With AI, Everyone is Ironman

In this episode, Ian Banner is joined from a very hot English garden by Erik Hansen in a refreshingly cool Seattle, and the two of them tackle the phrase echoing through every boardroom right now: “AI is the new Agile.” It’s a sharper comparison than it first sounds — because the same leaders who once shouted “just be Agile” without knowing what it meant are now shouting “just use AI” with exactly as little direction.

Ian and Erik unpack why handing everyone an AI licence is like handing everyone an Iron Man suit: extraordinary power, and a very real chance of flying straight through a building if nobody’s been trained. They dig into the two moves that separate the companies that thrive from the ones that flatten themselves — standing up a proper AI governance body, and investing in the right training rather than any training.

Along the way: why “we use AI” is no strategy at all, the gold-rush lesson about selling shovels, why coaches must become multi-purpose, and the uncomfortable question almost everyone is dodging — how does any of this actually reach production?

If you’re being told to “go and use AI” but nobody’s said why or how, press play. This one’s for you.

🔗 Listen and explore more at futureofwork.site. While you’re there, read a companion piece on putting AI to work in practice: The Weekly Report Revolution: How AI Transforms Your Most Dreaded Professional Task Into Strategic Gold.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit futureofwork.site