In this episode of AI Today, host Kathleen Walch speaks with CP Richardson who is co-founder of Agile in Color, an Agile Alliance Board Member, and is also PMI- CPMAI certified to discuss what it really takes to bring AI into day-to-day work with discipline, intention, and the right framework.

CP draws on more than 15 years of experience across software development, operations, marketing, and AI, including early work with machine learning in fraud detection. He also shares lessons learned from experimenting with AI to help run a small wine import business and how earning his PMI-CPMAI certification gave him a shared language and a structured, repeatable approach to AI, replacing instinct-driven decisions with clearer business alignment. That hands-on context provides some of the episode’s most practical and relatable insights.

CP shares how he built an AI agent to help do prospecting for his wine import business. While the agent failed to deliver on the desired outcome, the lessons learned were valuable: building the right solution technically does not guarantee business success. Without CPMAI’s Phase One Business Understanding and the AI Go/No Go checklist, teams risk investing in solutions that work in theory but fail in practice.

Kathleen and CP also discuss the importance of stakeholder engagement, the PMI M.O.R.E. vision of moving project managers beyond outputs to outcomes, and how combining agile principles with a data-centric methodology enables faster learning, better decisions, and more effective iteration.

You'll hear insights on:

• Why Business Understanding is such a critical phase of any AI project
• How the AI Go/No Go checklist surfaces critical questions before starting your AI project
• What a real-world AI failure teaches about context, behavior, and business objectives
• Why agile practitioners need "chops" — and how AI raises the ceiling for those who have them
• How small businesses can punch above their weight with AI, if they're disciplined about it

Practical, grounded, and anti-hype — for project managers, agile coaches, engineers stepping into AI leadership, or founders figuring out what AI can do for their business.

Today's episode is brought to you by PMTraining.com. From live virtual classes to on-demand courses, PMTraining prepares students for popular PMI certifications, including the Project Management Professional or PMP.

Behind the scenes, the PMTraining team is also actively applying AI across their organization, from learning development to customer support, helping them deliver training at scale.

PMTraining.com is the world's largest provider of live classes for the Project Management Professional certification, running up to 35 classes every month for every schedule, with a free 30 PDU course included with your enrollment, so half of your continuing education requirement is already met once you are certified. They offer live and on-demand courses for all kinds of PMI certifications, with schedules and formats designed for working professionals. For AI Today listener discounts, visit PMTraining.com/aitoday.

In this episode of AI Today, host Kathleen Walch sits down with Chris Scordo, Founder and Managing Director of PMTraining—a PMI Authorized Training Partner—for a candid conversation about deploying AI responsibly in a training business while keeping the human element at the center.

As artificial intelligence reshapes how content is created and delivered, Chris explains how the project management training landscape is evolving. From live instruction and certification preparation to on-demand learning, he shares how AI is transforming the way professionals learn while highlighting why human instructors, subject matter experts, and instructional designers remain essential.

Chris discusses how AI tools can accelerate content development and support scalable learning. However, he emphasizes that real value still comes from experienced practitioners who provide context, interpretation, and practical insight. In project management—where judgment, leadership, and decision-making are critical—human guidance remains key to helping learners apply knowledge effectively.

You’ll hear insights on:

• How AI is reshaping project management training and content creation
• Why human instructors and SMEs remain critical in an AI-enabled learning environment
• How training providers are adapting to AI-driven learning models
• How AI-related skills and certifications are gaining importance
• What project professionals can do to stay relevant in an AI-augmented future

This episode offers valuable perspectives for project managers, training leaders, and learning professionals navigating the evolving intersection of AI, certification programs, and professional development.

Today's episode is brought to you by PMTraining.com. From live virtual classes to on-demand courses, PMTraining prepares students for popular PMI certifications, including the Project Management Professional or PMP.

Behind the scenes, the PMTraining team is also actively applying AI across their organization, from learning development to customer support, helping them deliver training at scale.

PMTraining.com is the world's largest provider of live classes for the Project Management Professional certification, running up to 35 classes every month for every schedule, with a free 30 PDU course included with your enrollment, so half of your continuing education requirement is already met once you are certified. They offer live and on-demand courses for all kinds of PMI certifications, with schedules and formats designed for working professionals. For AI Today listener discounts, visit PMTraining.com/aitoday.

In this episode of AI Today, host Kathleen Walch sits down with Sumathi Arcot, Project Director for Lean Agile Transformation in AstraZeneca’s U.S. Oncology Business Unit, for a candid conversation on what it really takes to manage AI responsibly in one of the world’s most regulated industries.

Sumathi shares how the CPMAI methodology fundamentally shifted her perspective on AI, from something experimental and exploratory to a product discipline with defined outcomes, built-in governance, and clear success criteria from day one. In a pharma environment shaped by strict compliance requirements, she explains how CPMAI doesn’t slow innovation—it enables it—by aligning seamlessly with privacy impact assessments, third‑party risk reviews, and regulatory expectations.

Drawing on a real-world patient value impact analysis project in the rare diseases space, Sumathi highlights how CPMAI’s six phases—especially Phase I: Business Understanding and Phase II: Data Understanding—help teams focus on the right problem before model development begins. She also connects CPMAI to PMI’s M.O.R.E. vision, explaining how structured artifacts, KPIs, and go/no-go checkpoints help project managers move beyond delivery to value especially when navigating AI initiatives with diverse, risk-aware stakeholders.

You’ll hear insights on:

• How CPMAI transforms AI experiments into governed, auditable products
• Why Business Understanding is critical in AI initiatives
• How pharma compliance aligns to CPMAI checkpoints
• How the PMI M.O.R.E. vision helps project managers communicate AI value
• What agentic AI and human‑in‑the‑loop leadership looks like in the years ahead

Whether you’re a project manager, transformation leader, or AI practitioner, this episode offers practical lessons for leading AI initiatives where the stakes and the scrutiny are high.