Stepstone's Automation Bias Machine

Grab your pastel shorts and a cold drink because Chad is broadcasting live from Portugal, celebrating his birthday alongside a local bar owner while Joel prepares for a milestone anniversary trip to Italy. In this high-energy, unfiltered episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, the boys take a sledgehammer to the current AI hype cycle, contrasting Workday’s massive earnings and $500 million agentic AI run rate against the harsh reality of Microsoft and Uber scaling back their tech due to exploding compute costs. From Stepstone’s new EU compliance push to Indeed’s automated features, Chad drops a massive hot take on how over-engineered recruiting tools create dangerous compliance risks and automation bias. They tie up the loose ends of the global economy by breaking down everything from the historic Indy 500 finish and a comedic eulogy for Schlitz beer, to the Pope's latest tech warnings and the EU's pivot to renewable energy as a national security weapon. It is the perfect, loose, and brutally honest mix of global geopolitics, HR tech consolidation, and birthday banter that you absolutely cannot miss. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Personal Milestones 02:08 - Joel and Chad's Birthdays and Anniversaries 04:27 - Industry Conference Insights: Old Dogs vs. Disruptors 08:34 - Shoutouts and Personal Highlights 11:28 - Indy 500 Race Highlights and Experience 16:28 - Workday's Earnings and AI Investment 20:04 - AI Market Race: Google, OpenAI, and Industry Disruption 23:06 - Historical Perspective: Netscape and Microsoft's Browser War 27:39 - Top Tall's Acquisition Strategy and Market Position 30:02 - EU and US AI Regulations and Industry Impact 40:05 - AI's Cost Challenges and Economic Realities 44:23 - Public Perception and Future of AI 47:50 - Global Energy Transition and Geopolitical Implications 54:38 - US Dollar, Oil, and Global Power Dynamics 55:23 - Humorous Close and Birthday Wishes