S8E3 - Work Has Moved Upstream. How AI Demands Better Humans with Simone Carroll

In this episode, Andrew Grill sits down with Simone Carroll , one of the most distinctive executive voices on the future of work, to explore what really changes when AI arrives in your organisation. Simone has led people, technology, digital and brand functions through multiple waves of disruption, from print to digital, in‑store to omni‑channel, and fossil fuels to renewables. Together, we unpack her central provocation. Work has moved upstream. If you are not redesigning work around AI, you are already behind. You will hear why the real differentiator is not AI deployment speed, but how you redeploy human judgement to customers, operations, risk and cash, why boards must give explicit permission to innovate, and why HR is suddenly front‑and‑centre in strategy rather than stuck in the back office. This is a practical, candid conversation for CEOs, board members and HR leaders who want to move beyond the hype and start doing the real work of redesigning work in the age of AI. In this episode, you will learn What Simone means when she says “work has moved upstream” and why that should change your org design. Why the biggest commercial risk is letting your IP walk out the door, not “AI job losses”. How AI exposes massively inefficient processes – and what to do instead of just “digitising” broken workflows. The new, strategic role HR must play in leading AI literacy, policy and workforce redesign. Why boards need to give explicit permission to innovate and become AI‑literate themselves. How AI “demands better humans” and what that means for skills, careers and leadership. Resources Connect with Simone Carroll on LinkedIn Simone’s Substack on the future of work Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious . You can buy the book that showcases these episodes at curious.click/order Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com Andrew's Social Channels Andrew on LinkedIn Andrew on YouTube @Andrew.Grill on Instagram Keynote speeches here Order Digitally Curious

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S8E3 - Work Has Moved Upstream. How AI Demands Better Humans with Simone Carroll is an episode from The Practical Futurist Podcast by with Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill.

This episode is 60:52 long.

This episode was published on May 9, 2026.

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