Between You and AI | Leadership, Human Skills & the Future of Work

Tokenmaxxing: Why AI Keeps Getting More Expensive — and What It Means for Leaders.

In this episode of "Between You and AI", Andrea Iorio (USA Today bestselling author and keynote speaker) unpacks a paradox catching companies off guard: AI promised to give us our time and money back, yet spending on it only climbs — and the results often don't follow. From tokenmaxxing to the quiet choice between tokens or humans, see why using more AI became a trap, and why choosing less is now the rarest competitive advantage there is. Key themes: AI's original promise — handing back time and cost — and Uber's COO admitting the link between AI spend and value generated "is not there yet" Seneca's diagnosis two thousand years ago, and Cal Newport's deep vs. shallow work: why busyness is human nature, not a 21st-century problem The Jevons Paradox: why every efficiency gain triggers a demand explosion, never a leisure dividend What every HR leader needs to understand about tokens — and why token consumption became a live proxy for employee AI use The concept of tokenmaxxing: burning maximum tokens as a status signal, from Meta's and Amazon's internal leaderboards to the backfire How companies are clamping down: Microsoft's cuts, Uber's blown budget, and Salesforce's $300M AI bill Tokens or humans: why, per Glean's CEO, technology now costs the same as people — with AI budgets growing in place of new hires The final turn: why volume is no longer a signal of your work, and selectivity — using AI less, and better — became the skill of the decade. 👤 Andrea Iorio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiorio_br LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaiorio Website: https://www.andreaiorio.com

AI-xhaustion: The Double-Edged Sword of AI's Impact on Our Mental Health

In this episode of "Between You and AI", Andrea Iorio (USA Today bestselling author and keynote speaker), explores the complex relationship between AI advancements and mental health, highlighting both benefits and risks. From AI-driven stress to potential in democratizing mental health care, see how technology shapes our well-being and productivity. Main Topics: The initial hopes and subsequent reality of AI's impact on personal productivity and stress The concept of AI exhaustion and the mental health crisis linked to technology use The phenomena of chronic strain and the AI paradox: speeding up work expectations amid emotional toll The erosion of patience and the rise of impatience in our fast-paced digital environment Potential benefits of AI in increasing access to mental health support, including therapy chatbots The paradoxical findings of AI use correlating with increased depressive symptoms Reflection on the promise of reclaiming time through AI and the crucial question of ownership of that time. 👤 Andrea Iorio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiorio_br LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaiorio Website: https://www.andreaiorio.com

The Pope, Anthropic, and the battle for "trust" in the AI industry.

In this episode of "Between You and AI", Andrea Iorio (USA Today bestselling author and keynote speaker), explores the first papal encyclical in history on Artificial Intelligence — Magnifica Humanitas, released by Pope Leo XIV on May 25, 2026. And not in any ordinary way: the Pope presented it in person, on the stage of the Synod Hall, next to Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic. Is there a conflict of interest there? And why is nobody asking that question? 👤 Andrea Iorio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiorio_br LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaiorio Website: https://www.andreaiorio.com

The Boomerang Effect: Are AI Layoffs for Real, or Just an Alibi?

In this episode of "Between You and AI", Andrea Iorio (USA Today bestselling author and keynote speaker), Andrea Iorio analyzes the impact of artificial intelligence on the job market, highlighting cases of layoffs, rehirings, and the boomerang effect. We discuss the legal, philosophical, and ethical implications of business decisions driven by AI, with global examples and reflections on the future of the relationship between technology and work. Key Topics: * The Hangzhou court ruling on AI-driven layoffs; * Cases of rehiring after AI-motivated layoffs; * Differences in legal approaches between China, Europe, and the US; * The impact of AI washing on worker and investor trust; * Philosophical reflections on responsibility in automation. 👤 Andrea Iorio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiorio_br LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaiorio Website: https://www.andreaiorio.com

The METR chart that shrinks your job every quarter — and is keeping Wall Street up at night.

In this episode of "Between You and AI", Andrea Iorio (USA Today bestselling author and keynote speaker) explores the remarkable shifts in AI's ability to work autonomously and continuously. Drawing on data from exponential progress charts, host Andrea Iorio discusses how the acceleration of AI's evolution could transform careers, daily tasks, and the job market in the coming years. If you want to understand how to prepare for the next technological doubling, this episode is essential listening. Key topics: The evolution of artificial intelligence: from one hour of autonomous work to twelve, with projections reaching forty-eight hours by January 2027. The chart from the Berkeley-based nonprofit METR, which tracks how long AI can work without getting lost — revealing a sharp acceleration over the last few years. How AI's ability to perform engineer- and analyst-level work is undergoing a rapid transformation, moving from simple tasks to high-level cognitive work. Amara's Law: the overestimation of technology in the short run versus the underestimation of its long-run impact — and why a long-term view matters now more than ever. The human cognitive system and our built-in difficulty grasping the exponential growth driving AI's evolution. Why running a quarterly audit matters — to evaluate what's still in your routine manually, and where AI can take over. How to future-proof your career by answering three questions: 1) what does AI already do better than me? 2) what could become routine in a matter of months? 3) where should I focus my human hours? The speed at which complex tasks — even senior engineer work — can be automated, reshaping the structure of projects and roles. How leaders and teams must adapt to AI's next doublings to avoid being replaced or left behind. An invitation to continuous reflection: track the pace of AI's evolution and adjust your calendar accordingly. 👤 Andrea Iorio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiorio_br LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaiorio Website: https://www.andreaiorio.com