As organizations rapidly adopt AI, how do leaders ensure they don’t lose sight of the most important element—the learner?
In this episode of Talent and the Age of AI, host Jason Keese sits down with Deidre Alves, Chief Learning and Leadership Officer at ExuLAB™ Global, to explore how leaders can thoughtfully navigate AI adoption while staying grounded in how people actually learn.
Deidre highlights a growing challenge: many organizations are rushing into AI tools and learning technologies without first understanding the fundamentals of human learning. She explains why experiential learning—briefing, experience, and reflection—is critical and must remain the foundation before layering in AI.
The conversation also explores the uneven pace of AI adoption across organizations and why leaders must create intentional space to pause, reflect, and assess what’s truly working.
Deidre emphasizes the importance of AI literacy—not full technical fluency—and why leaders should focus on helping teams understand how AI works, including ethical considerations and bias awareness.
She also introduces a powerful concept: avoiding “data absolutism.” While metrics and ROI matter, leaders must balance data with human experience, creativity, and the intangible “magic” that drives meaningful learning and performance outcomes.
Through real-world examples, including a powerful story about redesigning pediatric MRI experiences, this episode challenges leaders to think differently about AI, learning, and what success really looks like.
Timestamps;
00:00 Welcome & Introduction to AI in Learning and Development
02:02 Keeping the Learner First in the Rush to AI Adoption
07:59 Why Human Learning Must Come Before AI Strategy
09:20 Experiential Learning Framework: Brief, Experience, Reflect
13:31 The Shift to Contextual Learning in the Age of AI
15:38 Why AI Is Putting Human Skills Back in the Spotlight
20:08 Sponsor Break
20:39 AI Literacy vs Fluency: What Leaders Really Need to Know
24:56 AI Ethics, Bias, and Safe Experimentation Strategies
29:24 The Risk of Data Absolutism in AI Decision-Making
33:18 Metrics vs Magic: The MRI Story and Human-Centered Design
36:51 Educating Leaders on the Limits of AI Data and Metrics
39:32 Key Takeaways on AI, Learning, and Leadership + Closing
Credits:
Connect with the Guests;
Deidre Alves
Connect with the Talent in the Age of AI;
Production: What's Good Productions: (https://whatsgood-productions.com/)
