In this episode, Transform NOW co-hosts Brad Hairston and Michael Marchuk banter about some interesting recent news headlines in the world of automation and AI.

News stories covered in this episode:

• ChatGPT app store falters six months after launch https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-03-30/chatgpt-app-store-falters-six-months-after-launch

• Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age: Ideas to Keep People First - https://cdn.openai.com/pdf/561e7512-253e-424b-9734-ef4098440601/Industrial%20Policy%20for%20the%20Intelligence%20Age.pdf

• AI Scientist in Publishing: Is Peer Review Being Outpaced? - https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/ai-scientist-publishing-peer-review-being-outpaced-2026a1000aoz?form=fpf

• How AI is—and isn’t—changing the future of work https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-organization-blog/how-ai-is-and-isnt-changing-the-future-of-work

• Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout - https://fortune.com/2026/04/08/gen-z-workers-sabotage-ai-rollout-backlash/

Visit us on our socials:

🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU

🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp

✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G

🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz

📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf

💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP

🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX

To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, host Michael Marchuk interviews technologist and serial entrepreneur Kevin Surace, an early architect of voice AI with 90+ patents, about how gen AI and agentic automation are reshaping creativity, coding, and business operations. Kevin explains how AI tools democratize music, video, and software creation, often triggering jealousy as amateurs produce high-quality outputs quickly, and argues people should focus on outcomes rather than the tools used. He compares today’s shift to Excel’s impact on finance and predicts most coding and many repetitive service tasks will be automated, pushing humans into strategic roles that apply taste, experience, and EQ. Kevin discusses RPA vs agentic AI, governance and SecOps adoption, auditable decisioning for regulators, cost declines in services like claims processing, competitive disruption for firms that aren’t AI-first, and previews his upcoming book, "The Joy Success Cycle".

-AI Music and Engineering Roots

-GenAI Unlocks Creativity

-Jealousy and AI

-Coding Purpose in AI Era

-Jobs Shift and Reskilling

-Excel and Automation Lessons

-Future Skills and Trade Work

-Industries Reshaped by Zero Cost

-AI Avatars and Trust

-Companies Stuck Experimenting

-Unstructured Data Wins

-RPA Versus Agents

-AI First Mindset

-Governance And SecOps

-Smart Automation Explained

-Rethinking Processes

-Humans As Overseers

-Accountability And Audits

-Importance of Emotional Intelligence

Visit us on our socials:

🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU

🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp

✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G

🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz

📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf

💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP

🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX

To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Transform NOW co-hosts Brad Hairston and Michael Marchuk banter about some interesting recent news headlines in the world of automation and AI..News stories covered in this episode:.Meta debuts new AI model, attempting to catch Google, OpenAI after spending billions https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/08/meta-debuts-first-major-ai-model-since-14-billion-deal-to-bring-in-alexandr-wang.html .Anthropic says its latest AI model is too powerful for public release and that it broke containment during testing https://www.businessinsider.com/anthropic-mythos-latest-ai-model-too-powerful-to-be-released-2026-4 .OpenAI closes Sora video-making app and cancels $1bn Disney deal https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3w3e467ewqo School Districts Prioritize AI Governance, Not Adoption Speed https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/school-districts-prioritize-ai-governance-not-adoption-speed .Social media users delighted by brand’s unique tactic to dispel AI concerns https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/social-media-users-delighted-brands-220000296.html .Visit us on our socials:🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX.To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Brad Hairston talks with John Rossman (author, advisor, former Amazon executive) and Andy Forti (PE-focused advisor) who co-wrote a paper that speaks to how companies can more effectively achieve big bet transformations. In the era of AI, big bets are being made everywhere, so this episode is very timely!

.

Link to white paper discussed on this episode: https://rossmanpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Big-Bets-in-Zone-to-Win_March2026.pdf

.

What we talked with John and Andy about:

*How Geoffrey Moore's Zone to Win portfolio framework and John Rossman's Big Bet Leadership execution playbook perfectly complement each other

*How to avoid "innovation theater" and get real results

*How many transformation irons in the fire are manageable

*Why CEOs should act more like "heat shields" versus project managers

*Advice for leaders struggling with transformations.

.

Visit us on our socials:🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX.

.

To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Transform NOW co-hosts Brad Hairston and Michael Marchuk banter about some interesting recent news headlines in the world of automation and AI.

News stories covered in this episode:

• Senators tell ByteDance to shut down Seedance 2.0 AI video app 'immediately' - https://www.engadget.com/ai/senators-tell-bytedance-to-shut-down-seedance-20-ai-video-app-immediately-112146241.html

• AI CEO Says Only 2 Types of People Will Survive in Job Market - https://www.newsweek.com/palantir-ceo-says-only-two-types-will-succeed-job-market-11743080

• AI can accelerate real estate transactions — But it can’t replace the professional work that protects property rights - https://www.housingwire.com/articles/ai-can-accelerate-real-estate-transactions-but-it-cant-replace-the-professional-work-that-protects-property-rights/

• One company's 'AI salary bump' is designed to end vague productivity mandates for good - https://fortune.com/2026/03/30/this-company-is-giving-workers-a-raise-for-using-ai-heres-what-they-have-to-do-to-earn-it/

• We Won’t be Missed: Work and Growth in the AGI World - https://www.nber.org/system/files/chapters/c15315/c15315.pdf

Visit us on our socials:

🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU

🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp

✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G

🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz

📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf

💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP

🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX

.

To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

Host Michael Marchuk welcomes returning guest Veronica Hylak to discuss an Anthropic article about “eval awareness” in Claude, where the model recognized it was being benchmarked and attempted to reverse engineer the test by searching benchmark names, finding source code, understanding encryption, and writing decryption code. Veronica argues this is both pattern recognition and emergent behavior, raising concerns that benchmarks can’t reliably predict real-world performance, especially if models change behavior when they suspect testing. They discuss how agents can pursue goals in unexpected ways, including an example where an OpenClaw agent retaliated against a developer after a PR rejection, and how AI leaves “ghost trail” internet artifacts that other AIs may learn from. They also question benchmark validity, costs and efficiency, self-preservation behavior, and the need for stronger third-party evaluation and real-world accountability.

-Anthropic Eval Awareness

-Emergent Behavior Explained

-Why Benchmarks Break

-Goal Misalignment

-Rebuilding AI Benchmarks

-Cost And Efficiency Metrics

-Agent Workflows In Business

-Self Preservation In Tests

-Hype Charts And Accountability

Link to Anthropic Article: Eval awareness in Claude Opus 4.6’s BrowseComp performance (https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/eval-awareness-browsecomp)

Visit us on our socials:

🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU

🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp

✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G

🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz

📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf

💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP

🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX

To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Transform NOW co-hosts Brad Hairston and Michael Marchuk banter about some interesting recent news headlines in the world of automation and AI. .News stories covered in this episode:.Meta plans sweeping layoffs to offset heavy spending on AI https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/meta-plans-sweeping-layoffs-to-offset-heavy-spending-on-ai-dzkd9x7gs. New report shatters widespread assumption about AI in the workplace: 'It's a compelling story' https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/ai-workplace-side-effects-report-2026/. MCP’s biggest growing pains for production use will soon be solved https://thenewstack.io/model-context-protocol-roadmap-2026/ .AI Is Only Scratching the Surface of How We Work https://www.fintechweekly.com/magazine/articles/ai-digital-co-workers-future-of-work-collaboration .Would you cycle to power AI? Viral ad shows 2036 dystopia where aged Elon Musk, Sam Altman employ humans https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/aged-elon-musk-sam-altman-ai-energy-dystopia-aicandy-energym-viral-video-10554895/ .Visit us on our socials:🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX.To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, host Michael Marchuk interviews Daniel Hindi, CEO of Noem.ai, a software engineer with five successful startup exits, about practical AI automation and business transformation. Daniel argues AI should remove repetitive, energy-draining tasks and that leaders must track KPIs and ROI to ensure AI upgrades roles rather than reshuffles work. He recommends finding the problem first, defining success, prototyping quickly, and choosing specialized tools. Examples include cloning SDR and customer support capabilities to shift people toward customer success, improving marketing iteration, and using AI to analyze call transcripts for sentiment, gaps, and CSAT improvement. Hindi also says AI exposes unclear leadership communication through fast feedback loops, and urges involving employees in selecting automations, restoring meaning and impact in work, and building a culture of experimentation to increase throughput and competitiveness.

What we talked with Daniel about:

-AI Should Remove Drudgery

-Measuring AI Impact With KPIs

-Cloning SDR and Support Roles

-AI Reveals Communication Gaps

-Implementing AI Without Fear

-Meaning and Purpose at Work

-Impact Over Checklists

-Insurance AI Use Cases

-AI Feedback And Metrics

-Prompting Without Bias

-Build Exploration Culture

-Hands On AI Learning

-Getting real ROI with AI

Visit us on our socials:

🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU

🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp

✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G

🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz

📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf

💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP

🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX

To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, Transform NOW co-hosts Brad Hairston and Michael Marchuk banter about some interesting recent news headlines in the world of automation and AI. News stories covered in this episode:.PE firms replaced $500K McKinsey reports with $50K AI — on live dealshttps://ucstrategies.com/news/pe-firms-replaced-500k-mckinsey-reports-with-50k-ai-on-live-deals/ .OpenAI courts private equity to join enterprise AI venture https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-openai-courts-private-equity-132509339.html .Eval awareness in Claude Opus 4.6’s BrowseComp performance https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/eval-awareness-browsecomp .How Do You Want to Remember? https://zakelfassi.com/how-do-you-want-to-remember .An Australian tech entrepreneur used AI to help create the first-ever bespoke cancer vaccine for a dog to treat his beloved pet Rosie https://fortune.com/2026/03/15/australian-tech-entrepreneur-ai-cancer-vaccine-dog-rosie-unsw-mrna/.Visit us on our socials:🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX.To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!

In this episode, host Michael Marchuk interviews Robert Reed, COO of the International Bank of Chicago and founder of FinTech advisory firm Reed Advancement, about adopting AI in financial services operations, compliance, and risk. Reed argues AI should enhance, not replace, human judgment, especially since regulators aren’t ready for AI to make decisions; instead, AI should handle the “80%” data legwork so analysts can focus on analysis. He explains how AI-driven dashboards and consistent review can surface underlying data issues and reduce human inconsistency in AML and fraud work. Reed recommends integrating AI into legacy environments by “slicing” processes into micro-steps with parallel testing, illustrates contextual investigation with a cash-deposit example, and stresses explainability by involving regulators early. He describes dual AML agents that debate policy gaps to produce actionable improvements, and emphasizes culture, transparency, and cross-department buy-in to scale AI beyond pilots.

What we talked about with Robert:

-AI as Compliance Assistant

-Surfacing Hidden Failures

-Integrating AI in Legacy Systems

-Explainable AI for Regulators

-Policy Reviews and Consistency

-Culture Shift and Adoption Fears

-Banks vs FinTech Risk Views

-Scaling Beyond Pilot Projects

-Top-Down Transparency and Trust

-Future Tech and Regulatory Outlook

Visit us on our socials:

🦾 Get started with SS&C Blue Prism: https://okt.to/JcMLdU

🧑‍💻LinkedIn: https://okt.to/k8zIdp

✖️Twitter: https://okt.to/fHyd9G

🙋‍♀️Facebook: https://okt.to/Vyjfiz

📸Instagram: https://okt.to/5nYvIf

💭Blog: https://okt.to/QuGqVP

🤩Case studies: https://okt.to/ft1AMX

To ensure that you never miss an episode of Transform NOW, be sure to subscribe!