“How can L&D leaders stay strategic in the age of AI?”
Previously, we were shifting our perspective from technology to leadership. For this episode, we’re shifting the focus to leadership and strategy.
I chat with Dr. Ashwin Mehta, founder and CEO of Mehtadology, an AI researcher, and someone who runs a company with more agents than people. He brings sharp technical and practical insight to a question many L&D teams still face: How does AI reshape our work?
We discuss the three key forces shaping the future of corporate AI: agents, data, and middleware. We also explore what it means when L&D isn’t just owning content anymore but designing entire learning ecosystems. Ash doesn’t sugarcoat it: building courses manually is becoming obsolete, and governance, risk appetite, and mindset are now the real bottlenecks.
Some curious takeaways:
Episode highlights:
(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner
(02:08) The three pillars shaping AI’s direction: agents, data, and middleware
(04:46) Why L&D struggles with value chains
(07:15) What successful L&D + IT collaboration really looks like today
(10:14) Why most organizations aren’t using agentic AI yet (and the real blocker)
(12:34) Can AI coaching paired with human oversight raise the bar?
(14:32) What L&D should stop doing now
(16:00) A simpler way to rethink your operating model
(17:54) Why data quality defines whether AI succeeds or stalls in L&D
(22:33) How to shift from content creation to reproducible systems
(29:01) Voice agents, natural interaction, and how work will change
(33:02) The instruction vs learning gap L&D can’t ignore
(35:12) Why pull-based learning is the real revolution
Connect with the guests:
Dr. Ashwin Mehta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ashwin-mehta/
Explore Mehtadology: https://mehtadology.com/
Follow me on the following sites:
Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/
Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/
“How do we keep the human touch as L&D leaders in the AI era?”
In our last episode, we explored how AI is transforming L&D from reactive to strategic, helping leaders prove business value beyond completion rates. This time, we’re shifting our perspective from technology to leadership.
Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers, co-authors of the book The L&D Leader: Principles and Practice for Delivering Business, remind us that while AI can amplify what we do, it’s courage and connection that define how we lead. The technology may evolve, but the heart of L&D leadership stays the same. It’s helping people stay equipped, ready, and connected to meaningful work.
Laura & Michelle have captured 25 years of research into three powerful principles that leaders today can anchor to: Tuning In, Responding, and Improving or TRI. If you’re curious about how you can become a more effective leader, tune in and join me in my curious corner.
Some curious takeaways:
Episode highlights:
(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner
(01:14) What inspired The L&D Leader, and why it matters now
(02:53) The timeless principles behind effective learning leadership
(03:53) Introducing TRI: Tuning In, Responding, and Improving
(05:47) Tuning In: Seeing your organization with fresh eyes
(07:14) Responding: Making smart, human choices in the age of AI
(08:35) How TRI shows up in real L&D work
(13:34) Where AI can elevate the L&D leader
(17:23) Why stakeholder management will never be automated
(25:40) The overlooked power of managers in learning
(31:32) Improving: Measuring what really moves the business
(36:54) How AI helps L&D improve their skills
Connect with the guests:
Laura Overton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraoverton/
Michelle Ockers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleockers/
Explore Learning Changemakers: https://www.learningchangemakers.com/
Explore Learning Uncut: https://learninguncut.global/
Explore the Learning Uncut Podcast: https://learninguncut.global/podcast/
Purchase The L&D Leader: Principles and Practice for Delivering Business: https://a.co/d/6Lw5hH0
Follow me on the following sites:
Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/
Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/
“What’s the real role of L&D in the age of AI?”
This is the first big question we hope to answer in Harald’s Curious Corner.
To get some perspective, I spoke with Lori Niles-Hofmann, strategist and author of Eight Levers of EdTech Transformation. She has spent years helping organizations navigate big shifts in learning technology and knows what works and what doesn’t. We discussed where L&D teams often get stuck with AI, how automation affects our day-to-day work, and what it means to design learning that feels personal.
Lori’s point is clear. The job of L&D is to help people stay relevant as work evolves.
Some curious takeaways:
Episode highlights:
(00:00) Welcome to Harald’s Curious Corner
(03:37) The biggest mistakes L&D teams make with tech
(05:21) How AI is changing the core of L&D
(09:55) The shift from courses to customized learning experiences
(16:46) The biggest hurdles L&D will face with AI
(19:54) Skills that will always matter in the AI era
(22:16) How L&D can start working with IT, sales, and ops
(25:34) What new L&D leaders should focus on
(31:26) What Lori would change about L&D
(37:06) The one question every L&D leader should answer
Connect with the guest:
Lori Niles-Hofmann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorinileshofmann/
Explore 8Levers: https://www.8levers.com/
Purchase The Eight Levers of EdTech Transformation: https://a.co/d/1Jpt8Az
Follow me on the following sites:
Harald Overaa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haraldovera/
Subscribe to Harald’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901795950403186688/
Harald’s Curious Corner is where curiosity meets connection.
Harald chases that question with a guest, gathers perspectives from voices across the industry, and then steps back to reflect on what it all means. The show unfolds like a story arc, part exploration, part roundtable, part reflection, blending imagination with analysis.
The result: trusted insights, meaningful conversations, and forward-looking takeaways that shine a light on where learning is headed next.