ISF Podcast9 Sep 2025

S36 Ep4: Kathleen Perley - Turning AI Into Business Growth

Today, Steve talks with Dr. Kathleen Perley, founder of DemystifAI and faculty and AI advisor to the deans at Rice Business. Dr. Perley explains why leadership matters when implementing AI in your business, and shares how to bridge the gap between tech-savvy CTOs and non-technical folks. Dr. Perley and Steve also discuss the possibilities and boundaries of artificial intelligence.

Key Takeaways:

AI has some exciting use cases.
Executives should be involved in the implementation of AI.
Business will fall behind if they don’t embrace artificial intelligence.

Tune in to hear more about:

How Dr. Perley got into the AI field (1:33)
The role of the C-suite in AI implementation (8:17)
Dr. Perley’s new book about AI (18:57)

Standout Quotes:

“If you don't have at least a couple sleepless nights where you get a little bit anxious about the unknown in terms of job displacement, falls into the wrong hands—that should be a concern.” - Dr. Kathleen Perley
“I think part of the reason why AI implementation is failing today is that leadership issue. They're maybe unsure of this technology, don't have what they feel like is appropriate technical background to navigate it. And so they've completely delegated it, versus leaning in and learning the technology themself.” - Dr. Kathleen Perley
“If you have AI skills, and I'm not talking building, but leveraging these AI tools in terms of skills, you're 70% more likely to get hired. Those individuals are garnering about a 56% wage premium right now. All of your A-players, if you're not leaning into AI as an organization, are going to start looking elsewhere because they know that they need those skills and that exposure for their own career development.” - Dr. Kathleen Perley

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