episode to discover how AI poses both challenges and opportunities for energy consumption, focusing on generative AI data centers, energy efficiency, and the role of nuclear power. Timestamps:0:00 Intro06:18 AI demand versus energy supply09:18 Easing energy demand through infrastructure and operations12:44 Reframing energy use in AI workflows15:46 The most compelling aspect of how AI meets energy19:13 Advice for leaders on using AI without overloading the grid

Joseph Majkut is director of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In this role, he leads the program's work understanding the geopolitics of energy and climate change and working to ensure a global energy transition that is responsive to the risks of climate change and the economic and strategic priorities of the United States and the world. Joseph is an expert in climate science, climate policy, and risk and uncertainty analysis for decisionmaking. He is frequently cited in trade and national media on the politics of climate change and has testified before Congress on climate change and science. Before CSIS, Majkut worked as the director of climate policy at the Niskanen Center, where he led that group's efforts to research and promote carbon pricing, low-carbon innovation, regulatory reform, and other market reforms to speed decarbonization. From 2014 to 2015, he worked in the U.S. Senate as a congressional science fellow, supported by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Geosciences Institute. He holds a PhD from Princeton University in atmospheric and oceanic sciences, a master’s degree in applied mathematics from the Delft University of Technology, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Harvey Mudd College. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-majkut-6834854b/

Joseph Majkut

Director, Energy Security and Climate Change Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies

The impact of AI on energy is double-edged: Big challenges but even bigger rewards. Learn more about this topic from one of the leading industry experts, Joseph Majkut.

AI energy consumption: What it means for businesses and the power sector

The data flood is real. And you can either use it to power your decisions or drown in it and lose your way.&nbsp;In this episode of the AI in Action podcast, Cassie Kozyrkov, CEO of Koyzr, explains the concept of decision intelligence, which is based on data, AI and human insight.&nbsp;Cassie emphasizes that while most organizations are busy collecting vast amounts of information, this effort is only valuable when the data leads to better choices or smarter decisions.&nbsp;And this is where decision intelligence comes into play. It helps leaders make sense of data, use generative AI wisely, and base decisions on what truly matters. Catch the full discussion to learn how you can do data-driven decision-making and create real impact within your business. 0:01 Intro06:13 Data usage matters more than data size11:03 How to separate good data from bad16:12 Handling irrationality in human decisions20:49 Data choices reflect personal priorities26:50 Our experiences shape AI bias30:13 Should we limit data collection?

Cassie Kozyrkov, CEO of Kozyr, is a renowned leader in artificial intelligence. She is best known for founding the field of Decision Intelligence and serving as Google’s first Chief Decision Scientist, where she led the charge in Google’s transformation into an AI-first company.   

Today, Cassie is a sought-after AI advisor and speaker who has transformed how organizations like Gucci, NASA, Spotify, Meta, Salesforce, and GSK approach AI strategy. Passionate about elevating human potential through the responsible adoption of complex technology, she also serves on multiple advisory boards and is an investor in emerging product companies. 

 

Her influence on Google’s culture is legendary; no matter how big the auditorium, Google had to use lotteries to manage the demand to participate in one of her live workshops. Her work, which included personally training over 20,000 Googlers in AI and data-driven decision-making, impacted more than 500 company initiatives. 

 

Combining deep technical knowledge with theater-trained charisma, Cassie is a captivating keynote speaker with the rare ability to make complex concepts accessible, engaging, and actionable for executive and general audiences alike. Her humor, wit, and vivid analogies ensure that people of all stripes leave her talks inspired and equipped to drive innovation. Cassie has delighted live audiences in more than 40 countries and on all seven continents, including stages at the United Nations, World Economic Forum, Web Summit, and SXSW. 

Cassie has appeared on the cover of Forbes AI and featured in Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Fast Company, WIRED, Success, Entrepreneur, as well as a recent documentary on the AI revolution. Her online courses and more than 200+ published articles have reached millions and cemented her position as a LinkedIn Top Voice and the #1 Writer in AI on Medium for many years. She is followed by more than 20,000 CxOs. 

 

Hailing from South Africa, Cassie began her undergraduate studies at the age of 15 at Nelson Mandela University and earned degrees in economics, mathematical statistics, psychology and neuroscience from the University of Chicago, NCSU, and Duke University, which honored her as a Few-Glasson Distinguished Alumna for her significant contributions to the fields of AI and Decision Intelligence.  She is a guest lecturer to executive MBA students in Harvard Business school. 

Cassie Kozyrkov

CEO, Kozyrkov

Data is only useful if it drives meaningful action. Cassie Kozyrkov, CEO of Koyzr, explains how the approach of decision intelligence helps businesses turn information into outcomes that matter.

Decision intelligence: Thoughtful, data-driven choices

Learn how every business decision should have a perfect balance of data insights, AI and human judgment.

Operational disruptions don’t come unannounced. There are always early warning signs—if only you have the right observability solution to catch them before they snowball into costly outages.&nbsp;In this episode of the AI in Action podcast, Vikram Murali, VP of Software Development for IBM Automation, explains how continuous observability has taken the baton from traditional monitoring, giving a new meaning to operational resilience.&nbsp;Observability has transformed reactive measures into proactive steps, leading to more seamless operations and fewer costly disruptions. Catch the full discussion to learn how you can run your business smoothly by tapping into the combined power of observability, automation and remediation.&nbsp;0:00 Intro03:35 How do AI solutions affect observability?07:35 How much visibility does observability provide?12:26 The difference between good and bad observability tools20:21 Choosing the right data for the observability tool23:42 Balancing power and control in agentic frameworks26:33 Getting started with observability&nbsp;The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.

Vikram Murali is Vice President of Engineering for IBM Automation, specializing in IT Automation and Observability focus areas. 
 
IBM Automation develops and provides several leading enterprise offerings to increase IT Operational Efficiency, Securely Integrate Apps & Systems to Remove Data Silos & Power Digital Transformation. Vikram also has close to 2 decades of experience leading and developing transaction and warehousing database solutions with skills in Data Science and Machine Learning.  

Vikram Murali

VP of Software Development, IBM Automation

As AI grows, so does IT complexity. Vikram Murali, VP of Software Development for IBM Automation, explains how observability helps keep businesses running smoothly amid this rising challenge.

Observability: To run your IT environment on insights, not instincts

Where traditional monitoring ends, continuous observability begins

Learn how observability acts as a sixth sense, alerting you at the first sight of any irregularity in your enterprise system.

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