The AI Table

Harvard Busines School Professor David Almog sits down at The AI Table. The conversation explores the intersection of human behavior and AI, addressing the fear of over-reliance on AI, cognitive and social frictions in AI adoption, human oversight of AI systems, incentive structures and AI adoption, the impact of AI on skill tiers, experience levels and AI reaction, and incentive schemes for AI productivity.TakeawaysUnderstanding human behavior is crucial for successful AI adoption.Incentive structures and human oversight play a significant role in AI adoption and productivity.Chapters00:00 Understanding Human Behavior and AI02:32 Fear of Over-Reliance on AI08:03 Cognitive and Social Frictions in AI Adoption12:09 Human Oversight of AI Systems15:16 Incentive Structures and AI Adoption17:07 Impact of AI on Skill Tiers18:43 Experience Levels and AI Reaction22:09 Incentive Schemes for AI ProductivityIf you enjoyed our podcast please leave a review and subscribe.To become a memeber of The AI Table visit: https://www.theaitable.org/membership

The conversation with Zachary Elewitz covers a range of topics related to AI governance, risk management, and the future of AI-enabled workforce. Zachary shares insights on balancing AI experimentation with risk governance, collaborative governance, centralized vs. decentralized AI labs, translating soft efficiency metrics into hard financial value, AI governance frameworks, building vs. buying AI solutions, professional support and skill sets for AI enablement, and the future of workforce enabled by AI.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background01:23 Balancing AI Experimentation and Risk Governance03:50 Collaborative Governance and Legal Compliance08:15 Centralized vs. Decentralized AI Lab11:31 Translating Soft Efficiency Metrics into Hard Financial Value15:00 AI Governance Frameworks for Speeding Up Innovation17:37 Building vs. Buying AI Solutions22:29 Professional Support and Skill Sets for AI Enablement33:17 Future of Workforce Enabled by AI36:07 AI Pet Peeves and Key Messages

How does a Fortune 1 company build a data foundation built for autonomous AI agents? In this episode of The AI Table, host Dia Adams sits down with Amit Shivpuja, Walmart AI Executive, to break down the real-world operational strategy behind enterprise AI at massive scale. From solving the data-to-business misalignment gap to transforming compliance-heavy governance into value-generating data products, Amit shares the frameworks every CDO, CIO, and enterprise AI leader needs to navigate the shift to Agentic AI. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Introduction & Walmart's AI Strategy 01:40 - Solving Data & Business Team Misalignment 04:09 - The 3-Layer Approach to Data Products for AI Agents 07:25 - Hurdles to Becoming AI-Ready at Scale 10:30 - Early Signals Your Data Foundation is Ready 12:07 - High-Value Use Cases vs. Speculative AI Pilots 13:57 - Rethinking Data Governance for Value Generation 16:25 - Immediate Operational Shifts from Agentic AI 18:10 - Translating Technical Agentic Concepts for the C-Suite 20:36 - Global AI Ethics & Policy Adoption 24:14 - The Evolving Role of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) 27:28 - Capital Allocation & The Future of Data Professionals 💡SUBSCRIBE TO THE AI TABLE: Join 800+ Fortune 500 CIOs, CDOs, CAIOs, and Federal AI leaders receiving our executive intelligence newsletter: https://shorturl.at/AabH3CONNECT WITH US:Website: https://www.theaitable.org#AgenticAI #DataStrategy #AILeadership #EnterpriseAI #WalmartTech #DataProducts #ChiefDataOfficer

Tiankai Feng discusses the importance of humanizing AI and data strategy, emphasizing the need for a human-centric approach to technology. He shares his passion for making data and AI more accessible and approachable, and highlights the significance of considering human needs and opinions in technological choices.TakeawaysHumanizing AI and data strategyImportance of human-centric design#HumanizingAI #CorporateAI #FutureOfWork #DataStrategy #TechLeadershipBook: https://a.af/6mmumwww.theaitable.org

Why are billion-dollar enterprise AI initiatives stalling out in production?In this episode of The AI Table, former Adobe Senior Information Architect and taxonomy veteran Jessica Talismanbreaks down why raw LLMs fail inside large enterprises—and why the secret to reliable, non-hallucinating agentic AI isn’t bigger models, but the Context Layer.Most enterprise AI pipelines fail because they treat data as a technical storage problem rather than a knowledge management challenge. Without a formal ontology pipeline, enterprise knowledge graphs, and semantic data models, AI agents lack the business logic, data provenance, and procedural context required to deliver accurate outcomes.Jessica walks us through how Fortune 500 leaders can leverage library science principles to turn messy unstructured data into deterministic, decision-ready intelligence.Key TakeawaysAI bias stems from flawed training data, so businesses must prioritize context and knowledge management to address it. Responsible AI demands a human-centered approach, investment in knowledge systems, and a focus on augmenting—not replacing—human capabilities.Key Executive TakeawaysThe Context Gap: AI bias and hallucinations stem from unvetted, context-free data pipelines. Fixing AI output requires fixing the semantic architecture underlying your models.Ontologies as Defensive Assets: A formal ontology model provides the rules, relationships, and lineage necessary for autonomous agents to execute complex workflows safely.Human-Centered Augmentation: Responsible enterprise AI execution focuses on structuring tacit human knowledge to augment—not replace—high-value workforce decisions.🔗 Connect & Learn MoreSubscribe to The AI Table for weekly executive briefings on AI strategy, enterprise architecture, and data governance.

Most organizations are still unprepared for the real challenges AI brings. This episode with Chief Data Officer Elena Alikhachkina cuts through the noise to tackle what actually matters: governance, accountability, and leadership in the age of intelligent systems.We explore why AI initiatives fail more often than they succeed—and how “shadow AI” is quietly introducing risk into even the most sophisticated organizations. More importantly, we break down what executives must understand now to stay competitive: from building formal AI education pathways to redefining decision-making frameworks at the highest levels of leadership.If you’re a CEO, Chief Data Officer, CIO, CTO, Chief Compliance Officer, or board-level executive, this conversation is essential. The future of your organization depends not just on adopting AI—but on governing it effectively, measuring its value, and ensuring your leadership team is truly AI-literate.Topics covered:Why most AI projects fail—and how to fix itThe hidden risks of shadow AI inside your organizationHow to quantify the ROI of AI governanceWhy AI literacy is now a board-level priorityThe evolving role of executives in an AI-driven enterpriseSubscribe for more insights at the intersection of AI, leadership, policy, and enterprise strategy.Contact:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourcompanyWebsite: www.theaitable.org#AILeadership #AIGovernance #AITransformation #AIliteracy #CDO #corporateboard #EnterpriseAI #AIComplianceChapters00:00 The Role of Accountability in AI Governance05:36 The Need for Formal Curriculum in AI Education13:06 Preventing Cross-Functional Gridlock in AI Deployments18:52 Challenges in AI Project Success and Quality of Decisions35:07 Workforce Development and AI Literacy40:25 Demystifying AI for Non-Technical ExecutivesVisit Us: www.theaitable.orgListen to more talks: https://www.theaitable.org/podcast

Sune Selsbæk-Reitz AI strategist and tech philosopher discusses the concept of promptism (outlined in his new book) and its impact on decision-making and critical thinking. He emphasizes the importance of using AI as a sparing partner rather than a substitute for human judgment in appropriate instances. The conversation delves into the dangers of AI fluency and the fight for meaning in the age of AI, highlighting the need for thoughtful engagement with AI-generated content.TakeawaysPromptism: The habit of treating AI generated text as if it were already understanding and factual, leading to a lack of questioning.AI and Critical Thinking: Using AI as a sparing partner in the thinking process, allowing it to enhance human thinking without substituting for it.The Fight for Meaning: The importance of cultivating doubt and thoughtful engagement with AI-generated content to protect competitive advantage and the meaningful aspects of decision-making.Visit us: www.theaitable.orgPurchase Promptism: https://lnk.ink/wbPWbListen to more talks on our site: https://www.theaitable.org/podcast#promptism #ailiteracy #aistrategy #AIPartnership #responsibleai #humanaicollaboration #humanfirstai

The conversation with Amber Ivey, author of "AI meets AI" covers the importance of AI literacy for kids and the need for AI guardrails for kids. It delves into the impact of AI on children's interactions, social media addiction, parental role in AI literacy, kids' perspectives on AI, policy at federal and state levels, AI literacy resources for parents, and the under-discussed risks of improper AI use for kids.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background06:07 Practical Engagement with AI11:59 Social Media and AI Addiction18:02 Parental Role in AI Literacy24:04 Considerations at Federal and State Level29:49 Under-discussed Risks of AI for KidsVisit us: www.theaitable.orgListen to more talks: https://www.theaitable.org/podcast

Reid Blackman dives into the urgent dilemmas of AI—from HR tools facing lawsuits for scraping social media data and discriminating against older job applicants, to big consulting firms publishing AI-generated reports with fabricated citations.He explores how these issues are reshaping trust, accountability, and even mental health.Blackman shares why he wrote The Ethical Nightmare Challenge, exposing the gaps in standard AI governance and introducing his Ethical Nightmare Challenge (ENC) framework—a practical approach to identify and mitigate AI risks before they escalate.He makes the case that responsible AI is a business imperative, with clear ROI for companies that get it right.Whether you’re a CEO navigating regulatory landmines, a tech leader building responsible systems, or a parent concerned about AI’s impact on society, this conversation will push you to ask: What’s the worst that could happen—and how do we stop it?TakeawaysEvolution of AI has led to a complex risk landscapeStandard AI governance is inadequate for the evolving technologyThe Ethical Nightmare Challenge framework offers a scalable and outcome-oriented approach to AI governanceVisit us: www.theaitable.orgListen to more talks: https://www.theaitable.org/podcast

The conversation with Amber Ivey, author of "AI meets AI" covers the importance of AI literacy for kids and the need for AI guardrails for kids. It delves into the impact of AI on children's interactions, social media addiction, parental role in AI literacy, kids' perspectives on AI, policy at federal and state levels, AI literacy resources for parents, and the under-discussed risks of improper AI use for kids.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background06:07 Practical Engagement with AI11:59 Social Media and AI Addiction18:02 Parental Role in AI Literacy24:04 Considerations at Federal and State Level29:49 Under-discussed Risks of AI for Kids

The AI Table hosts a discussion on how data quality can fuel customer satisfaction in the era of AI, with experts Dia Adams, Tom Redman, Shuchi Argawal and Danette McGilvrey.