The Adults In The AI Room

What if the real promise of AI in the contact center isn’t replacing human agents, but making every conversation faster, smarter, and more likely to end in a real resolution?

The Adults in the AI Room (formerly the Earley AI Podcast) — On this podcast, host Seth Earley invites Michael Darwal, Chief AI and Digital Officer at ibex, for a practical conversation about AI agents, customer journey mapping, cost-per-resolution pricing, workforce development, and the knowledge foundations that decide whether contact center AI succeeds.

When generative AI arrived, many predicted it would quic...

What if the real promise of AI in the contact center isn’t replacing human agents, but making every conversation faster, smarter, and more likely to end in a real resolution?

In this episode of The Adults in the AI Room, Seth Earley sits down with Michael Darwal, Chief AI and Digital Officer at ibex, for a practical conversation about AI agents, customer journey mapping, cost-per-resolution pricing, workforce development, and the knowledge foundations that decide whether contact center AI succeeds.

When generative AI arrived, many predicted it would quickly automate away 70% or more of traditional ca...

Why the Physical World Is Now the Biggest Cybersecurity Vulnerability in Most Organizations - and Why AI Changed Everything

Guest: John Gallagher, VP Viakoo Labs at Viakoo

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: September 28, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with John Gallagher, VP of Viakoo Labs at Viakoo, a company that has spent 12 years building automated cyber hygiene for IoT and OT systems across millions of devices. They explore why the physical world - cameras, building automation, water infrastructure, manufacturing...

Why the Organizations Getting the Most from AI Are the Ones That Stopped Treating It as a Tool and Started Treating It as a Collaborative Partner

Guest: Bryan McAnulty, Founder and Product Director at Heights Platform and LatchLoop

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: September 22, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Bryan McAnulty, Founder and Product Director at Heights Platform - a platform that has helped over 10,000 creators build online knowledge businesses - and LatchLoop, an AI...

Why the Same Data Problems That Existed Before AI Still Exist - They Just Get Expressed Faster, With More Confidence

Guest: Zoher Karu, Founder and President at ZiZi Advisors

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: September 14, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Zoher Karu, Founder and President of ZiZi Advisors, who has spent his career building enterprise data and analytics programs at Sears Holdings, eBay, Citibank, and Blue Shield of California - and building personalization systems before...

What It Takes to Build AI That Is Accurate Enough, Traceable Enough, and Trustworthy Enough for High-Stakes Financial Work

Guest: Nikita Komarov, CEO and Founder at Dobs.AI

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: September 9, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Nikita Komarov, CEO and Founder of Dobs.AI, who spent seven years at McKinsey advising Fortune 1000 executives before founding a company that is rebuilding financial due diligence, internal audit, and vendor overpayment recovery from the ground...

Why Making AI More Biological May Be the Most Consequential Development in the History of Computing

Guest: Alex Ksendzovsky, CEO and Co-Founder at The Biological Computing Company

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: August 14, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Alex Ksendzovsky, CEO and Co-Founder of The Biological Computing Company, a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist who spent nearly two decades studying how the brain processes information - including implanting electrodes into human brains to understand epilepsy and growing neurons in a...

Why Applying AI to Drug Development Is One of the Most Technically Demanding Problems in the Industry - and What Is Finally Making It Solvable

Guest: Patrick Leung, Chief Technology Officer at Faro Health

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: August 4, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Patrick Leung, Chief Technology Officer at Faro Health, who spent over a decade at Google including working on Google Duplex before bringing that technical depth to one of the most...

Why Making Complex Revenue Simple at Scale Requires More Than Throwing Contracts Into a Chat Interface

Guest: Deepak Bapat, Co-Founder and CTO at Tabs

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: July 30, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Deepak Bapat, Co-Founder and CTO at Tabs, a revenue and accounts receivable management platform built for B2B companies. They explore why dropping contracts into a general-purpose AI tool is not a strategy for enterprise scale, what generative AI unlocked...

How the Threat Landscape Is Being Rewritten and What Organizations Need to Do Before It Gets Ahead of Them

Guest: Taylor Hersom, Founder of Eden Data and Managing Director at Riveron

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: July 28, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Taylor Hersom, Founder of Eden Data and Managing Director at Riveron, a cybersecurity and compliance firm he built and grew before its acquisition in 2025. They explore why security is still treated as a cost center when...

Why the Gap Between an AI Translation Demo and Enterprise Production Is Wider Than Most Organizations Realize

Guest: Olga Beregovaya, VP of AI at Smartling
Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science
Published on: June 17, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Olga Beregovaya, VP of AI at Smartling, who brings 25 years of experience across every major evolution in natural language processing - from rules-based systems through statistical models, neural translation, and now LLMs. They explore why plugging into a commercial model at token-level pricing is not a translation strategy, how brand...

Why Supply Chain Visibility Is One of the Most Consequential and Underestimated Applications of AI in the Enterprise

Guest: Ilya Levtov, Founder and CEO at Craft.co

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: June 1, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Ilya Levtov, Founder and CEO of Craft.co, a supplier intelligence platform that uses AI and knowledge graphs to give enterprises and government agencies visibility into their full supply networks. They explore why most organizations believe they...

Why Centralization Is the Wrong Foundation for AI - and What Organizations Need to Build Instead

Guest: Todd Barr, CEO at Axonis.ai
Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science
Published on: May 13, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Todd Barr, CEO of Axonis.ai, a company spun out of a government defense integrator that is bringing federated AI and decision intelligence to high-consequence enterprise workflows. They explore why the demo-to-production gap is one of the most costly misconceptions in enterprise AI today, why centralization was built for business intelligence and...

Why Voice Is Not a Solved Problem - and What Real-Time Audio Intelligence Changes for Enterprise AI

Guest: Mike Pappas, CEO at Modulate

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Mike Pappas, CEO of Modulate, whose work began in gaming - one of the most demanding environments for real-time voice intelligence - and has since expanded to enterprise applications including fraud detection, customer abuse prevention, AI agent guardrails, and sales coaching. They explore why transcription is not the...

Guest: Steven Woo, Fellow and Distinguished Inventor at Rambus
Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science
Published on: May 5, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Steven Woo, Fellow and Distinguished Inventor at Rambus, where he has spent over 30 years at the frontier of memory technology. They explore why memory - not compute - is the binding constraint on AI performance today, how moving data between chips consumes more than half of all power in a high-end AI processor, and what the rise of agentic AI means for infrastructure planning. 

Steven shares a...

From Meeting Intelligence to Personal AI: How Digital Twins Are Reshaping How We Work

Guest: David Shim, Co-Founder and CEO at Read AI

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: April 27, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with David Shim, Co-Founder and CEO of Read AI, the fastest-growing meeting intelligence platform globally with over 5 million monthly active users. They explore how AI is moving beyond summarization toward recommendation and autonomous action, what it really means to build a digital twin grounded in...

Why Knowledge, Not Technology, Is the Foundation of Successful AI-Driven Data Migration

Guest: Dominik Wittenbeck, Group CTO at SNP Group
Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science
Published on: April 20, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Dominik Wittenbeck, Group CTO at SNP Group, a 1,600-person global software and solutions firm with 30 years of SAP-centric data migration expertise. They explore why AI is only as good as the institutional knowledge behind it, how agentic AI is transforming high-stakes enterprise migrations, and why organizations must treat data migration as a strategic opportunity rather...

How Grafana Labs Built a Competitive Edge Through Openness, Agentic AI, and Engineering Culture

Guest: Tom Wilkie, VP of Product at Grafana Labs
Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science
Published on: April 17, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Tom Wilkie, VP of Product at Grafana Labs, a leading observability platform serving 25 million users across 50 global regions. They explore how Grafana's open source "big tent" philosophy creates unexpected competitive advantages in the AI era, why agentic AI is transforming how engineers respond to production incidents, and how the build-versus-buy debate is...

Why Security Teams Are Being Asked to Do Three New Jobs - and What to Do About It

Guest: Rob Lee, Chief AI Officer and Chief of Research at SANS Institute

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: March 27, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Rob Lee, Chief AI Officer and Chief of Research at SANS Institute, about why AI governance is broken in most organizations - and what it actually takes to fix it. They...

Accuracy, Trust, and the Interface Revolution: How AI is Transforming Legal Workflows

Guest: Mike Anderson, Chief Product Officer, Filevine

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: March 20, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Mike Anderson, Chief Product Officer at Filevine, about what it takes to bring AI into one of the most demanding and high-stakes environments in the enterprise - legal operations. They explore why AI will not replace attorneys but will dramatically extend what legal professionals can accomplish...

From Vision to Value: How Leaders Can Close the Gap Between AI Ambition and Operational Reality

Guest: Brian Stafford, CEO at Diligent

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: March 9, 2026

In this episode, Seth Earley speaks with Brian Stafford, CEO of Diligent, a $700 million global software and AI company focused on governance, risk, and compliance. They explore why most organizations understand that AI is transformative but still struggle with the how of actually getting there, and what it takes to...

This episode welcomes Sujay Dutta and Siddharth Ragagopal, co-authors of Data as the Fourth Pillar. With extensive experience guiding global organizations on aligning data strategy with real-world business outcomes, Sujay (based in Stockholm) and Siddharth (based in the Netherlands) offer deep insights into AI adoption, data governance, and scaling artificial intelligence responsibly. Hosted by Seth Earley, the conversation explores how businesses can move beyond AI experimentation and develop a mature, impactful data strategy.

Key Takeaways:

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley welcomes Krishna Rangasayee, Founder and CEO of SiMa.ai, for a grounded conversation on what it takes to make AI work in real world environments. The discussion focuses on moving beyond hype to address the practical challenges of deploying AI systems that are efficient, scalable, and reliable at the edge.
Krishna brings decades of experience across hardware, software, and AI systems design. He shares why many AI initiatives struggle outside controlled environments and how organizations must rethink architecture, performance, and context when deploying AI closer to where...

In this episode, host Seth Earley welcomes Brandon Lucia, CEO of Efficient Computer, for a deep dive into how AI advancements are reshaping the future of computing—particularly with a focus on energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and real-world applications.

Brandon Lucia brings almost 20 years of experience in computer architecture, having served as an academic at Carnegie Mellon University and led significant research at the boundary of hardware and software innovation. He and his team have pioneered a new kind of hardware architecture designed to drastically reduce power consumption for AI workloads without sacrificing performance or versatility. Their wo...

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley sits down with Forrest Zeisler, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Jobber. With years of experience building technology for service professionals, Forrest Zeisler has played a pivotal role in empowering small businesses—from landscapers and plumbers to cleaners and contractors—to harness AI and automation for streamlined operations and growth.

Discover how Forrest Zeisler and his team scaled Jobber from three customers to over 300,000, delivering more than $100 billion in services, and learn how their journey demonstrates the transformative impact AI can have on businesses of all size...

Join us for a compelling episode of the Earley AI Podcast as host Seth Earley sits down with George Swetlitz, CEO and Co-Founder of RightResponse AI. George brings decades of expertise in natural language technologies, enterprise AI adoption, and building advanced models to solve real business challenges—especially in the realm of customer engagement, feedback, and competitive analysis.

Tune in as George shares how AI-powered systems are changing the way organizations capture, understand, and act on customer feedback to deliver more relevant, personalized, and valuable experiences. He discusses why sounding “human” isn’t enough, the importance of contextu...

This episode of the Earley AI Podcast features Betsy Mello, a seasoned retail executive whose career includes leadership roles at Dorel Home, Levi’s, Old Navy, Sears, and several retail startups. With deep expertise in merchandising, inventory management, and eCommerce strategy, Betsy brings a pragmatic perspective shaped by years of leading digital transformation and managing major marketplace relationships with Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, and others.

Host Seth Earley talks with Betsy about how retail leaders can navigate the ongoing shift from traditional operations to AI-driven business models. Their discussion explores how structured data, process discipline, an...

Bharat Guruprakash, Chief Product Officer at Algolia, joins host Seth Earley on this episode of the Earley AI Podcast. With years of experience helping organizations leverage AI to connect people with information, Bharat brings deep insight into the evolving world of AI-powered search, retrieval, and agentic technologies. At Algolia, a global leader in AI-driven search and retrieval, he helps shape what’s next in unifying data, building intelligent systems, and designing platforms that understand real-time context.

Key Takeaways:

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley welcomes Eric Rehl, Vice President of Digital Customer Experience in North America at Schneider Electric. With over 25 years of expertise in digital strategy and customer experience, Eric has guided global organizations through complex digital transformations, always keeping business outcomes and customer needs at the core. Drawing on his deep industry knowledge, Eric shares how large enterprises can move beyond buzzwords like “digital transformation” and “AI,” instead choosing a pragmatic, data-driven approach to drive real business value.

Join Seth and Eric as they discuss the evolving role of digit...

This episode of the Earley AI Podcast features Rudy Abitbol, a recognized expert in B2B commerce and AI. With years of hands-on experience helping global enterprises with digital transformation—especially around product information management, large-scale AI adoption, and making cutting-edge technology truly practical—Rudy brings a pragmatic view to how AI is revolutionizing B2B e-commerce. He’s passionate about making AI accessible and effective for tackling real-world business challenges.

Key Takeaways:

In this episode of Earley AI Podcasts, host Seth Earley welcomes Mark Anderson, co-founder and CEO of Pattern Computer, for a fascinating exploration of what lies beyond the current AI mainstream. With a career grounded in technology, strategy, and scientific innovation—including receiving the Alexandra J. Nobel Award for his contributions to computing and medicine—Mark brings nearly a decade of experience in developing proprietary pattern recognition technologies that move far beyond traditional machine learning models.

Together, Seth and Mark dive deep into the journey of Pattern Computer, unveiling its revolutionary Pattern Discovery Engine—a platform with the un...

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley sits down with Christopher Penn, co-founder and Chief Data Strategist at Trust Insights. Widely known as an authority on analytics, data science, and AI, Chris brings a wealth of practical experience, thought leadership, and cutting-edge perspective to the conversation. With a proven track record as an author, keynote speaker, and trusted advisor in digital transformation, Chris delves deep into the realities of AI for today’s enterprises.

Join Seth and Chris as they cut through the hype surrounding generative AI and focus on what truly matters fo...

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley welcomes Charlie Betz, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research. With an extensive background in digital operating models, enterprise architecture, and the future of work, Charlie brings a systems thinking approach to how digital initiatives are planned, governed, and scaled. As a leading expert covering a $250 billion segment of the global IT market—including vendors like ServiceNow, Atlassian, and Dynatrace—Charlie provides invaluable perspective for technology and business leaders facing the complexities of AI enablement and digital operations in large organizations.

Together, Seth and Charlie dive deep past buzz...

This episode features a fascinating conversation with Sid Sheth, CEO and Co-Founder of d-Matrix. With a deep background in building advanced systems for high-performance workloads, Sid and his team are at the forefront of AI compute innovation—specifically focused on making AI inference more efficient, cost-effective, and scalable for enterprise use. Host Seth Earley dives into Sid’s journey, the architectural shifts in AI infrastructure, and what it means for organizations seeking to maximize their AI investments.

Key Takeaways:

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley sits down with Charles Migos, a veteran toolmaker whose career has spanned animation, post-production, visual effects, and large-scale media systems. Charles is recognized for his innovative approach to making emerging technologies—particularly generative AI—intuitive and accessible for creatives at every level, not just technical experts. Drawing on decades of experience, Charles shares what it means to design tools that empower storytellers and production teams, accelerate creativity, and address industry-specific needs.

Key Takeaways:

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley sits down with Abhi Yadav, founder of iCustomer AI—a cutting-edge composable decision intelligence company. With a deep background in enterprise technology, Abhi pioneered the Customer Data Platform (CDP) category and is now leading innovation in advanced multigraph frameworks and customer intelligence. He is also an advisor to leading data management organizations and is passionate about helping brands reshape how they connect with customers by making data truly "AI-ready."

Together, Seth and Abhi explore the evolving landscape at the intersection of AI, data, and en...

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley sits down with Yang Li, a leading figure in AI and software innovation. Yang is the Chief Operating Officer of Cosine, an advanced AI development firm, with deep experience driving startups, scaling organizations, and pioneering advancements in engineering and software development. Yang’s work focuses on leveraging AI to empower the next generation of developers, especially in navigating the increasingly complex landscape of modern and legacy codebases.

Yang and Seth dive into how AI is reshaping the role of software engineers, the evolving challenges of handling ma...

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley sits down with industry analyst and advisor Tony Baer, a seasoned expert in data, cloud, and analytics. With decades of experience guiding global tech leaders like AWS and Oracle, Tony brings a nuanced perspective on how knowledge engineering is evolving—and why context is the missing link in many enterprise AI initiatives.

Together, Seth and Tony explore the shift from static data models to dynamic knowledge frameworks, the renewed importance of governance, and how graph databases and generative AI are reshaping enterprise intelligence. This is a co...

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley welcomes two insightful guests from Anders, a top 100 CPA firm: David Hartley and Dave Blatt. David Hartley is a seasoned CPA with a profound understanding of the synergy between finance and technology. He advocates for how AI can enhance traditional accounting roles rather than replace them. Dave Blatt brings a wealth of knowledge in AI automation and analytics, focusing on empowering mid-sized companies to harness AI for competing with larger players.

Join us as we dive into the world of AI applications in the finance, accounting...

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, we welcome guest, Jack Lampka, an accomplished advisor and speaker with over 27 years of experience in corporate roles within the tech and pharma sectors. Now based in Munich, Germany, Jack specializes in enhancing data storytelling and cultivating a product mindset among technical employees. His extensive career journey includes living and working in countries like Poland and the United States.

Key Takeaways from this Episode: