AI Today Podcast

In this episode of AI Today, host Kathleen Walch speaks with Michael Joyce, Enterprise Service Delivery and AI Transformation Leader at Cisco, about what it really takes to move AI from experimentation to operational impact in enterprise project delivery. 
Drawing on his experience leading technical program management teams across multiple customers, Michael shares how Cisco is applying generative AI to accelerate service delivery, improve decision quality, and empower project managers. He also founded Cisco’s internal AI Innovator Hub for PMs and helped create an AI for PM playbook, giving teams a repeatable way to apply AI under delivery pressure. 
Michael explains why AI projects differ fundamentally from traditional software initiatives, and why treating AI like a new team member through proper onboarding, context engineering, and iterative coaching turns it into a powerful "co-pilot" rather than just another tool. He and Kathleen discuss common pitfalls for AI projects like “shiny AI features” that fail to deliver, and how the CPMAI framework helps teams ask the right questions early, using Business Understanding and the AI Go/No-Go checklist to avoid wasted effort. 
A standout story from the podcast is how a high-stakes hospital system cutover illustrates how organizing critical knowledge into AI-supported playbooks enabled faster responses, smoother transitions, and stronger stakeholder confidence. They also explore PMI’s M.O.R.E. vision, the importance of relentlessly reassessing AI initiatives as conditions change, and how project managers can balance speed with accountability to deliver trustworthy, responsible AI. 
You’ll hear insights on: 
How PMI-CPMAI establishes a common language between business and technical teams 
Why chasing “shiny” AI features without understanding why often fails  
How treating AI like a teammate leads to stronger results 
How project leaders can balance speed with accountability in responsible AI 
How project managers are evolving into orchestrators of AI-enabled workflows 
Practical, grounded, and enterprise-focused, this episode offers valuable perspectives for project managers, technology leaders, and decision-makers working to turn AI ambition into dependable business results.

In this episode of AI Today, host Kathleen Walch speaks with CP Richardson who is co-founder of Agile in Color, an Agile Alliance Board Member, and is also PMI- CPMAI certified to discuss what it really takes to bring AI into day-to-day work with discipline, intention, and the right framework.

CP draws on more than 15 years of experience across software development, operations, marketing, and AI, including early work with machine learning in fraud detection. He also shares lessons learned from experimenting with AI to help run a small wine import business and how earning his PMI-CPMAI certification gave him a shared language and a structured, repeatable approach to AI, replacing instinct-driven decisions with clearer business alignment.  That hands-on context provides some of the episode’s most practical and relatable insights.

CP shares how he built an AI agent to help do prospecting for his wine import business. While the agent failed to deliver on the desired outcome, the lessons learned were valuable: building the right solution technically does not guarantee business success. Without CPMAI’s Phase One Business Understanding and the AI Go/No Go checklist, teams risk investing in solutions that work in theory but fail in practice.

Kathleen and CP also discuss the importance of stakeholder engagement, the PMI M.O.R.E. vision of moving project managers beyond outputs to outcomes, and how combining agile principles with a data-centric methodology enables faster learning, better decisions, and more effective iteration.

You'll hear insights on: 
Why Business Understanding is such a critical phase of any AI project 
How the AI Go/No Go checklist surfaces critical questions before starting your AI project 
What a real-world AI failure teaches about context, behavior, and business objectives 
Why agile practitioners need "chops" — and how AI raises the ceiling for those who have them 
How small businesses can punch above their weight with AI, if they're disciplined about it 
Practical, grounded, and anti-hype — for project managers, agile coaches, engineers stepping into AI leadership, or founders figuring out what AI can do for their business.

Today's episode is brought to you by PMTraining.com. From live virtual classes to on-demand courses, PMTraining prepares students for popular PMI certifications, including the Project Management Professional or PMP.

Behind the scenes, the PMTraining team is also actively applying AI across their organization, from learning development to customer support, helping them deliver training at scale.

PMTraining.com is the world's largest provider of live classes for the Project Management Professional certification, running up to 35 classes every month for every schedule, with a free 30 PDU course included with your enrollment, so half of your continuing education requirement is already met once you are certified. They offer live and on-demand courses for all kinds of PMI certifications, with schedules and formats designed for working professionals. For AI Today listener discounts, visit PMTraining.com/aitoday.

In this episode of AI Today, host Kathleen Walch sits down with Chris Scordo, Founder and Managing Director of PMTraining—a PMI Authorized Training Partner—for a candid conversation about deploying AI responsibly in a training business while keeping the human element at the center.  
As artificial intelligence reshapes how content is created and delivered, Chris explains how the project management training landscape is evolving. From live instruction and certification preparation to on-demand learning, he shares how AI is transforming the way professionals learn while highlighting why human instructors, subject matter experts, and instructional designers remain essential.  
Chris discusses how AI tools can accelerate content development and support scalable learning. However, he emphasizes that real value still comes from experienced practitioners who provide context, interpretation, and practical insight. In project management—where judgment, leadership, and decision-making are critical—human guidance remains key to helping learners apply knowledge effectively.  
You’ll hear insights on: 
How AI is reshaping project management training and content creation 
Why human instructors and SMEs remain critical in an AI-enabled learning environment 
How training providers are adapting to AI-driven learning models 
How AI-related skills and certifications are gaining importance 
What project professionals can do to stay relevant in an AI-augmented future 
This episode offers valuable perspectives for project managers, training leaders, and learning professionals navigating the evolving intersection of AI, certification programs, and professional development. 
Today's episode is brought to you by PMTraining.com. From live virtual classes to on-demand courses, PMTraining prepares students for popular PMI certifications, including the Project Management Professional or PMP. 
Behind the scenes, the PMTraining team is also actively applying AI across their organization, from learning development to customer support, helping them deliver training at scale. 
PMTraining.com is the world's largest provider of live classes for the Project Management Professional certification, running up to 35 classes every month for every schedule, with a free 30 PDU course included with your enrollment, so half of your continuing education requirement is already met once you are certified. They offer live and on-demand courses for all kinds of PMI certifications, with schedules and formats designed for working professionals. For AI Today listener discounts, visit PMTraining.com/aitoday.

In this episode of AI Today, host Kathleen Walch sits down with Sumathi Arcot, Project Director for Lean Agile Transformation in AstraZeneca’s U.S. Oncology Business Unit, for a candid conversation on what it really takes to manage AI responsibly in one of the world’s most regulated industries. 
Sumathi shares how the CPMAI methodology fundamentally shifted her perspective on AI, from something experimental and exploratory to a product discipline with defined outcomes, built-in governance, and clear success criteria from day one. In a pharma environment shaped by strict compliance requirements, she explains how CPMAI doesn’t slow innovation—it enables it—by aligning seamlessly with privacy impact assessments, third‑party risk reviews, and regulatory expectations. 
Drawing on a real-world patient value impact analysis project in the rare diseases space, Sumathi highlights how CPMAI’s six phases—especially Phase I: Business Understanding and Phase II: Data Understanding—help teams focus on the right problem before model development begins. She also connects CPMAI to PMI’s M.O.R.E. vision, explaining how structured artifacts, KPIs, and go/no-go checkpoints help project managers move beyond delivery to value especially when navigating AI initiatives with diverse, risk-aware stakeholders. 
You’ll hear insights on: 
How CPMAI transforms AI experiments into governed, auditable products 
Why Business Understanding is critical in AI initiatives 
How pharma compliance aligns to CPMAI checkpoints 
How the PMI M.O.R.E. vision helps project managers communicate AI value 
What agentic AI and human‑in‑the‑loop leadership looks like in the years ahead 
Whether you’re a project manager, transformation leader, or AI practitioner, this episode offers practical lessons for leading AI initiatives where the stakes and the scrutiny are high.

In this episode of AI Today, host Kathleen Walch talks with Ivonne Mejia, Lead Project Portfolio Manager for the San Francisco Bay Region Network at California State University (CSU), to discuss how PMOs can drive responsible AI transformation in higher education.

As multiple CSU campuses consolidate under one unified PMO, Ivonne shares how she's embedding CPMAI into portfolio intake, prioritization, and oversight, ensuring AI initiatives are strategically aligned and governed. She makes the case for how CPMAI Phase One: Business Understanding shifts the question from “How do we build this with AI?” to “Should we?”

The conversation covers readiness assessment, outcome definition, ethics, and stakeholder alignment. Additionally, Ivonne connects her approach to PMI’s M.O.R.E. vision: managing perceptions, owning success, relentlessly reassessing, and expanding perspectives as data and policy evolve.

Tune in to hear about: 
How CPMAI prevents costly missteps 
Why starting with the right business problem changes everything 
How iterative go/no-go decisions keep AI projects aligned and on track
What the future of AI-augmented project leadership looks like 
This episode delivers practical insight into leading AI initiatives that are aligned, governed, and built for measurable impact.