Where AI Works: Conversations at the Intersection of AI and Industry

It’s a question that looms large for any business leader these days, but the stakes are even higher for those that manage massive workforces: as AI transforms the workplace, what happens to jobs and the people doing them?
On this episode of Where AI Works, host Matthew Bidwell speaks with Donna Morris, the Chief People Officer at Walmart, about what it means to introduce AI across one of the largest workforces on the planet; more than 2.1 million associates around the world. Morris explains the company’s “people-led, tech-powered” approach, where AI is used to augment employees rather than replace them. She also discusses the emergence of new roles like AI agent-builders , and explores the skills that matter most in an AI-driven workplace. While technical expertise is important, Morris argues that adaptability, communication, curiosity, and interpersonal skills will define the most successful employees in the years ahead. For leaders navigating this rapid change, the takeaway is simple: invest in people, build new skills, and be sure to bring your workers along for the ride.

Episode Highlights:

6:03 - Donna outlines how AI will reshape the workforce: some jobs will evolve, some will emerge—like AI “agent builders”—and some will disappear, making reskilling essential.

10:24 - Donna discusses the skills that matter most in an AI-driven workplace, emphasizing communication, adaptability, learning agility, and interpersonal skills.

22:30 - Morris discusses the human side of AI transformation, stressing the importance of transparency and communication as companies navigate uncertainty about how work will change.

The way we think about jobs is changing. As artificial intelligence reshapes how work gets done, traditional roles and titles are giving way to something more fluid: a skills-based economy. But while organizations are moving quickly to redefine what they need, workers and educators are still catching up, creating a growing gap between the skills people claim to have and the capabilities employers truly value.

On this season premiere episode of Where AI Works, host Matthew Bidwell is joined by James Crowley, Global Products Industry Practices Chair at Accenture, and Eric Bradlow, Vice Dean of AI and Analytics at Wharton, to unpack the findings of the Wharton Accenture Skills Index. Drawing on analysis of millions of worker profiles and job postings, they explore how AI is accelerating demand for specialized expertise, domain knowledge, and judgment-driven work, while making generalized skills less important on their own. Their conversation also explores what this shift means for business leaders, educators, and employees alike, as AI transforms both how we work and how we learn. It turns out success may depend less on what you know today — and more on how quickly you can build the skills you’ll need tomorrow.

Episode Highlights:

6:22 - James explains how the Wharton Accenture Skills Index was built using an analysis of 150 million worker profiles and 100 million job postings.

13:25 - Eric reflects on why AI should be viewed as a learning accelerator, and why employers should invest in how quickly people can learn rather than in what they already know.

23:25 - James lays out why business leaders need to come up with a “taxonomy” for the skills they need, the skills their employees already have, and the ones they’ll need in the future.

AI isn’t here to replace us, it’s here to challenge the way we think, work, and decide. But the true test isn’t in implementing the technology itself — it lies in how humans choose to integrate AI into their work, take responsibility for its outputs, and reimagine systems to deliver meaningful, measurable results.

On this special season four recap episode, host Christian Terwiesch reflects on his conversations with Lara Liss, Chief Privacy and Data Trust Officer at GE Healthcare; Alfredo Colas, Chief Data and AI Officer at Procter & Gamble; Radha Plumb, Vice President of AI Transformation at IBM; and Dr. Pari Panari, Chair of Radiology at Penn Medicine. Across sectors, their discussions converge on several common themes: integrating AI responsibly, keeping humans in (or on) the loop, and leveraging AI as a collaborator or amplifier rather than a replacement for human capabilities. You’ll also hear Christian’s key takeaways on governance, workflow redesign, and the democratization of creativity, offering practical insights for any business leaders thinking about AI adoption in their own organizations.

Episode Highlights:

1:51 - Lara talks about the importance of ethical AI implementation, and how that requires bringing together diverse perspectives from within your organization.

4:00 - Alfredo explains how AI isn’t simply automating routine work at Procter & Gamble, but actually taking part in creative problem solving.

6:29 - Radha shares her twist on the “human in the loop” trope when it comes to determining which tasks are best delegated to AI and which are best left to people.

9:14 - Pari provides her prognosis about how AI will affect the future of healthcare delivery, and why those entering the field should familiarize themselves with the technology.

Can AI read X-rays better than humans? Will AI make radiologists’ jobs easier or more complicated? And how could a team of AI agents one day work alongside doctors to improve patient care? Those are just a few of the thought-provoking questions at the center of this episode of Where AI Works.
In this final interview of season four, host Christian Terweisch sits down with Dr. Pari Pandharipande, the Chair of Radiology at Penn Medicine, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the world of medical imaging. Whether we’re talking about X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs, radiology has always relied on expert human interpretation. Now, AI is changing the workflow by boosting efficiency and helping hospitals tackle one of the biggest challenges in healthcare: a growing labor shortage. Dr. Pandharipande also walks us through the day-to-day work of a radiologist, explaining how images are analyzed, reports are generated, and decisions are made. She shares how AI is already shortening MRI exam times, detecting strokes faster, and providing decision-support tools that augment human expertise.

Episode Highlights:

7:36 - Pari explains how technology, and AI in particular, is being used to speed up and streamline the process of interpreting medical imaging.

16:19 - Pari tackles the tough question of whether or not AI could make work harder for radiologists by taking care of the easy cases and leaving the harder ones for humans.

18:56 - Pari discusses the balancing act that comes with trying to understand and embrace AI while still being somewhat skeptical of its capabilities.

It’s an ambitious objective for any organization: saving $4.5 billion a year — not by cutting staff, but by redesigning the way people and AI work together. It’s an even more noteworthy goal when the organization in question is one of the most storied technology companies in the world.

On this episode of Where AI Works, host Christian Terwiesch speaks with Radha Plumb, the Vice-President of AI-First Transformation at IBM, to explore how the iconic company is driving practical AI transformation on a massive scale. IBM has long been known for innovation, but the conversation has shifted from moonshot experiments to measurable productivity gains thanks to AI-powered workflow redesign. Radha explains why the road to AI advantage starts with strong data foundations, integrated governance, and a clear focus on human-AI collaboration — or as she puts it: “Eliminate. Simplify. Automate.” From HR and procurement to finance and IT, IBM’s internal “Client Zero” strategy reveals where the next wave of automation will hit — and how organizations can scale quickly while maintaining trust and accountability.

Episode Highlights:

7:07 - Radha explains why she prefers the expression “human on the loop” to the more traditional “human in the loop” when discussing how AI can augment workers.

14:33 - Radha discusses IBM’s “Client-Zero” approach, and how the AI initiatives it’s implementing internally serve as a preview of what’s coming for other organizations.

20:57 - Radha shares why it’s important for companies of all sizes to have governance guardrails in place before deploying new AI tools.