Ep 96 | Leaving the Sandbox: AI In the Real World

Cloudera, Inc.

Oct 14, 2026

The AI worked in the sandbox. Then it met the real world. David Hardoon learned that lesson during an ATM optimization project designed to improve cash-delivery routes. Once deployed, the system collided with traffic and unpredictable schedules, which are the realities that face the people doing the work.

Recorded at *EVOLVE26* Singapore, this episode of The AI Forecast brings Paul Muller together with David Hardoon, Head of Advanced AI at Accenture, to explore why the human side of AI transformation can determine whether promising technology ever delivers value in production.

Paul and David discuss:*
Why technically successful AI projects can fail when they meet real workflows
What AI leaders can learn by going directly to the people doing the work
Why workforce design should be part of AI transformation from the beginning
How agentic AI could reshape career paths and management structures
Why familiar change-management principles matter again in the AI era
How organizations can balance AI innovation with practical implementation

David also reflects on developing the FEAT principles for responsible AI at the Monetary Authority of Singapore and takes a musical detour into Lestrum, his early research connecting patterns in music with brain activity. Both experiences illustrate his belief that AI works best when grounded in how people actually think and operate.

If you’re leading AI transformation, this episode will push you to look beyond the technology and ask whether your organization and its people are ready for what comes next.

Stay in touch with David:*
David Hardoon’s website: https://davidroihardoon.com/
David Hardoon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrh/

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