In the episode of Redefining AI, host Lauren Hawker Zafer speaks with Sangeet Paul Choudary, the bestselling author of Platform Revolution and the 2025 Thinkers50 Strategy Award winner for his latest book, Reshuffle.

Sangeet argues that we are currently repeating the early mistakes of the Cloud era, viewing AI through the narrow lens of productivity and intelligence benchmarks (like GPT-5) rather than the structural reorganization of work itself.

Lauren and Sangeet dive deep into why the next 18 months will bring a massive "narrative correction" as organizations move from asking what AI is to what it does to their capital allocation and organizational architecture.

In this episode, you will learn:

 The Intelligence Trap: Why focusing on brute-force AI performance is a distraction from true system restructuring.

The Workforce Split: How to lead through the divide of "Blind Believers" and "Blind Rejectors."

The Reshuffle Framework: Why AI is the "missing glue" for complex systems and how to redistribute work now that knowledge is no longer scarce.

AI-Native vs. AI-Adopter: How to tell if a company is truly transforming or just "tacking on" tools (The Adobe vs. Figma distinction).

Sangeet Paul Choudary breaks down the fundamental shift from AI-adopting to AI-native, and unpacks the most relevant issue in 2026:

In an AI-adopting company, the person is the "node" and AI is the tool. In an AI-native company, the system is the node, and work is redistributed based on where intelligence (human or artificial) is most effective.

Here is a sharp, condensed way to state that principle:

The true shift isn't about augmenting individuals; it’s about rethinking the architecture of the organization itself. If you assume work must still be organized around individual silos, you aren't being AI-native. Real transformation happens when you stop asking how AI helps the person and start asking how work should be redistributed and restructured now that intelligence is a decentralized utility.

00:00 –  Sangeet Paul Choudary, author of Reshuffle, 2025 Thinkers50 Strategy Award winner 

01:30 – The Problem with the "Intelligence-First" AI Narrative

02:50 – Beyond Intelligence: How AI Restructures Organizations

04:00 – The Winners and Losers of the AI Value Pie

05:10 – Moving from Task-Level AI to System-Level Assumptions

06:20 – Lessons from the Cloud: Why History Rhymes with AI

08:00 – Adobe vs. Figma: A Case Study in Native Architecture

09:40 – Reimagining Returns: Breaking the Productivity Optimization Loop

11:15 – 2025 Prediction: The Tension, Transition, and Transformation Phases

12:50 – Avoiding the Split: Blind Believers vs. Blind Rejectors

14:10 – The 18-Month Narrative Correction: From GPT-5 Hype to ROI Reality

15:30 – How to Spot a Genuinely AI-Native Company

17:00 – Rethinking Organizational Design: Distributed vs. Individual Work

18:40 – Why AI is a Strategy and Capital Allocation Decision (Not IT)

19:50 – Closing: Aligning Sales and Leadership with the New AI Architecture 

Spotlight Fourteen

History does not repeat it rhymes. Spotlight fourteen is taken from the upcoming Redefining Episode on The Great AI Shuffle with Sangeet Paul Choudary.

Sangeet Paul Choudary, author of Reshuffle, breaks down how AI is fundamentally transforming workflows, organizational structures, and business strategy. Moving beyond the idea of AI as just an intelligence tool, he explains why AI’s real power lies in restructuring systems and unlocking entirely new sources of value.

In this upcoming episode, Choudary explores what it means to build AI-native companies, why incumbents must rethink their identities, and how examples like Figma versus Adobe illustrate the coming shift.

He also predicts a market correction and narrative reset around AI over the next 3–4 years, offering guidance for leaders on capital allocation, AI investments, and long-term strategy.

The conversation dives into AI’s role in regulated industries, its impact on sales and go-to-market strategies, and what executives must do now to stay competitive in an AI-driven economy.

Topics include:AI-native companies, future of work, workflows, organizational design, enterprise AI, strategy, regulation, sales transformation, and innovation leadership.

Who is Sangeet Paul Choudary

Sangeet Choudary is the best-selling co-author of Platform Revolution and the author of the new book Reshuffle that was awarded the 2025 Thinkers50 Strategy Award for The most impactful idea in the field of strategy.

He has advised CEOs at more than 40 Fortune 500 companies as well as pre-IPO tech firms. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and has presented at leading global forums, including the G20 Summit, the World50 Summit, and the World Economic Forum.

In this episode of Redefining AI, we explore The New Imagination: Generative AI and Humanity’s Next Artistic Revolution, inspired by the Reply AI Film Festival 2025 in Venice, an international showcase featuring over 2,500 AI-powered film submissions from 67 countries.

Joining our host Lauren Hawker Zafer in the conversation are René Schulte, Expert in Physical AI, Generative AI, XR, and Digital Humans at Reply, and Philipp Schweidler, Director of Toniq Sound Agency.

Together, they examine how generative AI is transforming film, music, and storytelling, not as an automated shortcut, but as a powerful creative collaborator.

This episode goes deep into:

• How AI is reshaping creativity, authorship, and originality

• Why emotional intelligence and human intent still define great art

• The tension between algorithms and authenticity in AI-made content

• The emergence of the “human-made™” label as a response to AI saturation

• Copyright, IP protection, and royalties in the age of AI-generated music and media

• What the future of entertainment, storytelling, and digital creativity looks like

From AI filmmaking tools like Sora and Veo to the cultural impact of AI-generated art, this conversation offers a nuanced, human-first perspective on the future of creative industries.

Ideal for leaders, creators, technologists, and anyone curious about AI creativity, AI in film, future storytelling, and the evolving relationship between humans and intelligent machines.

Quick Jump

00:00 Epic AI Creativity Clash: Renny & Philip

00:03 Replay AI Film Fest: 2500 Entries Explode

04:30 Clarity Wins: AI Amplifies Human Intent

06:00 AI Surprises: Genius Ideas Humans Miss

07:30 Humans Crave Humans: Emotional Connection Key

09:00 Uniqueness Battle: AI vs True Originality

10:30 Video AI Boom: Veo3, Sora Master Storytelling

12:00 Authenticity Rules: AI Co-Creator, Not Replacer

13:30 Culture Clash: AI Stretches Human Limits

15:00 AI Slop Flood: Filters for Premium Content

16:30 Democratization Trap: Everyone’s an Artist Now

18:00 Copyright Chaos: Royalties for AI Music?

19:30 Fair Pay Fight: 120 Global AI Cases Rage

21:00 IP Ruling: Human Effort Makes AI Protectable

22:30 Physical AI Robots: Blue-Collar Revolution Hits

24:00 Brands Adapt: Cyborg Era Sound Strategies

25:30 Future Premium: “Human Made” Label

When AI becomes a co-creator, what remains uniquely human?

Inspired by the Reply AI Film Festival 2025 in Venice—2,500 films, 67 countries, this upcoming episode explores a creative turning point.

In this upcoming episode, Lauren Hawker Zafer sits down with returning guest René Schulte, Expert in Physical AI, GenAI, XR & Digital Humans and Leader of Communities of Practice at Reply, and Philipp Schweidler, Director of Toniq Sound Agency, to unpack AI and Humanity’s Next Artistic Revolution. 

From the rise of the human-made™ label to the tension between emotion and algorithms, this conversation asks a deeper question:

In a world where anything can be generated, what will be worth creating?

#AIandHumanity #AICreativity #GenerativeAI #AICulture#AIFuture #TechInnovation #ReplyAIFilmFestival #Venice2025 #AIinFilm #FutureOfStorytelling #CreativeAI #AIMadeArt #HumanMade #DigitalCreatives #ArtTech

The Reply AI Film Festival 2025 in Venice spotlighted a creative shift with 2,500 submissions from 67 countries, it revealed how AI is reshaping film and storytelling.

Not as a passive tool, but as a co-creator challenging long-held ideas of authorship and originality.

Returning guest René Schulte, Expert in Physical AI, GenAI, XR & Digital Humans and Leader of Communities of Practice at Reply, joins Philipp Schweidler, Director of Toniq Sound Agency, to unpack AI and Humanity’s Next Artistic Revolution.

Together, they explore how AI amplifies human vision, pushes creative boundaries, and redefine what it means to create and they leave listeners with a resonant dose of food for thought about the future of entertainment and human expression.   

We examine the rise of the “human-made™” label, the balance between emotion and algorithms, and how AI is redefining the future of entertainment and creativity.

#AIandHumanity #AICreativity #GenerativeAI #AICulture#AIFuture #TechInnovation #ReplyAIFilmFestival #Venice2025 #AIinFilm #FutureOfStorytelling #CreativeAI #AIMadeArt #HumanMade #DigitalCreatives #ArtTech

In this Redefining AI Episode, we introduce Jacob Ward and the conversation that Lauren Hawker Zafer had with him on AI, Agency and the Architecture of Choice.

Jacob Ward is a journalist and correspondent with two decades of experience uncovering how innovation shapes society — and how it quietly shapes us.

Jacob has served as technology correspondent for NBC News, covered the consequences of emerging technologies across major broadcast platforms, and led one of the world’s most influential science publications as editor-in-chief of Popular Science. 

He is the author of The Loop: How Technology/AI Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back, a revelatory book examining how algorithmic systems influence human agency. He also founded The Rip Current, a media platform that investigates the hidden forces driving modern life.

This conversation explores AI not only as a technical phenomenon but as a profound human one, reshaping choice, perception, culture, and leadership. 

Together, Lauren and Jacob unpack what it means for executives and operators to scale AI in a way that protects human judgment, respects cognitive limits, and strengthens organisational decision-making.

Expect a dialogue that challenges assumptions, reframes risk, and pushes leaders to consider not just what AI can do, but who we become when we use it.

#techpodcast #squirro #ai

In this Redefining AI Episode, we introduce Jacob Ward and the conversation that Lauren Hawker Zafer had with him on AI, Agency and the Architecture of Choice.

Jacob Ward is a journalist and correspondent with two decades of experience uncovering how innovation shapes society — and how it quietly shapes us.

Jacob has served as technology correspondent for NBC News, covered the consequences of emerging technologies across major broadcast platforms, and led one of the world’s most influential science publications as editor-in-chief of Popular Science. 

He is the author of The Loop: How Technology/AI Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back, a revelatory book examining how algorithmic systems influence human agency. He also founded The Rip Current, a media platform that investigates the hidden forces driving modern life.

This conversation explores AI not only as a technical phenomenon but as a profound human one, reshaping choice, perception, culture, and leadership. 

Together, Lauren and Jacob unpack what it means for executives and operators to scale AI in a way that protects human judgment, respects cognitive limits, and strengthens organisational decision-making.

Expect a dialogue that challenges assumptions, reframes risk, and pushes leaders to consider not just what AI can do, but who we become when we use it.

#techpodcast #squirro #ai

In this Redefining AI Spotlight, we introduce Jacob

Ward and the conversation that Lauren Hawker Zafer had with him on AI, Agency and the Architecture of Choice.

Jacob Ward is a journalist and correspondent with two decades of experience uncovering how innovation shapes society — and how it quietly shapes us.

Jacob has served as technology correspondent for NBC News, covered the consequences of emerging technologies across major broadcast platforms, and led one of the world’s most influential science publications as editor-in-chief of Popular Science.

He is the author of The Loop: How Technology/AI Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back, a revelatory book examining how algorithmic systems influence human agency. He also founded The Rip Current, a media platform that investigates the hidden forces driving modern life.

The upcoming conversation explores AI not only as a technical phenomenon but as a profound human one, reshaping choice, perception, culture, and leadership.

Together, Lauren and Jacob unpack what it means for executives and operators to scale AI in a way that protects human judgment, respects cognitive limits, and strengthens organisational decision-making.

Expect a dialogue that challenges assumptions, reframes risk, and pushes leaders to consider not just what AI can do, but who we become when we use it.

#techpodcast #squirro #ai

In this Redefining AI episode, host Lauren Hawker Zafer welcomes Dr. Jack McCallum: neurosurgeon, historian, and AI entrepreneur for one of the most fascinating conversations yet. 

With his rare blend of medical, historical, and technical expertise, Dr. McCallum explores how artificial intelligence isn’t just transforming our tools, but rewiring our very minds.

Drawing on insights from his upcoming book, The Changing Brain, he connects the rise of AI to the long evolution of human cognition from speech and writing to the digital and generative eras. 

Join them and discover how AI fits into this centuries-long evolution, what’s happening neurologically when we “outsource” cognition to machines, and what the future might hold for an AI-native generation. 

🎧 Listen now and subscribe on your favourite channel.

#brain #podcast #ai #redefiningai #futureofwork

In this Redefining AI Spotlight episode, host Lauren Hawker Zafer welcomes Dr. Jack McCallum — neurosurgeon, historian, and AI entrepreneur for one of the most fascinating conversations yet.

With his rare blend of medical, historical, and technical expertise, Dr. McCallum explores how artificial intelligence isn’t just transforming our tools, but rewiring our very minds.

Drawing on insights from his upcoming book, The Changing Brain, he connects the rise of AI to the long evolution of human cognition from speech and writing to the digital and generative eras.

Join them and discover how AI fits into this centuries-long evolution, what’s happening neurologically when we “outsource” cognition to machines, and what the future might hold for an AI-native generation.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe on your favourite channel.

#brain #podcast #ai #redefiningai

Unlock the secrets of hypergrowth in SaaS with Gaurav Bhattacharya in this electrifying kickoff of our podcast series, hosted by Lauren Hawker Zafer.

🧠 Dive deep as we go beyond shortcuts to reveal what actually drives scale: from battling Silicon Valley’s “optimism vs. paranoia,” tackling burnout at $5M ARR in nine months, and founder pivots when product-market fit fails, to using AI for good and transforming social impact into B2B SaaS excellence. If you’re a founder, leader, or builder hungry for actionable psychology and raw founder stories, this episode is your new blueprint.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• SaaS Growth Secrets, and why hacks aren’t enough (00:00)

• Silicon Valley Mindset: Harnessing optimism without falling into the ‘golden cage’ (01:30–06:00)

• The truth behind founder burnout and chasing ARR milestones (15:00–18:00)

• Using AI for social impact: The fight against sex-selective abortions (09:00)

• Founder pivots, rapid scaling, and what happens when product–market fit fails (15:00)

• Sales psychology: How FOMO and urgency close B2B deals (21:00–24:00)

• Final takeaways—how to channel action bias and optimism in high-growth journeys (25:30)

🎙️ Guest: Gaurav Bhattacharya

🎧 Host: Lauren Hawker Zafer

00:00 SaaS Growth Secrets: Beyond Growth Hacks

01:30 Silicon Valley Mindset: Optimism vs. Paranoia

04:30 The Golden Cage: False Optimism in Startup Culture

06:00 Impact Driven Innovation: Early Founder Story

09:00 AI for Good: Fighting Sex-Selective Abortions

12:00 From Social Impact to B2B SaaS

15:00 Founder Pivots: When Product-Market Fit Fails

18:00 Fast Growth: ARR Milestones and Burnout

21:00 Sales Psychology: FOMO in B2B Outreach

24:00 Action Bias: How Urgency Drives Decisions

25:30 Final Reflections: Action and Optimism

Who is Gaurav?

Gaurav Bhattacharya is a repeat B2B SaaS founder and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree who’s built, scaled, and exited startups before most founders finish their MVP.

Currently the CEO of Jeeva.ai, he’s leading the charge in automating outbound AI-powered SDR agents — helping B2B teams 2x their pipeline in half the time (and cost).

Before Jeeva, he co-founded involve.ai, a customer intelligence platform that grew to 500+ companies and 1.1M users globally. He raised over $20M from top investors like Sapphire Ventures, Stanford University, and Gokul Rajaram — and hit $5M ARR in under 9 months with just 11 people.

Gaurav’s story starts even earlier, at 17, he co-built a radiology tool that the Indian government adopted nationwide to fight sex-selective abortions.

He’s been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, LA Business Journal, and top startup podcasts — and he’s not here to preach theory. Gaurav brings real-world operator lessons, raw founder stories, and tactical GTM frameworks that listeners can steal and ship the same day.

When he’s not building, he’s probably over-caffeinating, mentoring founders, or geeking out on outbound psychology.

#techpodcast #ai #redefiningai #laurenhawkerzafer

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