Make It Real

Agentic AI is more powerful than ever. How can organizations keep up with the latest developments to unlock the real potential of AI today? In this episode of Make It Real, Shirley Macbeth talks to Samrah Khan, Head of North America Solution Services Partnerships at Google, about the rise of agentic AI. Samrah discusses the significance of the newest shifts in AI technology and how it is improving workflows in industries such as finance and healthcare. She unpacks the pivot to the “human on the loop”, what AI agents need to run efficiently in an organization’s system, and why AI adoption doesn’t just mean a shift in tech but in company culture.Key takeaways:The new role of humans in AI-powered systemsWhy data health is the key to successful AI adoptionHow organizations can help employees overcome AI apprehensionHighlights:(00:00) Introducing Samrah Khan(04:50) The latest developments in agentic AI(06:18) From “human in the loop” to “human on the loop”(10:57) The hurdle keeping organizations from successfully adopting AI(13:54) How agentic AI is making an impact in financial services(16:52) The impact of AI on healthcare CX(21:08) Why change management is a crucial part of AI adoptionResources:Samrah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samrahk/Google LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/google/Shirley’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirleymacbeth/

A conservative mindset may be keeping an organization from fully realizing the benefits of AI. With clear goals and alignment, businesses can take the first step towards embedding AI in the workflow.In this episode of Make It Real, Shirley Macbeth chats with David Anderson, Sr. Director for Operations & Vendor Management at CNO, to talk about making the shift from AI apprehension to adoption. David shares the journey of integrating AI into CNO’s customer service operations and what had to happen internally to unlock the benefits of automation. He breaks down the importance of change management and well-defined human roles as an organization learns to embrace AI.Key takeaways:How AI can improve the customer experienceThe role of the end user in shifting to automated processesHow to push for change management and avoid change fatigueHighlights:(00:00) Introducing David Anderson(02:36) The benefits of bringing AI into complex systems(03:28) An opportunity to organize unstructured data with AI(06:42) Aligning on objectives and goals for AI to get leadership buy-in(09:07) How AI can be used to improve customer experience(10:34) Quantifying the results of AI adoption(11:34) How AI allows human agents to focus on customer concerns(13:41) Change management goes hand in hand with AI adoption(17:59) Continued growth and increased capacity with AIResources:David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d2anderson/ CNO website: https://www.cnoinc.com/ CNO LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cno-financial-group/ Shirley’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirleymacbeth/

Many organizations are still struggling to bridge the gap between the promise of AI and its reality. So, how can leadership make AI work for them?In this episode of Make It Real, Shirley Macbeth sits down with Rohit Kapoor, CEO and Chairman at EXL, to discuss AI adoption at the enterprise level. Rohit breaks down what businesses are getting wrong about deploying AI, the impact of AI on workflows, and real stories of how AI has transformed the way companies in complex industries work. He shares advice on picking the right cases for the use of AI, keeping human workers involved in AI adoption, and innovating with speed.Key takeaways:Why organizations aren’t seeing ROI from the use of AIThe importance of data health in making your org AI-readyHow AI improves customer experienceHighlights:(00:00) Introducing Rohit Kapoor(02:10) Why ROI in AI is still elusive for many businesses(05:44) Finding the right use cases for AI(07:32) The key role of data health in AI implementation(10:31) AI success stories in insurance and utilities(13:48) How AI helps businesses serve customers better(15:22) Why humans still matter in an AI-powered org(18:09) Lessons from EXL’s AI journey(20:36) Innovating with speedResources:Rohit’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohitkapoorexl/EXL website: https://www.exlservice.com/Shirley’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirleymacbeth/

How is AI changing the way your organization works?EXL brings you Make It Real, a podcast where you’ll hear from leaders with a real, actionable approach to data and AI.Hosted by Shirley Macbeth, Chief Marketing Officer at EXL, each episode features real stories and real results from organizations embedding AI into their workflows to drive measurable impact. From data modernization to innovative applications of AI, this show explores how today’s leaders are moving from proof of concept to performance.Stop talking about the promise of AI and start making it real. Subscribe for new episodes every two weeks.