The AI Transition

Stephen and Lauren
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The AI Transition is a weekly podcast exploring how AI is reshaping work, leadership, and society. Hosted by Stephen, Lauren and Christiane , certified TQ (Transition) Coaches, with decades of experience in technology, transformation, and coaching, we provide insights and strategies to navigate AI-driven change. Join us for expert discussions and practical guidance to adapt with confidence. New episodes every week—subscribe now!

  1. To the Barricades!

    MAY 13

    To the Barricades!

    Secret IVF children. NDAs. A kill list. A Molotov cocktail. And 30,000 Oracle workers who trained the AI that replaced them. The backlash is here. Topics Discussed & Source References for Further Reading: The OpenAI Lawsuit: Musk sues OpenAI, revealing secret IVF twins and hostile text messages. https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/07/tech/musk-trial-shivon-zilis-testimonyGen Z's AI Sabotage: 44% of Gen Z workers intentionally sabotage company AI tools to fight automation. https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/zoomers-ai-sabotageAltman's Job Comments: Sam Altman dismisses modern office work as a mere "game" compared to manual labour. https://www.unilad.com/news/us-news/sam-altman-openai-jobs-artificial-intelligence-465077-20251026Data Center Backlash: Growing protests and proposed moratoriums against the massive energy demands of AI data centers. https://www.laquadrature.net (you'll need to grab the specific article URL from their site — I only had the domain)Oracle's Layoffs: Oracle fired older employees right before their stock vested to fund AI chip purchases. https://time.com/article/2026/04/30/oracle-layoffs-ai-tech-jobs/The Modern Luddite Rebellion: 70 global labour unions form the Human Work Alliance to demand an Algorithmic Accountability Act. https://startupfortune.com/labor-unions-form-a-global-coalition-against-ai-automation-and-demand-legislation-to-protect-human-workers/The Escalation to Violence: Molotov cocktail attack on Sam Altman's home by an attacker carrying an AI executive kill list. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/18/sam-altman-house-attack-ai

    27 min
  2. Rope-a-Dope

    APR 16

    Rope-a-Dope

    Muhammad Ali didn't win in Kinshasa by being passive. He had a plan. George Foreman didn't. So — is that what's playing out between the two biggest AI labs right now? Anthropic tripled its revenue in four months. OpenAI killed Sora with less than an hour's notice to Disney. Ads are coming. The IPOs are coming. And the most dangerous AI model ever built? The US government isn't allowed to use it. Stephen and Lauren break down who's on the ropes — and who's got a plan.

    32 min
  3. Scout, Strike, Repeat: Why Five Is the Magic Team Number

    MAR 29

    Scout, Strike, Repeat: Why Five Is the Magic Team Number

    Atlassian just cut 1,600 people — including the teams building their own AI. What does that signal for the rest of us? Stephen and Lauren dig into the hidden coordination tax bleeding most teams dry, why the number five keeps showing up as the sweet spot for high-performing teams, and the emerging scout/strike model that's letting small groups outrun large ones. Plus: uncomfortable leadership truths, and what you can actually do about all of this today.  00:00 Intro  01:35 Coordination Tax  06:15 Team Math  09:40 Magic Five  14:45 Scout & Strike  21:10 Leadership  28:33 Wrap Up

    29 min
  4. Government Says No!

    MAR 17

    Government Says No!

    Here you go: The Pentagon wanted Claude for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Anthropic said no. Trump said fire them like dogs. Then it got weird. This week we're unpacking the biggest AI story of the year — the full-blown collision between the US government and the company that dared to build ethics into its AI model. We recap how Anthropic's constitutional AI framework put it on a collision course with the Department of Defence, what happened when the February 27th deadline passed, and why a label previously reserved for Chinese adversaries like Huawei is now being pointed at an American company. We get into the leaked memo ordering military commanders to rip Anthropic's technology out of nuclear and cyber systems in 180 days — despite Claude reportedly being actively embedded in military operations right now. We look at the First Amendment lawsuit Anthropic has fired back with, OpenAI's eyebrow-raising decision to step in and take the contract, and the $25 million donation that might explain a thing or two. And then we bring it back down to earth. Because underneath all the geopolitics, something genuinely exciting is happening with these tools — and if you wrote AI off six months ago, it's time to look again. The government said no. The computer said no. The question is — what do you say? 00:00 Intro 00:31 The Backstory 08:35 Anthropic Fights Back 15:31 The AI Landscape 18:41 The Agentic Revolution 28:14 Outro

    29 min
  5. Computer Says No.

    FEB 23

    Computer Says No.

    What happens when the most powerful government in the world tells an AI company to remove its ethics — and the company says no? In our Season 2 opener, Stephen and Lauren dig into Claude's Constitution: a 23,000-word document — three times longer than the US Constitution — that Anthropic built directly into its AI model to govern how it thinks, behaves, and refuses. They explore the philosophy behind it, the fascinating Scottish philosopher from Dundee who helped write it (and may end up with more influence on the world than David Hume or Adam Smith), and how Isaac Asimov saw most of this coming back in 1942. Then they get to the part that isn't getting nearly enough press: the Pentagon has approached Anthropic demanding blanket permission to use Claude for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance of American citizens. Anthropic said no. Now the US Department of War is threatening to blacklist them — a move that could be an existential threat to the company. OpenAI and Google have already agreed to strip their military safeguards. Anthropic is the last holdout. And the outcome of this standoff may echo for decades. This one's a lot. But it matters. Subscribe wherever you listen, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Interview with Amanda Askell on Youtube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDfr8PvfoOw

    30 min
  6. Humanoid Robots, Digital Immigrants & the AI Bubble: Our 5 Predictions for What’s Next in 2026

    12/28/2025

    Humanoid Robots, Digital Immigrants & the AI Bubble: Our 5 Predictions for What’s Next in 2026

    In this episode of The AI Transition, we step away from the weekly headlines and look ahead to 2026. What are the most likely AI shocks coming next, and how prepared are we for their human impact? We avoid the speculative hype or techno-optimism but focus instead on how AI may reshape work, identity, power, and economic stability faster than people and organisations can adapt. We count down of our five biggest AI predictions, from #5 to #1 — exploring each one through a transition lens, focusing not on the technology itself, but on what it does to people. ·         #5 – Humanoid Robots Go Mainstream ·         #4 – Proto-AGI Becomes “Good Enough” ·         #3 – The First Large-Scale AI-Attributable Disaster ·         #2 – Digital Immigrants Arrive ·         #1 – The AI Stock Market Bubble Pops Throughout the episode, we explore why these shifts feel so destabilising, why resistance is growing, and why the real challenge ahead isn’t technological — it’s human. If you’re a leader, coach, or professional trying to make sense of what AI means beyond the hype, this episode is for you.

    29 min
  7. Top 5 Moments That Changed Everything in 2025

    12/21/2025

    Top 5 Moments That Changed Everything in 2025

    As 2025 comes to a close, Stephen and Lauren take a look back at a "crazy" year of rapid transitions and massive technological shifts. In this episode of the AI Transition Podcast, they count down the top five events that defined the human side of the AI revolution—from the surprisingly high preference for AI mental health support to the "open source shockwave" that rebalanced global power. In this episode, we discuss: #5 The Mental Health Frontier: Why 46% of people reaching out to helplines are finding comfort in AI first.#4 The Creative Explosion: How "Nano Banana" and new image generators put professional-grade tools in the hands of everyone from school kids to retirees.#3 The Workplace Standard: Why Copilot is becoming as common as a search bar, and the critical "word of caution" regarding workplace surveillance.#2 The Model Wars: How Google Gemini caught up to OpenAI, shifting us into a "multi-prong" competitive landscape.#1 The Global Shift: Why the rise of DeepSeek and open-source models means AI is no longer a USA-only game.Join us as we navigate the triumphs, the tragedies, and the "messy middle" of our transition into an AI-driven world.

    28 min
  8. Four Ways People Try to Surf the AI Wave — Which One Are You?

    12/05/2025

    Four Ways People Try to Surf the AI Wave — Which One Are You?

    In this episode of The AI Transition, Stephen and Christiane explore why the same AI wave hits people so differently — and what that means for leaders and teams navigating rapid change. Using the Extended DISC behavioural model, they break down the four distinct “surf styles” people use when AI disruption arrives: the drivers who charge toward the wave,the influencers who turn it into a beach party,the steadiness types who watch the tides for danger, andthe compliance thinkers who analyse the wave to death.You’ll hear how each style reacts when pressure spikes, why some freeze while others paddle hard, and what leaders can do to support everyone through uncertainty.  From over-promising optimism to analysis paralysis, this conversation reveals the real human reactions underneath the AI transition. A practical, human-centred look at sudden change — and how understanding your style can help you ride the wave instead of getting wiped out.

    40 min
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About

The AI Transition is a weekly podcast exploring how AI is reshaping work, leadership, and society. Hosted by Stephen, Lauren and Christiane , certified TQ (Transition) Coaches, with decades of experience in technology, transformation, and coaching, we provide insights and strategies to navigate AI-driven change. Join us for expert discussions and practical guidance to adapt with confidence. New episodes every week—subscribe now!

Information

  • Creator
    Stephen and Lauren
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The AI Transition
  • Show Website
    The AI Transition