Listen "Disrupting the AI Race: What Leaders Should Be Asking Before They Deploy with Khullani Abdullahi"
Episode Synopsis
Khullani Abdullahi is the founder of Techné AI, a Chicago-based consultancy that helps organizations adopt and govern artificial intelligence responsibly. In this episode, KJ and Khullani discuss the realities of AI adoption in business, the coming "white collar depression," and how leaders and organizations can prepare for a rapidly changing future. Khullani shares her journey from Somali refugee to tech entrepreneur, and offers practical advice for navigating disruption, building resilient teams, and staying ahead of the curve. Key Takeaways: [0:00] Extraordinary leadership in the age of AI requires transparency, adaptability, and preparing teams for change. [08:41] Most organizations are unprepared for AI adoption, leading to chaos and confusion; Khullani helps companies move beyond hype to real strategy. [19:56] Khullani’s background as a Somali refugee shaped her drive for security, adaptability, and non-traditional career choices. [38:24] The majority of white-collar workers may become redundant in the next 10 years; only the most creative and adaptable roles will remain. [49:26] Leaders must invest in AI education and create open cultures to ensure their teams’ future success—even beyond their current organization. [25:35] Khullani warns against over-reliance on AI: “Be mindful of striking a balance and ensuring that your own amazing, extraordinary cognitive critical thinking analysis, synthesis skills…that you don’t abdicate all of that beautiful capacity and capability by overlying on the tools.” Quote of the Show [25:35]:“We are seeing human intellectual ability degrade in real time as we outsource more of our thinking to the machines and to the algorithms. I would be very mindful of striking a balance and ensuring that you don’t abdicate all that beautiful capacity and capability by overlying on the tools.” — Khullani Abdullahi Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome. Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval Ways to connect with Khullani Abdullahi: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khullani Company Websites: https://techne.ai/ How to get more Disruption/Interruption: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlDSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More episodes of the podcast Disruption / Interruption
Disrupting Home Infrastructure: Adapting to the New World of EV Charging with Stephan Luna Ng
07/11/2025
Disrupting Crypto: How an AI-Powered Quant Fund is Bringing Clarity to Chaos with Chris Cyrille
16/10/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.