Most conversations about AI and education ask how traditional institutions can adapt. Sasha Thackaberry asked a different question: what if you didn't start with the old system at all? As Founder and President of Newstate University — the nation's first AI-founded, AI-focused university — she's not retrofitting a legacy model. She built something new from the ground up, and the architecture itself is the argument.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

Sasha spent decades inside some of higher education's most respected institutions — LSU, SNHU — leading digital transformation and watching the same patterns repeat: slow curriculum cycles, credential debt that outpaced career payoff, and a growing gap between what learners needed and what institutions could deliver in time to matter. When AI started reshaping the job market faster than any traditional university could respond, she stopped trying to fix the old system and started building a new one. Newstate University launched as a fully competency-based, self-paced, stackable institution where learners can apply, enroll, and start a credit-bearing course the same day — for $300 a month, no textbook fees, no waiting for "next semester."

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽

• 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆: Why stackable certificates let you solve an immediate career problem now and build toward a full degree when you're ready

• 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁: The skills and frameworks Newstate builds around so learners stay relevant through multiple role shifts

• 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: From AI coaches inside courses to LinkedIn-based communities replacing traditional discussion boards

• 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲: What the "New State" of education looks like for the professional who feels behind

• 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: Why competency-based, no-elective, prescribed progressions reduce friction for learners who need outcomes, not options

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁

• 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆: https://newstateu.com/

• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗨: https://newstateu.com/about-the-professional-development-studio-at-newstate-university

• 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗜: https://she-leads-ai.mn.co/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻: https://thesalon.ai/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: https://ruready4ai.com/

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲

Catch a new episode of The AI Readiness Project every Wednesday at 3pm (PST), co-hosted by Anne Murphy of She Leads AI and Kyle Shannon of The AI Salon. Want to meet others navigating this new terrain with humor and humanity? Visit The AI Salon or She Leads AI to find your people.

Sebastian Chedal has spent 25 years guiding organizations through digital transformation. These days, the question at the center of his work is one every executive is starting to ask: how do you minimize the risks of your AI system so you can actually trust it?

This week, Kyle and Anne dig into AI testing, implementation risk, and what it takes to build systems you can stand behind.'

Sebastian is the CEO of Fountain City, where he leads AI transformation and digital implementation engagements, and co-founder of TestFox.ai, a platform built specifically for AI testing. Over his career he has guided organizations including Heineken, Sony, Nike, and MITCO Tires through technology strategies that produce measurable outcomes.

If you're an executive or team lead who's been handed an AI initiative and told to figure it out, this conversation gives you a grounded way to think about risk, reliability, and what responsible AI implementation looks like in practice.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽:

• How to evaluate whether your AI system is ready to trust before it touches your operations

• How to approach AI testing so you're not discovering problems after launch

• How to reduce liability exposure without slowing down your AI adoption

• How to distinguish between AI that sounds promising and AI that performs

• How to build a case for leadership when the question is "how do we know this is safe?"

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁:

• 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆: https://fountaincity.tech/

• 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺: https://testfox.ai/

• 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗜: https://she-leads-ai.mn.co/

• 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻: https://aisalon.mn.co/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: https://ruready4ai.com/

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲

Catch a new episode of The AI Readiness Project every Wednesday at 3pm (PST), co-hosted by Anne Murphy of She Leads AI and Kyle Shannon of The AI Salon. Want to meet others navigating this new terrain with humor and humanity? Visit The AI Salon or She Leads AI to find your people.

In a world saturated with content, the difference between a global hit and a digital ghost is creative that's backed by data. We sit down with Ben Jones to explore how AI doesn’t replace the "soul" of an ad but finally gives us the tools to measure why it works.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

𝗕𝗲𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, the Founder and CEO of 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀, is leading a shift in how brands think about creative. With a background that spans global leadership for brands like Apple and Disney, Ben now focuses on the intersection of human artistry and machine precision. Through Sundogs, he’s helping brands like L’Oréal and Google unlearn traditional advertising to embrace a creator-first model. By using AI-driven diagnostics to score video content, Ben is proving that the future of work isn't about human vs. machine—it’s about how machines can help us understand what makes us human.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽

• 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹: Combine raw human creativity with AI diagnostic scoring to reduce risk in creative decisions

• 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀: Find out why the biggest brands are moving away from "polished" ads toward high-performing creator content.

• 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗹: Use AI to analyze thousands of creative variables without stripping away the authentic voice of the creator.

• 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: Shift your focus from "did this work?" to "why did this work?" using Sundogs' AI-driven insights.

• 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁 𝗮 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁: See why the most human content often requires the most sophisticated AI to optimize at scale.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁

• 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀: https://sundogs.io/

• 𝗖𝗼𝗻n𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗻: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iambenjones/

• 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲: Forbes: How L’Oréal Unlearned Advertising (https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiegut...)

• 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗜: https://she-leads-ai.mn.co/

• 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻: https://aisalon.mn.co/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: https://ruready4ai.com/

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲

Catch a new episode of The AI Readiness Project every Wednesday at 3pm (PST), co-hosted by Anne Murphy of She Leads AI and Kyle Shannon of The AI Salon. Want to meet others navigating this new terrain with humor and humanity? Visit The AI Salon or She Leads AI to find your people.

"𝘐𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦'𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘴." That's by Derek Sivers. This speaks to where we're at right now and how knowledge and information have zero value. It is all very much how we get creative and what we do with that information. - 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

We are currently drowning in AI "news," but starving for AI 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. Most professionals are stuck in a cycle of random experimentation that leads to "shadow AI" and organizational risk. Kate Marshall joins us to explain why the secret to AI readiness isn't more data—it's better systems.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

Kate Marshall, Founder of 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗶 (pronounced "The Gray"), spent 20 years in the high-stakes world of cybersecurity training at the SANS Institute. She’s seen how people react to emerging threats, and she’s applying those lessons to the AI revolution. Whether she’s writing children’s books to simplify complex tech or 3D printing her own household items, Kate is obsessed with the bridge between the machine and the human. Her new book, 𝘈𝘐 𝘢𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬, is the result of that obsession—a step-by-step guide for the non-technical professional who is ready to move past the hype and start building.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽

• 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁: Stop looking for magic words and start building repeatable workflows that actually save time.

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: Accept that knowing things is no longer a competitive advantage; doing things with AI is the new gold standard.

• 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆: Use Kate’s cybersecurity-first lens to implement AI without exposing your company to unnecessary risk.

• 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀: Don't buy the software until you’ve identified the specific low-joy task it’s meant to replace.

• 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗘𝗿𝗮: Why thinking about 3D printed shoes and household robots helps you develop the mental flexibility needed for the next 5 years of work.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗶: https://thegr.ai/

• 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸): https://www.amazon.com/Work-Step-Step...

• 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗜: https://she-leads-ai.mn.co/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻: https://aisalon.mn.co/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: https://ruready4ai.com/

"AI readiness in my book is a set of principles, and those principles are pretty simple. One, you are now in a world where you can be a doer, not a talker." — 𝗡𝗼𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

As automation strips away the tasks of our jobs, we are entering a Great Repurpose where our value shifts from what we 𝘥𝘰 to who we 𝘢𝘳𝘦. Noelle Russell shows us how to use AI not just as a tool, but as an amplifier for our unique human lived experiences.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

Noelle Russell was there at the start of Alexa, as one of the first ten employees on the Amazon team helping bring it to life. Motivated by a desire to create a kinder world for her son, who was born with Down Syndrome, Noelle has spent 25 years at tech giants like AWS and Microsoft. Today, she runs the 𝗔𝗜 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲, where she champions responsible AI and helps individuals become single-person unicorns by amplifying their work through intelligent agents.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽

• 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆: Decouple your self-worth from your daily tasks; when AI automates the doing, your value lies in your integrity, critical thinking, and empathy.

• 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁" 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲: Before consuming content (doom-scrolling), commit to producing something that educates, informs, or entertains.

• 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗹𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹: Use AI to handle the bane of your existence (like scheduling and inboxes) so you can focus on the high-value work only you can do.

• 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Your history as a caregiver, parent, or divergent thinker is a superpower; it allows you to guide AI models with more patience and better questions.

• 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 "𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄, 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹": Don't just talk about AI; build a prototype. Use tools to visualize the backlog of ideas you once thought were impossible.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

• [𝟬𝟬:𝟬𝟭:𝟬𝟬] The Crisis of Meaning: Tying work to worth in the age of automation.

• [𝟬𝟬:𝟬𝟱:𝟬𝟬] The Great Repurpose: Rediscovering who you are outside of your job description.

• [𝟬𝟬:𝟮𝟱:𝟬𝟬] Crafting a Career: How Noelle’s journey as a caregiver shaped her approach to tech.

• [𝟬𝟬:𝟯𝟯:𝟬𝟬] Baby Tiger Mode: The danger of falling in love with AI models without leadership.

• [𝟬𝟬:𝟱𝟰:𝟬𝟬] Single-Person Unicorns: How Noelle uses 32 agents to amplify her business.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁

• AI Leadership Institute: https://aileadershipinstitute.com/

• I Love AI: https://www.skool.com/iloveai/about

• The AI Salon: https://aisalon.mn.co/

• She Leads AI: https://she-leads-ai.mn.co/

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲

Catch a new episode of The AI Readiness Project every Wednesday at 3pm (PST), co-hosted by Anne Murphy of She Leads AI and Kyle Shannon of The AI Salon. Want to meet others navigating this new terrain with humor and humanity? Visit The AI Salon or She Leads AI to find your people.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

This week on The AI Readiness Project, hosts Anne Murphy and Kyle Shannon talk with Daisy Thomas, Director of Advocacy and Policy Development at AI Salon. Fresh from a state policy fly-in in Tallahassee, Daisy brings a grounded, up-close look at how AI governance is unfolding—not just in theory, but in town halls, statehouses, and community centers.

We explore how public infrastructure, not just private innovation, shapes the AI future—and what that means for leaders outside the usual tech and policy circles.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽

1. What everyday people are asking for in AI policy—and why it matters
2. How civic infrastructure, not just software, prepares us for AI
3. The quiet power of cultural spaces in shaping responsible tech

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁

Daisy Thomas is Director of Advocacy and Policy Development at AI Salon. She helps founders, policymakers, and communities turn abstract AI principles into governance that builds public trust. Her work spans policy, civic infrastructure, and culture. Learn more at thesalon.ai/advocacy.

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲

Catch a new episode of The AI Readiness Project every Wednesday at 3pm (PST), co-hosted by Anne Murphy of She Leads AI and Kyle Shannon of The AI Salon. Want to meet others navigating this new terrain with humor and humanity? Visit The AI Salon or She Leads AI to find your people.

"𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯... 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴." — Kyle Shannon

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

As autonomous agents and generative tools begin to commoditize traditional skills, the "AI Readiness" conversation is shifting from simple curiosity to a deep exploration of human value. Understanding how to decouple your self-worth from your daily tasks is no longer just a philosophical exercise—it is a survival requirement for the 2026 workforce.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

In this Jam Session, Kyle Shannon and Anne Murphy peel back the curtain on the emotional and structural shifts coming in 2026. Kyle introduces 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲, a framework for surviving the mass disengagement that occurs when AI transforms or eliminates the jobs we love. Anne counters with her 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝘅, a tactical deep-dive into how deceptively simple tools—like AI meeting recorders—bump up against our core values, privacy, and organizational power structures. Together, they explore the both/and era: a time when we are simultaneously empowered by new technology and mourning the ego death of our old professional identities.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽

• Decouple Work from Worth: Recognize that while AI can replicate tasks, it cannot replace your unique judgment, taste, and point of view.

• Audit Your Big Six Tactics: Identify the AI tools you use (like meeting recorders) and evaluate them not just for productivity, but for how they impact your values and organizational transparency.

• Adopt a Both/And Mindset: Accept that you can be both the good guy (empowered by AI) and the bad guy (displacing traditional roles) depending on the context.

• Build Your Survival Community: In an era of forced retirement and rapid sector shifts, being AI Ready means staying in conversation with heart-centered peers who are navigating the same soup.

• Move from Prompting to Managing: Prepare for the shift from writing prompts to managing "swarms" of autonomous agents that act proactively on your behalf.

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲

Catch a new episode of The AI Readiness Project every Wednesday at 3pm (PST), co-hosted by Anne Murphy of She Leads AI and Kyle Shannon of The AI Salon. Want to meet others navigating this new terrain with humor and humanity? Visit The AI Salon or She Leads AI to find your people.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁

• 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗜: Anne Murphy’s brand focused on vulnerable, community-driven AI adoption.

https://sheleadsai.ai/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻 / 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱: Kyle Shannon's community for daily practice and AI readiness.

https://aisalon.mn.co/

• 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝘂𝘀 𝟰.𝟲: Kyle’s recommended tool for deep research and persona building.

https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-4-6

• 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘄: The autonomous agent framework Kyle and Anne are currently monitoring.

https://openclaw.ai/

• 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗺: For AI-powered meeting recording and historical data mining.

https://www.fathom.ai/