If I had to pick one overarching theme from the 15 or so CRM industry events I’ve attended so far this year it would probably center around the crossroads of where automation and AI intersect. And during last month’s PegaWorld user conference I had a chance to speak with the founder and host of the very popular This Week in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence podcast Sam Charrington, who in just over three years has over five million show downloads.

Sam shares his thoughts on we are today with technologies like machine learning, AI and natural language processing, and how companies are just scratching the surface in putting these tools to work to improve all aspects of their businesses, but have to be implemented with the proper perspective. And he also addresses another theme that I heard addressed at multiple conference this year; how AI will eventually lead to AE, artificial empathy.