What does the future of work really look like when AI, identity, and culture collide?

On this episode of Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon, Chair of the Institute for the Future of Work.

Anne-Marie is a leading voice in the tech world, known for her work as a trustee at the Institute for the Future of Work and as the temporary Arithmetician on Channel 4’s Countdown. A former child prodigy who passed A-level computing at 11 and earned a Master’s in Maths and Computer Science from Oxford by 20, she has since spoken globally for companies including Facebook, Amazon, Google and Mastercard. She hosts the acclaimed Women Tech Charge podcast and is a sought-after presenter who has interviewed figures such as Jack Dorsey and Sir Lewis Hamilton. Anne-Marie has received multiple Honorary Doctorates, serves on several national boards, and continues to champion diversity and innovation in tech. Her latest book, She’s In CTRL, was published in 2022.

Dr. Anne-Marie joins Geoff to break down how AI, big data, quantum, and the wider “Fourth Industrial Revolution” are transforming jobs, workplaces, identity, culture, and society. From redefining long-held beliefs about “jobs for life,” to the cultural fractures emerging between companies, workers, and society, Dr. Anne-Marie goes deep on what’s changing, what still isn’t understood, and what leaders must do right now to avoid being left behind. This conversation dives into why most AI use cases are still limited to fraud detection and customer service, and the hidden cultural blockers preventing real transformation. She emphasizes the danger of hype cycles, and how to stay focused on real value and how to build organizations that can experiment, learn, and make “high-quality mistakes.”

In this episode:

00:00 Intro

00:31 The Future of Work: What’s changing now

02:32 Generational identity, legacy jobs & why work is no longer “for life”

04:36 Work identity crisis & fragmentation of modern careers

07:45 Rethinking digital transformation & the fourth industrial revolution

11:36 Why the institute avoids the AI hype & looks beyond it

13:39 AI Hype vs. reality

17:50 High-quality mistakes

21:06 Tech design failures

23:18 Culture, customers & building organizations that reflect the real world

29:04 Destroying the “Einstein Myth” & rewriting who tech is for

39:37 First-principles thinking

50:34 Norms, unintended consequences & system-level change

55:32 When will the dust settle? ai timelines, disruption & what’s next

57:28 Closing thoughts

Connect with Dr. Ann-Marie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimafidon/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notyouraverageami/

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