Better Innovation

And we’re back! In the premiere of season 3, Jeff begins our season-long focus on Artificial Intelligence with Bob Suh, Founder and CEO of OnCorps and a powerhouse of AI expertise. Bob looks at how human patterns of overconfidence, insecurity and self-denial get programmed deep into the systems we’ve designed to improve our decision-making. What happens when AI automates a mistake? As we move into another election cycle that will be dominated by the algorithmic spreading of information, Bob takes a reflective look at the human condition and how honest inputs—both when they’re good and when they’re bad—is the only way to build the integrity, efficacy and world-changing positive benefits that AI can, and should, provide.

On this mini-sode teaser, Jeff reveals our theme for the show in Season 3 . . . Artificial Intelligence. AI has been a central topic on the show over the first two seasons with quite a few guests discussing new AI capabilities and where the technology is headed. But now, in this cultural and business environment dominated by AI, it’s the perfect opportunity to dive deep into how AI will shape our personal and professional lives.   We’re looking for your help! Everyone has a question about AI and how it can be used to improve our personal lives – and society in general; we want to hear your best ideas. Whether it’s about AI infused into business technology or consumer AI applications, #AskJeff on Twitter @JeffreySaviano. We’ll be using your thoughts and questions as inspiration for our episodes this season, and your question just might get featured on the show!   Come get excited with us for a new season of Better Innovation.  

Are lawyers ready for the legal sector to be transformed? This week, Jeff is joined by EY Global Law Leader Cornelius Grossman at the Advanced Technology Tax Lab to discuss the future of law, the legal profession and how technology is being applied to it. After a first wave of overpromises and disappointments, the legal sector is starting to see the real fruits of artificial intelligence and platform technologies in their work. As these tools expedite once-tedious processes, lawyers have more time to focus on adding value to vital areas of the business—leaning more on their strategic insights than their domain knowledge. Jeff and Cornelius look at where law is headed through both an EY and global perspective, as one of the world’s most conservative professions faces its moment of disruption.

Oh the places you’ll go! Oh the places you’ll go!  Over the course of two seasons of the Better Innovation podcast, Jeff has had the privilege of interviewing some of the brightest innovation minds in our world today. As season two winds down, we bring to you a compilation of some of the best advice that our guests have given over the past episodes. Think of it as our version of a commencement speech.  You’ll hear amazing insights from Andy Card, Kate Barton, David Becker, Dr. Lucy Marcil, José María Lucia Moreno, Nicole Sahin, Dr. Patti Fletcher, Tucker Marion and Sebastian Fixson. As always, thank you for listening, subscribing and being part of this incredible journey with us. It is our privilege to bring these stories of innovation to you. We hope that you are as inspired as we are by our amazing guests.  See you in September! Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano

“What ever happened to Tucker and his book?” In this episode, Jeff is rejoined by the show’s second-ever guest, Tucker Marion, along with his writing collaborator, Sebastian Fixson, to discuss their book and its impact on business-led transformation. The Innovation Navigator looks at a world filled with disruptors and the disrupted, where the digitization of innovation and a culture of collaboration has seen the landscape explode with new ideas. While that inspires organizations to act faster than ever, the question remains—how do you put your best innovation foot forward? In this book, Tucker and Sebastian explore their four archetypes of innovation and how companies are applying this theory to cultivate the ideas that will transform businesses.  Join us for a very special look inside the minds of two of academia’s brightest business innovation minds. Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Follow Tucker Marion for his latest insights: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tucker-marion-0b1273/ F

Is an AI winter coming? In this episode, Jeff is joined by Nigel Duffy, EY Global Artificial Intelligence leader, to talk about the state of AI technology today and how we can better prepare for its future. Over the last few decades, hype around AI has swelled and deflated as our imagination has been sparked by the idea that we’re inching closer to machines imitating human intelligence – we call this ‘general AI’. But, not only is the idea of general AI a world away, it perhaps shouldn’t even be the goal. As deeper capabilities around machine perception and machine learning emerge, we’re already seeing transformative possibilities of AI helping human professionals sort through data, discover patterns and standardize repetitive tasks. Jeff and Nigel also discuss the impact of government regulation on AI development. Join us for a very special perspective on the application of artificial intelligence to business, from one of the field’s brightest minds. Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySa

This week, Jeff recorded LIVE at the EY Innovation Realized Summit in Boston. In this episode, Jeff chats with Emilie Sydney-Smith, CEO of ExO Works and one of the event’s co-facilitators. Sydney-Smith is an expert on disruption theory and works with many organizations around the world to spot areas of disruption vulnerability – and take meaningful action. Join us for a powerful discussion on the ever-accelerating rate of change and effective transformation strategies for your organization.   Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano   Follow Emilie Sydney-Smith on Twitter for her latest insights @ENSS  https://www.emiliesydneysmith.com/   Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out to @JenHemmerdinger on Twitter

This week, Jeff recorded LIVE at the EY Innovation Realized Summit in Boston. In this episode, Jeff sits with the event’s keynote speaker: Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering and Founder of Thrive Labs. Parker shares insights in her book on the importance of in-person connections and how meeting with purpose can lead to disruptive and inspiring realizations. Join us for a fresh perspective on what it means to get together and how an infusion of humanity can lead to better innovation. Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Follow @PriyaParker on Twitter for her latest insights and learn about her book and more: https://www.priyaparker.com/ Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out to @JenHemmerdinger on Twitter

World Economic Forum special: Jeff talks blockchain with Dennis Post, EY Tax Partner and leader of Blockchain solutions for the EY Global Advanced Technology Tax Lab. Post discusses the remarkable advancement in blockchain development, and how this progress is creating a myriad of possibilities for new applications in the field of taxation. Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Watch Jeff's talk from the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the future of tax enterprise solutions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwH5nayK10I Connect with Dennis on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-post-581508/ Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out to @JenHemmerdinger on Twitter. 

World Economic Forum special: Jeff chats with Thomas Hardjono, Chief Technology Officer for the MIT Connection Science Lab, about the notion of homomorphic encryption and how the tokenization of assets is creating new opportunities to protect and securitize data. As the definition of “asset” expands, could we see a future where tax becomes tokenized too? Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Watch Jeff's talk from the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the future of tax enterprise solutions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwH5nayK10I Follow @ThomasHardjono on Twitter for his latest insights. http://hardjono.mit.edu/ Watch Thomas' talk from the WEF on fiduciary relationships for personal data. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAXo8wEPCKU 

World Economic Forum special: Jeff catches up with Daniel Peled, Co-Founder of Orbs, a startup promoting a public blockchain that scales base-layer protocols. Peled shares his insight on the importance of infrastructure in the future of public (and private) blockchains and the unique start-up culture in his home country of Israel. Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Watch Jeff's talk from the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the future of tax enterprise solutions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwH5nayK10I Watch Daniel's talk from the WEF on hybrid blockchain for high impact solutions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UWWfBJ7bZQ Stay up-to-date on @orbs_network latest blockchain projects on Twitter. https://www.orbs.com/ Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out to @JenHemmerdinger on Twitter. 

World Economic Forum Special: Jeff is joined by Greg Medcraft, Director of Financial Enterprise Affairs with OECD. Greg and Jeff examine how blockchain and artificial intelligence are being utilized by governments around the world to fight corruption, standardize operations and decrease costs and risks.  Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Watch Jeff's talk from the World Economic Forum on the future of tax enterprise solutions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwH5nayK10I Follow @GregMedcraft on Twitter for his latest insights.  Read the OECD's "Blockchains Unchained" working paper here: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/governance/blockchains-unchained_3c32c429-en Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out to @JenHemmerdinger on Twitter.   

World Economic Forum Special: Jeff and Fabio Zoffi, President and Executive Chairman of ORS Group, discuss how far artificial intelligence has come and how an influx of data is creating a wave of new possibilities. Zoffi looks at how AI’s next evolution will help organizations enhance decision-making, planning and optimize operations that once seemed too complex to automate. Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Watch Jeff's talk from the World Economic Forum on the future of tax enterprise solutions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwH5nayK10I Follow @ORS_IT on Twitter for their latest insights. https://www.ors.ai/ Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out to @JenHemmerdinger on Twitter

World Economic Forum Special: Jeff talks with Panos Panay, fellow Bostonian, and VP of Innovation and Strategy at the Berklee College of Music, about how blockchain and AI are disrupting and will continue to disrupt, the music industry. Panay discusses the uniqueness of the industry and how new technologies can restore value to music artists. Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Watch Jeff's talk on the future of tax enterprise solutions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwH5nayK10I Follow @PanayPanos on Twitter for his latest insights on music and innovation. https://www.berklee.edu/people/panos-panay Watch Panos' talk on blockchain and the future of music rights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XFE2cR2jos&t=102s Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out to @JenHemmerdinger on Twitter

We’re taking a short break in Season 2 to bring you to Davos, Switzerland, where Jeff attended the World Economic Forum 2019. During his time in Davos, Jeff had the opportunity to speak at a special event hosted by Sandy Pentland, leader of the MIT Connection Science Lab, on the convergence of human and machine. The event, ‘Blockchain+AI+Human=Magic,’ explored the opportunities presented by the convergence of these technologies - along with the best of humans. Over the next week, we’ll share our conversations with a wide range of thought leaders who attended this MIT event. You can watch Jeff’s talk on the future of tax enterprise solutions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwH5nayK10I  Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out to @JenHemmerdinger on Twitter

The relationship between diversity, inclusiveness, and innovation is well recognized, but Karyn Twaronite, EY Global Diversity & Inclusiveness Officer, stressed that one of the most important tenets is building environments where professionals can thrive and feel a sense of belonging. Jeff and Karyn discuss why a leader's diversity and inclusiveness strategy should include more than just gender and cultural background. They explore why it's so hard for large organizations to implement diversity initiatives. Karyn shares practical tools that leaders can use to build diverse and high performing teams within their own organizations. Join us for a powerful discussion on belonging, innovation and the importance of representation at every level of your organization.   To learn more about the EY Belonging Barometer click here: https://www.ey.com/us/en/about-us/ey-creating-a-strong-sense-of-belonging-for-all Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out

Professor Roz Picard, director and founder of the Affective Computing Research Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's famed Media Lab, argues some artificial intelligence researchers are not adequately addressing the ‘why’ behind their AI work, but are instead too focused on getting their next paper published or grant secured. Roz, a scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur, believes society trusts machines too much and humans and machines should partner and coevolve together. CNN named Roz one of seven "Tech Superheroes to watch in 2015." Jeff talks to Roz shortly after she delivered her TEDxBeaconStreet Talk. Watch Professor Roz Picard's TEDxBeaconStreet Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itikdtdbevU   Read Roz's book, "Affective Computing." https://www.amazon.com/Affective-Computing-Press-Rosalind-Picard/dp/0262661152  Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out to @JenHemmerdinger on Twitter. Follow @RosalindPicard on Tw

This week, Jeff keeps it in the EY family with Mike McKerr, Chairman EY Ireland and the EY Global Leader-Market Solutions. Mike and Jeff talk about the importance of unlearning—breaking down what you know to discover something new—and how it is driving innovation within alternative business models in the professional services industry and beyond. From his upbringing in Northern Ireland during much conflict to his current role at EY, Mike’s story is one you won’t want to miss. Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano Want to be a guest on the podcast? Reach out to @JenHemmerdinger on Twitter Follow @EY_Ireland for news and content from Ireland and @EY_Tax for all EY news and content about tax.   

Two heads are better than one. For the first time, Jeff is joined by two guests: Nicole Sahin and Dr. Patti Fletcher. Sahin is an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 New England Award winner and the founder of Globalization Partners, the second-fastest growing company in Massachusetts. Dr. Fletcher is a gender equity advocate for women in business, leadership, and technology. She is also the author of Disrupters: Success Strategies from Women Who Break the Mold. Jeff speaks with these two powerful women about leadership and representation in the business world, what separates male and female leaders and the strategies that have helped women transcend the gender gap. Have a question for Jeff? Find him on Twitter @JeffreySaviano You can find Dr. Fletcher on Twitter @PKFletcher and learn more about her book on her website: http://drpattifletcher.com/  You can find Nicole on Twitter @Nicolemsahin and learn more about Globalization Partners on their website: https://www.globalization-partners.com/ 

Jeff travels to Madrid to talk with José María Lucía Moreno, director of the EY flagship wavespace—the ‘EY Hubble Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence.’ José shares his insights on how the Hubble Center leadership team was able to bring together a diverse group of talented professionals to develop transformative client solutions. They also look at José’s life—from growing up in Spain to launching his career in the 90’s tech boom—and how it has inspired his unique approach to purposeful innovation.