AI: The Hidden Layer

AI: The Hidden Layer

Ash Ashutosh has spent nearly thirty years building technology that disappears – the kind that works so well, nobody has to think about it. That obsession with invisible infrastructure is what drew him to Pinecone, and it's shaping how he thinks about the next chapter of AI.    In this episode of The Intelligent Enterprise, host Tom Stoneman sits down with Ash, CEO of Pinecone and a three-time founder, to explore what it means to build for a world where AI agents, not humans, are increasingly the ones doing the prompting. Ash explains why that shift required a rethinking of the whole stack. He also shares how Pinecone put that thinking into practice internally, scrapping dashboards in favor of a system that both surfaces data, and tells you what to do with it.    Beyond the product, this is a conversation about what it means to stay relevant across multiple technology waves, and why the people who treat their hard-won experience as a foundation rather than a finish line tend to be the ones who end up ahead.

Human Choices in an AI Future (Part 2)

What does it actually take to thrive in an AI-driven world, not just survive it? In part two of his conversation with Karthik Ravindran, General Manager of Enterprise Data and AI at Microsoft, host Tom Stoneman digs into the human qualities that no model can replicate.    Karthik makes a compelling case that the most durable career skills in the AI era have almost nothing to do with technology. He breaks down the three traits he believes matter most, and explains why they'll outlast any tool or platform.  He also unpacks his framework for human uniqueness: foresight, storytelling, and adaptive leadership, the modes that complement what AI does well and fill the gaps it can't.    For anyone whose role feels uncertain right now, Karthik offers both empathy and a clear-eyed call to action – reflect, prepare, and own your next chapter – because the answer, as he puts it, is mostly within. And yes, there's one place he'd happily keep AI out entirely: the CrossFit box.  Follow The Intelligent Enterprise for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Human Choices in an AI Future (Part 1)

What if the biggest risk in the AI era isn't the technology, but waiting for someone else to tell you what to do with it? In this episode of The Intelligent Enterprise, host Tom Stoneman sits down with Karthik Ravindran, General Manager of Enterprise Data and AI at Microsoft, to unpack what it really takes to thrive alongside AI, not in spite of it.  With more than two decades helping organizations modernize their data foundations and scale responsible AI, Karthik is a rare practitioner who can bridge the technical and the deeply human. He makes the case that the organizations winning with AI aren't the ones with the best models, but are the ones who best understand their own context, and have people willing to own the next chapter.  Tom and Karthik explore why leadership tone matters more than most companies realize, how the human-plus-AI operating model unlocks transformations that neither can achieve alone, and why "context" — not just data — is the true differentiator in enterprise AI. Karthik also shares his three questions framework for anyone anxious about their role in an AI-driven future, and reminds us that no tech leader is coming to write your story for you.  Follow The Intelligent Enterprise for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love AI

Are we still in the first chapter of AI, and mistaking it for the whole story? In this episode of The Intelligent Enterprise, host Tom Stoneman zooms out from the headlines to explore where we really are in the AI journey.  He’s joined by journalist and independent analyst Joe McKendrick, who has spent decades documenting how emerging technologies reshape business and society. As co-chair of the AI Summit in New York and a senior contributor to Forbes and ZDNet, Joe brings the perspective of someone who understands how these stories unfold over time.   Together, they challenge today’s anxiety around AI, arguing that we’re still in an early phase of transformation. They explore why focusing on cost-cutting misses the bigger opportunity, how AI can unlock creativity and new ways of working, and why the most important chapters are still ahead. Plus, Joe shares how cycling helps him clear his mind and gain a fresh perspective amidst the noise.  Follow The Intelligent Enterprise for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

AI, Enterprises, and the Law

In this episode of The Intelligent Enterprise, host Tom Stoneman takes us inside the different ways that AI is being utilized in the practice of law.     In this episode, Tom is joined by Vintee Mishra, an attorney who’s currently part of the Commercial Contracting Organization at Navy Federal Credit Union, and has previously occupied supporting roles at Tata Consultancy Services, Cisco, First Technology Credit Union, and Moody’s Analytics.     Vintee breaks down all the exciting ways AI is being implemented in the legal field, including first-pass contract reviews, where it can cut review time down from weeks to hours. We also get into the real risks that come along with mass adoption — including over-reliance, hallucinations, and ill-defined intellectual property laws — and the ways firms can mitigate those risks.      Follow The Intelligent Enterprise for new episodes every two weeks and stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.