AI Agents - what are they, can they make me superhuman, and are they after my job??

WARP Speed Leadership

In this episode of WARP Speed Leadership, host Richard Parton along with co-hosts Nikki Tugano and Darryl Wright delve into the world of AI agents. They discuss what differentiates AI agents from traditional chatbots, their potential benefits, and the challenges organizations face in adopting these technologies. From enabling more time for human-centric skills like creativity and empathy to the risks of unintended outcomes and ethical biases, the conversation covers a wide range of topics relevant to modern leadership. The episode also highlights practical strategies for integrating AI into the workplace, including the importance of maintaining human control, revising workflows, and fostering a learning environment to maximize the benefits of AI technology while minimizing its risks.

Links & Resources

Here are the resources and further reading mentioned in this episode:

• Henrik Kniberg (or Nyberg): Insights on prompt engineering and AI transformation.
  • https://blog.crisp.se/author/henrikkniberg
• MIT Sloan AI Adoption Research: Studies on the impact of purpose and employee considerations in AI adoption.
  • https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/how-generative-ai-affects-highly-skilled-workers
  • https://sloanreview.mit.edu/topic/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/
• Ben Schneiderman - Human-Centered AI: Framework and book (Human Centered AI, 2022) focused on keeping humans in control.
  • https://hcil.umd.edu/human-centered-ai/ (Author/Framework Overview)
  • https://issues.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/56%E2%80%9361-Shneiderman-Human-Centered-AI-Winter-2021.pdf (Referenced Paper)
• Center for Effective Organizations (CEO): Work on models for human-AI collaboration: https://ceo.usc.edu/
  
• AI Ethics Impact Group (Z-Inspection®): Tools and guidelines for managing AI risks and ethical assessments: https://z-inspection.org
  
• World Economic Forum - Future of Jobs Report 2025: Insights into skills that complement AI capabilities:
  https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf
  
• Josh Bersin: Writings and strategies for upskilling teams alongside AI.
  • https://joshbersin.com/2023/12/ai-is-transforming-corporate-learning-even-faster-than-i-expected/
• Rob Baker - Job Crafting Canvas: Tool for redesigning roles -
  Episode 1: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2328233/episodes/15143038
  Canvas: https://tailoredthinking.co.uk/job-crafting-canvas
  
• Google's People + AI Guidebook: Practical templates for developing and monitoring AI: https://pair.withgoogle.com/guidebook/

Chapters

1. Intros - welcome to Warp Speed Leadership (00:00:00)

2. Understanding AI Agents (00:00:42)

3. Arguing for the Human Element (00:03:22)

4. Future of Work with AI (00:03:46)

5. Challenges, Ethics, and What Can Go Wrong (00:09:31)

6. Strategies for Success - designing for Human-Centred AI (00:18:51)

7. The TL;DR - Conclusions, tips and takeaways (00:30:04)