Kate O’Neill is a leading voice on AI and tech humanism, known for helping organizations build more meaningful, human-centered futures. She has been featured by outlets like BBC, NPR, and NBC, and serves on the United Nations AI advisory board. A CX Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning entrepreneur, Kate brings a unique blend of optimism and realism to conversations about AI, data, and the future of work. Her latest book, What Matters Next, explores how to make human-friendly tech decisions.

In this conversation we discussed:

• How tech humanism explains the relationship between people, technology, and business, and how leaders can design AI systems that strengthen the alignment
• Why humans project intelligence and agency onto AI tools, and what it takes to build healthy, intentional habits around emerging technologies
• Practical ways workers can use AI to elevate their roles rather than fear automation
• The role of leadership in creating psychologically safe environments where employees can openly experiment with AI tools
• The risk of designing systems that lead to “automated bureaucracy,” and how organizations can embed meaning into automated experiences at scale
• Why meaning and purpose remain uniquely human, and how future workplaces can evolve by pairing human judgment with increasingly capable AI systems

Resources:

• Subscribe to the AI & The Future of Work Newsletter
• Connect with Kate on LinkedIn or at KO Insights
• AI fun fact article
• On How Unleashing Human Potential with AI

Sid Sheth is the CEO and co-founder of d-Matrix, the AI chip company making inference efficient and scalable for datacenters. Backed by Microsoft and with $160M raised, Sid shares why rethinking infrastructure is critical to AI’s future and how a decade in semiconductors prepared him for this moment.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why Sid believes AI inference is the biggest computing opportunity of our lifetime and how it will drive the next productivity boom
• The real reason smaller, more efficient models are unlocking the era of inference and what that means for AI adoption at scale
• Why cost, time, and energy are the core constraints of inference, and how D-Matrix is building for performance without compromise
• How the rise of reasoning models and agentic AI shifts demand from generic tasks to abstract problem-solving
• The workforce challenge no one talks about: why talent shortages, not tech limitations, may slow down the AI revolution
• How Sid’s background in semiconductors prepared him to recognize the platform shift toward AI and take the leap into building D-Matrix

Resources:

• Subscribe to the AI & The Future of Work Newsletter
• Connect with Sid on LinkedIn
• AI fun fact article
• On How Mastering Skills To Stay Relevant In the Age of AI

In this special episode of AI and the Future of Work, host Dan Turchin looks back on what 365 conversations have revealed about how AI is reshaping the way we work.

What themes have emerged most consistently? Which ideas connect founders, researchers, and operators across industries? And what have these discussions taught us about the evolving relationship between humans and intelligent systems?

Featuring Guests:

1. Mark McCrindle, Founder and Principal at McCrindle - Listen to the full conversation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/13014260
2. Pradeep Menon, CTO at Microsoft - Listen to the full conversation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/13034974
3. Dave Kellogg, EIR at Balderton Capital - Listen to the full conversation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/16665133
4. Alex Buder Shapiro, Chief People Officer at Jasper AI - Listen to the full conversation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/17522593
5. Gary F. Bengier, Writer, philosopher, and technologist - Listen to the full conversation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/12934217
6. Josh Bersin, Founder and CEO at The Josh Bersin Company - Listen to the full conversation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/17863187
7. Bryan Power, Head of People at Nextdoor - Listen to the full conversation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/16837259
8. Dave Treat, Chief Technology Officer at Pearson - Listen to the full conversation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/520474/episodes/17557154

💡 What You Will Learn

• Why the future of work remains human-centered
• How AI amplifies human capability rather than replacing it
• Why trust and transparency define successful AI-driven teams
• How workplace culture is evolving as organizations adopt AI
• Why meaning, empathy, and lifelong learning matter more than ever

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And remember to subscribe for more conversations with the leaders shaping the future of AI and work.

Other special episodes:

• Lessons from Four Unicorn CEOs Disrupting Massive Markets with AI (Special Episode)
• Artificial General Intelligence: Can Machines Really Think Like Us? (Special Episode)
• Ethical AI in Hiring: How to Stay Compliant While Building a Fairer Future of Work (HR Day Special Episode)
• AI and the Law: How AI Will Change Legal Careers (Special Episode)
• AI and Safety: How Responsible Tech Leaders Build Trustworthy Systems (National Safety Month Special)
• Lessons from Leaders: How AI Is Redefining Work and the Human Experience (Labor Day Special Episode)