Our conversation with Patrick Sullivan, VP of Strategy and Innovation at A-LIGN, a leading provider of cybersecurity and compliance solutions, was one of the more wide-ranging and provocative ones that we’ve had. Patrick brings over 25 years of experience in the IT security and compliance space, is a TEDx Speaker, a member of the Forbes Technology Council,  and is a self-described AI Ethicist. We discussed: 

Eric discusses his go-to AI tools - he emphasizes the importance of scientific literacy and critical thinking when evaluating AI tools and marketing claims. He explains why he likes Perplexity for research, and an AI-driven OCR (optical character recognition) tool that works! (OCR tech has come a long way from the semi-legible text these tools used to produce).

Vero AI is dedicated to helping companies understand AI and other algorithmic solutions. This episode of Bag Check was excerpted from a previous interview: Vero AI’s Instrumental Role in Delivering AI-Augmented Compliance.  

“It’s not the lack of candidates that’s the problem, it’s a process problem.” On this week’s AIX Factor, we spoke with Jonathan Duarte, the Founder and CEO of GoHire, the leading provider of Apply-by-Text solutions that help companies hire high-volume, mobile-first frontline workers. For the last 25+ years, Jonathan has been building Recruitment and HR Technology focused on candidate acquisition, engagement, and recruitment marketing. He joined us from his HQ in San Francisco to discuss: 

Mark Wyatt is the founder and CEO of Quantiv Group, a consulting company dedicated to helping other tech firms improve their sales and marketing processes using an agile approach. Mark is the “serial entrepreneur’s entrepreneur”, having founded six companies, two of which were acquired. We discuss: 

Sri Chellappa is CEO and Co-Founder, Engagedly, an AI-enabled people strategy platform that redefines performance appraisals by simplifying and incorporating elements of employee engagement and development into the performance review process. Sri brings over 20 years of experience leading organizations in software development and consulting,  which includes managing teams at EY and Capgemini. We discuss: 

Eric Sydell is Co-founder and CEO of Vero AI, a firm dedicated to helping companies understand AI and other algorithmic solutions. Eric has a Ph.D in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and is an experienced Consultant, R&D Leader, and Entrepreneur in the staffing and recruiting industry. Topics we discuss include: 

Genevieve Bartuski is a licensed psychologist who brings a unique perspective to the intersection of psychology, privacy, and AI governance.  In her private practice, she focuses on clinical work, addressing severe and persistent mental illness, as well as family and relationship dynamics. She also leads a boutique consulting firm that applies behavioral science to privacy compliance and AI governance. Her approach helps organizations navigate ethical AI development, data protection challenges, and the broader impact of technology on human behavior and organizational culture.

Bonus chat: Genevieve joins the podcast from southwest Virginia, near the Tennessee and North Carolina borders…two hours from Dollywood, a popular destination for Genevieve and her family over the years. We discuss Dollywood, pay our respects to the recently passed Carl Dean, and pay homage to the queen herself.  

Faisal Hoque is an award-winning entrepreneur, world-renowned technologist, tech executive, and best-selling author with over three decades of experience working with leadership at some of the world's most iconic - and complex - organizations. Faisal goes deep into his impressively deep bag of AI "tricks." (Go here for the full conversation - from his inspiring personal journey to why "persona management" will be a thing in 2025.)  

Dr. Anna Tavis is a Clinical Professor and Chair of the Human Capital Management Department at the NYU School of Professional Studies, where she leads MS degree and certificate programs in Human Capital Management. She is also the co-author of Humans at Work: The Art and Practice of Creating the Hybrid Workplace and the newly released bestseller The Digital Coaching Revolution—a must-read for professionals navigating AI-driven coaching, digital assistants, and personalized learning in the age of automation. This week I'm joined by my cohost, straight outta Tokyo, Mr. Michael Piker, VP, Global Total Rewards for Shiseido, the global beauty giant. We discuss: 

Class is in session!

This introduces a new feature we’re calling Bag Check, inspired by the Tennis Channel’s recurring segment by the same name, wherein tennis players are asked what they’re carrying in their bag (it’s far more interesting and revealing than it may seem).  The Bag Check segments are excerpted from our longer form AIX Factor interviews - we think you’ll find it strangely fascinating and brimming with great ideas for using AI tools in your work and life.   

On this, our maiden segment, Harold Ford, the Practice Director for the Employer Solutions Practice at Net at Work and a regular AIX Factor co-host, shares his experiences using Chat GPT's operator mode, which can handle tasks such as booking appointments and scheduling haircuts without human interaction. Harold also mentions his use of Grammarly and Writesonic for crafting emails and articles, and how the “humanizer” tool in Writesonic helps him write in a more conversational voice. He also describes how he has used Google's Notebook LM for creating a podcast based on white papers and remarkably life-like YouTube videos. 

Check it out and let us know what you think of our new segment!