Expert Intelligence with Paul Estes

What the AI Shift Means for Your Career with Kelly Monahan


Listen Later

Kelly Monahan, Managing Director of Upwork's Research Institute and co-author of Essential, reveals why 77% of employees feel AI makes work harder, not easier—and what leaders can do about it. In this eye-opening conversation with Paul Estes, Kelly breaks down the real forces behind today's labor market shifts, from inflation and capital costs to the pandemic's lasting impact on customer behavior.

From her research on the frontlines of the future of work, Kelly shares practical frameworks for moving beyond resilience to "anti-fragility"—the ability to adapt and evolve when systems face stress and shock. Whether you're a leader trying to implement AI effectively or a professional wondering how to stay relevant, this conversation offers actionable insights on navigating our rapidly changing work landscape while keeping human creativity and relationships central.

You'll Learn:

  • Why the AI productivity paradox is happening and how to overcome it
  • The difference between AI as a tool versus AI as a teammate, and what it means for your workflow
  • How to move from fragile to anti-fragile thinking when facing career disruption
  • Why skills are becoming more valuable than degrees and how to credential them effectively
  • The "configuration mindset" that separates AI power users from frustrated beginners
  • How to preserve cognitive capacity for creativity in an increasingly automated world
  • What successful organizational AI strategies look like beyond mere cost-cutting
  • References Mentioned:

    • Essential by Christie Smith and Kelly Monahan
    • Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    • The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    • Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
    • Subscribe to Expert Intelligence so you don't miss future conversations with industry leaders at the forefront of technological transformation. Each episode brings you practical insights to navigate our rapidly evolving digital landscape.

      Producer: David Grabowski

      Theme Music: Aleksey Chistilin

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store

      Expert Intelligence with Paul EstesBy Paul Estes

      • 5
      • 5
      • 5
      • 5
      • 5

      5

      16 ratings


      More shows like Expert Intelligence with Paul Estes

      View all
      The Ramsey Show by Ramsey Network

      The Ramsey Show

      39,045 Listeners

      Marketplace by Marketplace

      Marketplace

      8,769 Listeners

      The Digital Marketing Podcast by Daniel Rowles and Ciaran Rogers

      The Digital Marketing Podcast

      113 Listeners

      The Daily by The New York Times

      The Daily

      112,835 Listeners

      Up First from NPR by NPR

      Up First from NPR

      56,541 Listeners

      The Indicator from Planet Money by NPR

      The Indicator from Planet Money

      9,533 Listeners

      The Long View by Morningstar

      The Long View

      906 Listeners

      Last Week in AI by Skynet Today

      Last Week in AI

      306 Listeners

      A Bit of Optimism by Simon Sinek

      A Bit of Optimism

      2,176 Listeners

      Hard Fork by The New York Times

      Hard Fork

      5,488 Listeners

      Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

      Huberman Lab

      29,218 Listeners

      Marketing Against The Grain by Hubspot Media

      Marketing Against The Grain

      357 Listeners

      The AI Daily Brief: Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis by Nathaniel Whittemore

      The AI Daily Brief: Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

      594 Listeners

      WSJ's Take On the Week by The Wall Street Journal

      WSJ's Take On the Week

      148 Listeners

      Everybody's Business by Bloomberg and iHeartPodcasts

      Everybody's Business

      90 Listeners