AI isn't replacing jobs. It's changing the way work gets done.
Scott Likens, Global Chief AI Engineer at PwC, spends his days helping organizations navigate one of the biggest technological shifts in history. In this conversation with Arturo Ferreira, Scott shares what he's seeing inside some of the world's largest companies as they race to adopt AI, transform workflows, and prepare for a future that's arriving faster than most people expect.
They discuss why many AI projects fail, the "frozen middle" preventing organizations from scaling AI, how education needs to evolve, and why the biggest challenge isn't the technology itself; it's helping people adapt to it.
Key Topics Covered:
Why most organizations are approaching AI the wrong way
The "frozen middle" slowing down enterprise AI adoption
How PwC is scaling AI across a global workforce
Why AI is different from every technology wave before it
The future of software engineering in the age of AI
Which industries are moving fastest with AI adoption
Why AI won't just replace jobs, it will reshape them
The role education must play in an AI-powered future
China's AI strategy versus the United States
Why curiosity may become the most important skill of the next decade
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 Intro and the story behind Scott's LinkedIn profile
03:20 What a Chief AI Engineer actually does
06:15 Why AI is different from previous technology revolutions
10:00 The "frozen middle" problem inside organizations
15:25 Why AI adoption is more about people than technology
18:45 PwC's partnership with Anthropic and enterprise AI
22:00 Which industries are moving fastest with AI
27:00 AI, jobs, and workforce transformation
33:00 Why education needs to change
35:30 China, the U.S., and the global AI race
40:00 The questions CEOs are asking about AI today
44:00 Why most AI projects fail
47:30 Advice for leaders trying to scale AI
50:00 Books, learning, and final thoughts
Connect with Scott on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottlikens/
Connect with Arturo on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arturoferreira/
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