My guest today is Dr. Sam Lee, Global AI Leader, Board Advisor, and someone who was building AI long before it became the loudest word in business.

AI didn’t begin with LLMs. It didn’t start with ChatGPT. And it definitely didn’t start with hype.

In this conversation, we go beyond tools and trends. We talk about responsibility, leadership, adaptability, and what it really takes to build meaningful AI systems.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why LLMs are not the beginning of AI
• The evolution from traditional ML to modern agentic systems
• The difference between a Chief AI Officer and Head of ML
• Why AI should make life easier, not replace your thinking
• What students should actually be learning in the AI era

One thing that stood out to me personally was this — the hardest AI question isn’t “Can we build it?” It’s “Should we build it?”

Dr. Sam also shares insights from working across enterprises, consulting, academia, and boardrooms — giving a rare perspective that connects code, classrooms, and C-suites.

If you are a student, an AI professional, a founder, or someone trying to understand where this AI wave is heading — this conversation will help you zoom out and think clearly.

Because AI will keep moving fast.

The real question is whether our thinking can keep up.

📘 Book Recommendation from Dr. Sam:
The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins
https://www.amazon.com/First-90-Days-Strategies-Expanded/dp/1422188612

🔎 References Mentioned in the Episode:

• Multi-Agent Systems: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-agent_system
• ELIZA (early AI chatbot): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA
• Large Language Models (LLMs): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_language_model
• Responsible AI & Governance (OECD AI Principles) : https://oecd.ai/en/ai-principles

Timestamps
00:00 The Journey of AI: From Labs to Boardrooms
03:05 Early Career and the Transition to AI
06:05 Understanding Multi-Agent Systems
08:34 AI in the Business Context
10:51 Shaping Decisions in AI Strategy
13:05 Misconceptions in Boardrooms about AI
15:47 The Role of Chief AI Officer vs. Head of ML
19:46 Skills for the Future: What Students Should Learn
25:11 The Importance of Adaptability in AI Development
26:22 Understanding the Evolution of AI Models
28:48 India's Position in AI Leadership
31:31 Rapid Fire Insights on AI and Personal Preferences
35:22 The Role of AI Governance in Innovation

Connect with Dr. Sam Li:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sam-li-weixian-844033ba

If this conversation made you pause, question, or rethink how you see AI — that means we did our job.

AI will keep moving fast.
The real question is whether our thinking can keep up.

Let me know your biggest takeaway in the comments.

Connect with me here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachin-menon-techsigma-technology/

Subscribe for more conversations with global leaders shaping the future of AI and business.

Waqas Aliemuddin joins me on 101 Talks for one of the most honest conversations I’ve had about AI — not the hype, not flashy demos, but the real human side of it. As the founder of AI4ALL and KAABIL, Waqas talks about building access to AI for non-technical people, why education needs a complete rethink, and why AI should augment humans instead of replacing them.

In this conversation, Waqas Aliemuddin discusses the importance of making AI education accessible to everyone, especially those without a technical background. He emphasizes the need for practical knowledge and the integration of AI into various domains. Waqas also highlights the role of research in enhancing AI education, the cultural differences in AI adoption between Asia and the West, and the ethical considerations surrounding AI use. He concludes with insights on the future of work, the potential widening of inequality due to AI, and the importance of understanding one's value in an AI-driven economy.

What stood out most is Waqas’ mindset as a “forever student of life.” From personal learning experiences to building platforms that convert AI fear into AI confidence, this conversation goes deep into how AI will shape careers, education, and inequality over the next decade - and what individuals can do right now to stay relevant.

If you’re a student, early-career professional, founder, or simply curious about how AI fits into YOUR future, this one’s for you.

📌 Key Takeaways

+ AI is an augmentation system, not a replacement.
+ The real gap today is education vs real-world application.
+ Slow learning creates depth; speed alone doesn’t.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to AI for Everyone
02:02 The Gap in Education
04:07 Building AI4ALL and KAABIL
05:03 AI4ALL: Making AI Accessible
06:14 Integration Over Balance
07:29 The Importance of Research
11:02 AI Adoption in Asia vs. the West
12:21 Missed Opportunities in AI Education
13:52 Ethics and Responsibility in AI
15:53 Inequality and AI
17:09 The Future of Work with AI
19:01 Rapid Fire Round: Insights and Reflections
19:16 – Book recommendation: Games People Play
21:04 – Asia’s biggest AI advantage
21:32 – The one question students should ask
22:27 – Final thoughts: staying human in an AI world

📚 Book Recommendation

📖 Games People Play — Eric Berne
Waqas mentions this book as one that shaped his thinking in 2025. It explores human psychology, behavioral patterns, and transactional analysis.
🔗 Official publisher page: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/12725/games-people-play-by-eric-berne-md/

🤝 Connect with Waqas
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waqasaliemuddin/

📩 Connect With Me
If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts 👇
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachin-menon-techsigma-technology/

What does AI look like through the eyes of someone who is actually growing up with it?

In this episode, I sit down with Tianyi Chen, a student leader at Cornell who isn’t just using AI — she’s building communities around it.

Tianyi is:

• Founder of the Computational Sustainability Club
• Executive Vice President of the Cornell Data Journal
• Deeply involved in AI, sustainability and leadership on campus

And here’s what impressed me — she doesn’t treat AI as a shortcut.

She treats it as a responsibility.

We spoke about:
• Why students should “solve first, prompt later”
• Why AI can accelerate sustainability instead of destroying it
• Why leadership among smart peers isn’t about IQ — it’s about trust
• Why she chose startup life over research
• And why AI can define a tear… but can’t understand why you cried

This generation isn’t waiting for policies or permission. They are building.

And Tianyi represents that mindset.

✔ AI should assist your thinking — not replace it
✔ Sustainability needs data acceleration, not just ESG buzzwords
✔ Leadership is about facilitation, not intellectual superiority
✔ Community building is invisible work before visible impact
✔ Interdisciplinary skills = future-proof careers
✔ Startup environments build adaptability faster than classrooms

• Best place she thinks clearly? Library stacks — you can hear a pin drop.
• Her AI tool of choice? Notion AI note taker.
• Sleep schedule? 10 PM to 6 AM — non-negotiable.
• Late-night debugging? Absolutely not.
• Sustainability buzzword she’s tired of? ESG.
• Most unexpected fun class? Introduction to Ancient Rome.
• If AI were a classmate? Overachiever.

If you care about:
– Responsible AI
– Sustainability beyond greenwashing
– Leadership in high-performance environments
– How Gen Z is actually thinking

This episode is for you.

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tchen06/

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachin-menon/
🔔 Subscribe for more grounded conversations on AI, leadership & the future of work.

This is 101 Talks — where we break big ideas into simple, honest conversations.

See you in the next one.

The conversation with Balazs Sarkany delves into the uncomfortable truth about material sourcing, the challenges of supply chain transparency, and the critical role of material validation. It highlights the impact of rare materials on AI, EVs, and clean energy, emphasizing the need for ethical sourcing and traceability. Additionally, it explores India's potential role in the critical materials ecosystem and provides insights into supply chain myths, AI hype, and regulatory impact.

Takeaways

• Materials Validation
• Supply Chain Transparency

Chapters

• 00:00 The Uncomfortable Truth About Materials
• 07:44 The Importance of Material Validation
• 18:37 Rare Materials and Their Impact
• 35:24 India's Role in Critical Materials Ecosystem
• 41:54 Rapid Fire Round

The conversation delves into the intersection of AI, sales, and leadership, exploring the role of AI in personalized coaching, the importance of empathy in sales, and the impact of AI on leadership development. Ioanna shares insights on the future of work, the use of AI in emerging markets, and the ethical considerations of AI in business.

Takeaways

• AI's role in personalized coaching
• The importance of empathy in sales
• The impact of AI on leadership development
• The future of work and the use of AI in emerging markets
• Ethical considerations of AI in business

Chapters

• 00:00 The Intersection of AI, Sales, and Leadership
• 05:11 Sales: People First, Technology Second
• 19:47 The Role of AI in Sales and Leadership
• 25:07 The Future of Work and AI in Emerging Markets

The conversation delves into the evolution of AI, the journey into AI, authoring books on deep learning, AI training and workshops, moving from AI learning to execution, success patterns in AI execution, and the importance of avoiding POC Titus. Key takeaways include the evolution of AI from traditional AI to agentic AI and the importance of leadership involvement in AI projects. The conversation delves into the impact of AI on leadership, the role of leaders in the AI era, building a career in agentic AI, key AI tools for CXOs, challenges with gen AI implementation, the future of managers in the AI era, and the concept of quiet thinking time and the future of work. The takeaways highlight the strategic partnership between AI and leaders, as well as the coexistence of AI and humans in the future of work.

Takeaways

• Evolution of AI from traditional AI to agentic AI
• Importance of leadership involvement in AI projects AI is becoming a strategic partner for leaders
• The future of work will involve coexistence of AI and humans

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to AI Impact
• 05:17 Authoring Books on Deep Learning
• 10:34 AI Training and Workshops
• 18:39 Success Patterns in AI Execution
• 26:06 The Role of Leaders in the AI Era
• 36:04 Key AI Tools for CXOs

The conversation delves into the role of AI agents and their impact on replacing humans, the current state of AI architecture, the challenges of non-deterministic systems in enterprise scenarios, and the value of AI in dealing with complex data. It also explores the elimination of grunge work with AI, the reduction in work time, and the importance of human supervision and validation of AI output in enterprise scenarios.

Takeaways

• AI agents are not yet capable of replacing humans entirely
• The current AI architecture presents challenges in non-deterministic systems and reliability