The AI Problem Isn't the Tech — It's the Adoption

The AI Problem Isn't the Tech — It's the Adoption

Author: Maryrose Lyons April 28, 2026 Duration: 16:29

Simon Hodgkins has spent a career running global marketing — Sage, CMO Club president, and now Chief Marketing Officer at Vistatec, the Dublin firm helping iconic brands scale content and AI worldwide. He joins Maryrose to argue that the real AI bottleneck isn't the models. It's whether a company is ready to use them.


Simon makes the case for gap analysis before tooling: before you buy, pilot or deploy, you need to know how you actually work today — what content exists, which workflows are documented, how the Frankfurt office differs from New York, and what ISO 42001 would expect you to prove. He explains why bolting AI onto broken processes wastes money, why regulated industries still need human experts in the loop, and what an "intelligent workflow" actually looks like.


On the hype cycle, Simon is blunt: stop headline-reading. Figure out what you're doing first. Or as Rory Sutherland puts it — no robots are buying new cars.


A conversation for any leader whose pilots keep going nowhere.


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Maryrose Lyons brings her experience from the AI Institute to Chatting GPT, a podcast that digs into the practical realities of artificial intelligence. Instead of theoretical discussions, these are grounded conversations with the directors, founders, and strategists who are implementing AI solutions right now. You’ll hear from people who have moved their organizations beyond pilot projects into genuine transformation, sharing what worked, what didn’t, and why. The focus often lands on the built environment-exploring how AI is actively reshaping design processes, construction methodologies, and facility management from the studio to the job site. This series is built on the premise that the most valuable lessons come from those with hands-on experience. Each episode unpacks the human decisions behind the technology, offering tangible insights for professionals in technology, business, and education who are navigating their own courses. By listening to this podcast, you gain access to a rare dialogue about applied intelligence, where the conversation is always rooted in real-world execution and impact.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 43

Chatting GPT
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