256 | How to build business strategy for the AI era, A detailed blueprint with Andrew Rabinovich, CTO and Head of AI + ML at Upwork

📢 Want to thrive in 2026?Join the next AI Business Transformation cohort kicking off January 20th, 2026.🎯 Practical, not theoretical. Tailored for business professionals. - https://multiplai.ai/ai-course/Learn more about Advance Course (Master the Art of End-to-End AI Automation): https://multiplai.ai/advance-course/Will AI automate your workforce or amplify it?That question isn't just theoretical anymore. For business leaders navigating the shifting tides of AI, understanding how to remain competitive without losing the human edge is now essential.In this episode, we go deep with Andrew Rabinovich, CTO and Head of AI at Upwork, on how one of the largest talent marketplaces in the world is strategically evolving with AI, not just to survive, but to thrive.Andrew shares how Upwork is moving beyond simple matchmaking to delivering outcomes, what it really takes to integrate human-centered AI, and how AI agents and human experts will coexist in the near future of work.Spoiler: It's not about replacing freelancers—it’s about transforming what they (and businesses like yours) are capable of.In this session, you'll discover:Why business leaders must rethink efficiency in terms of outcomes, not processesHow Upwork built “Uma”, an AI agent guiding clients from vague ideas to precise deliverablesThe surprising results of benchmarking AI agents on real Upwork jobsWhy task-level automation is only step one and why full automation is still far offHow to identify which parts of your business workflow AI should (and shouldn’t) touchWhat human-centered AI actually looks like in practice—and how it drives both trust and scaleWhy AI agents will soon be collaborators, not competitorsAbout Leveraging AIMulti-Agent Orchestration Course: https://multiplai.ai/multi-agent-orchestration-course/YouTube Full Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Multiplai_AI/Connect with Isar Meitis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isarmeitis/ Join our Live Sessions, AI Hangouts and newsletter: https://services.multiplai.ai/eventsIf you’ve enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, leave us a five-star review on your favorite podcast platform, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!