In this episode of AI at Work, I sit down with Mike Mason, Chief AI Officer at Thoughtworks, to explore what happens when the generative AI hype starts to settle and businesses begin asking the real questions. What’s working, what’s not, and what does mature adoption actually look like in 2025?

Mike brings a practical, deeply informed view of the AI landscape. We talk about how intelligent agents are evolving well beyond basic chatbots and starting to act as collaborative teammates inside real workflows. From customer support to software development, these agents are now reasoning, adapting, and in some cases, working alongside other agents to get things done.

We also explore the growing shift toward open source AI. Mike explains why some companies, especially in regulated sectors like financial services, are leaning into in-house or fine-tuned small models for better control, data security, and flexibility. We unpack what’s driving the rise of small language models and why in many cases, smaller, more nimble models are outperforming their larger counterparts in speed, privacy, and efficiency.

One of the most thought-provoking parts of our chat was about the diverging paths organizations are taking with GenAI. Mike shares insights from Thoughtworks’ upcoming global survey, which shows that while some are embedding bias detection and strong governance into their strategies, others are focused purely on quick wins and interpretability. That divide is shaping not just how projects are executed but how companies are thinking about long-term AI maturity.

If you're navigating the tension between speed and safety or trying to decide whether to build, fine-tune, or adopt off-the-shelf models, this conversation offers real perspective. We cover explainability, regulation, open ecosystems, and what tech leaders should be planning for next as AI becomes part of everyday business.

This isn’t about future hype. It’s about how AI is actually getting to work.

In this episode of AI at Work, I’m joined by Simon Ranyard, Managing Director for Northwest Europe at Orange Business, to challenge old assumptions about manufacturing and reveal how technology is rewriting the rules.

We discuss how AI, automation, augmented reality and 5G are giving manufacturers the tools to boost productivity, reduce downtime and create high-value careers instead of cutting jobs. Simon shares practical insights on where the UK stands, how to close the skills gap, and why apprenticeships and reskilling are more important than ever.

If you think factories are all grease and gears, this conversation will make you think again. Take a closer look at how Orange Business is helping manufacturers adapt and thrive, and what this means for workers, companies and the wider economy.

In this episode of AI at Work, I sit down with Dennis Woodside, CEO of Freshworks, to uncover how real companies are getting true value from AI.

Dennis shares how Freshworks has built AI tools that help businesses resolve routine questions automatically, boost agent productivity, and give managers clear performance insights without needing complex dashboards. He explains the company’s focus on making AI quick to deploy and simple to buy, so mid-sized companies can see immediate returns without endless consulting bills.

We explore customer stories like Total Expert, which saved thousands of agent hours and saw a 250 percent return on its AI investment. Dennis also talks about the lessons learned from integrating AI internally and how the company stays flexible enough to adopt the latest advances from across the industry.

This conversation is for anyone who wants to see beyond the AI hype and hear how smart companies are using it to save time, cut costs, and let people focus on more rewarding work.