So… welcome to Season 3. Exciting new episodes . . .
First up: why do people try an agent once… and never come back?
Why more agents may not lead to more intelligence- context matters. Then… what if your buyer is a machine? and not the people surfing the internet?

In Part 2 of this deep dive into enterprise AI adoption, James Caton continues his conversation with Microsoft Principal UX Researcher Rita Dory. They unpack why simply deploying AI agents into an organization doesn't guarantee adoption and how enterprises can bridge the gap between technological capability and real human value. Rita breaks down the importance of pre-launch evaluation sets (evals), the shift from manual prompting to intent-driven agent orchestration, and why successful AI transformations must prioritize a human-first approach over flashy feature releases.

• Breaking Through Enterprise Complexity
  Launching powerful agents doesn't guarantee adoption. Organizations face complex internal tools, risk tolerances, and cultural hurdles. To succeed, AI experiences must active-orchestrate or surface suggested prompts that meet users directly within their daily workflows.
• Enablement vs. Change Management
  Because AI products evolve so rapidly, change management is non-negotiable. Successful rollouts rely on internal "AI champions," proactive enablement, and continuous product iteration to shorten the distance between trial and value.
• Designing the Path to Value & Pre-Launch Evals
  Rita explains the role of model evaluations (evals)—testing agents against real end-user expectations before deployment to ensure they reliably perform the tasks employees actually need.
• The Shift to Intent-Driven Agent Orchestration
  The burden of knowing which agent, plugin, or skill to invoke shouldn't fall on the user. The future of enterprise UX moves from manual copy-pasting across tools to system-level orchestration based on natural human intent.
• Partner & Enterprise Strategy: Test Before You Deploy
  A major takeaway for technology partners and IT leaders: don't just "plug the machine in" and walk away. Engage employees early as internal testers to identify common work patterns, uncover friction, and iterate before a full rollout.
• Rapid Fire: Deliver the "Wow" (or "Huh?") Moment
  • Proving Payoff: Agents must deliver immediate, noticeable value over existing methods to retain users.
  • Product vs. Expectations: Expectation-setting is part of the product experience.
  • Pattern to Stop: Stop building tools just because they are technically possible; focus on transforming how work actually gets done.
• Advice for Enterprise Leaders: Human-First AI
  Instead of focusing solely on "human-in-the-loop," adopt a human-first mindset. Start small, target repetitive or low-meaning tasks, and design AI to collaborate alongside employees to augment their thinking.

• Introduction & The Role of UX in AI
  Rita Dory introduces her work representing user pain points and needs across Microsoft’s AI experiences (Copilot, agents, plugins, and MCPs), framing why the core momentum in AI is shifting from raw model quality to usability and productivity.
• The Enterprise Adoption Problem
  A look at how enterprise environments differ from consumer AI due to existing workflow complexity, exposing the "dirty little secret" of AI: high initial excitement rarely translates to long-term adoption without an immediate payoff.
• Managing User Expectations & Prompting Challenges
  Addressing the friction of moving users from generalist LLMs to specialized agents, and how suggested prompts, clear capability descriptions, and targeted UX education can effectively narrow the trial-to-value gap.

* Youtube @ https://youtu.be/ED-xa6vF1mU

* Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/show/43XcU8A1dsNfW3YGT8KXhp?si=7fc7caf95f764cfe

* Apple @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generate-now/id1566458654

Connect with

* Ilanko @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilanko/

* James @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton/

See how KPMG's "Client Zero" approach harnesses Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure AI Foundry, and new toolkits like Agent 365 to embed AI deeply into audits, tax, advisory, and legal services. You’ll discover the frameworks and best practices that are setting new standards for enterprise AI. Learn how this internal "test kitchen" accelerates client-ready solutions — with real-world examples from Telstra and Vodafone demonstrating the tangible results of their AI journey.

We break down the evolving role of platforms like KPMG Workbench, a unified, secure engine built on Azure that manages AI agents at scale. Cherie Gartner shares how this platform is revolutionizing professional services, enabling seamless AI deployment across industries and geographies. Plus, get a glimpse into the future of the Microsoft-KPMG alliance, where trust, transparency, and innovative co-creation are powering a new era of client transformation.

Why does all this matter? Because in the race for AI dominance, the difference isn’t just technology — it’s strategic internal adoption, relentless experimentation, and a partner ecosystem that fosters rapid evolution. This episode is essential listening for leaders eager to embed AI deeply, scale securely, and stay ahead in a competitive landscape.

Whether you're a C-suite executive, a tech innovator, or an AI enthusiast, you’ll come away with proven frameworks, inspiring examples, and a clear vision of how to unlock your organization’s full AI potential. The future belongs to those who act first — don’t miss your chance to learn how KPMG and Microsoft are shaping that future today.

Connect with Cherie at https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherie-gartner/

Connect with James at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton/

Video at https://youtu.be/tMdNTnJIp1c

On Apple at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generate-now/id1566458654

James Caton interviews Byungsu Kim, Gaming Industry Leader at Microsoft, on conversations he is having with customer about Agentic AI.

1. Generative AI in Gaming: Explore how generative AI is transforming game development, from production pipelines to player experiences.

2. Agentic AI Innovations: Discover the role of agentic AI in automating and enhancing game design, including art asset generation and localization.

3. Future of Gaming with AI: Delve into the potential of AI to accelerate game production and open new revenue streams in the gaming industry.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/HmKeil22YdY

Byungsu Kim:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/metamorp/

James Caton:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton

Agentic AI Playbook:

https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybook

James Caton interviews Charlie Doubek, Global VP, Agentic AI Leader, Cloud and Security, NTT DATA, on the Agentic conversations he is having in Industry.

We discuss:

• how multi-agent models are revolutionizing supply chains, driving significant improvements in efficiency

• importance of red-team agents to confirm and thus improve compliance and accuracy in multi-agent orchestration

• the shift from experimentation to deployment for Agentic AI, focusing on achieving ROI leveraging the expansive Microsoft ecosystem.

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/VXk06HKqkk4

Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generate-now/id1566458654

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/43XcU8A1dsNfW3YGT8KXhp?si=97412552ae4c439a

Charlie Doubek:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-doubek-6476803/

James Caton:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton

Agentic AI Playbook:

https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybook

Connect with Srinivasaa at https://www.linkedin.com/in/srinivasaahg/?originalSubdomain=uk

and with James at

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton/

James Caton interviews Daragh Morrissey, Banking and Financial Services Industry Leader at Microsoft, on Agentic AI trends in he is seeing in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance industries.

1. Transformational Impact of Agentic AI: Explore how agentic AI is revolutionizing business processes, enhancing ROI, and reshaping customer interactions in the BFSI industry.

2. The Evolution of Contact Centers: Discover how AI is transforming contact centers by reducing wait times, improving service quality, and enabling self-service capabilities.

3. Super Agents and Business Efficiency: Learn about the concept of super agents and how they are driving efficiency by managing multiple tasks and allowing businesses to focus on strategic roles.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/6wkZXxxC4Ys?si=lp1I_AogIT4Fm2Xy

Daragh Morrissey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daraghmorrissey/

James Caton:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton

Agentic AI Playbook:

https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybook

All platforms:

https://linktr.ee/GenerateNowPodcast

James Caton interviews Diego Jarne, Principal, at PWC US, on the Agentic conversations he is having in Industry.

We discuss:

• how Agentic AI is reshaping PwC's business model, moving from billable hours to outcome-based and agent workflow-run pricing models.
• how PwC's sales conversations are shifting to focus on how agents can drive business outcomes: reducing onboarding time, compressing sales cycles, and increasing software delivery velocity
• an example of PwC's agentic solution automating the review of high-risk deal documentation for a large tech company, expediting the process thru end-to-end task automation.

Youtube:

https://youtu.be/PPcxKEapdYM

Diego Jarne:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/diegojarne/

James Caton:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton

Agentic AI Playbook:

https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybook

All platforms:

https://linktr.ee/GenerateNowPodcast

The conversation explores his three-phase roadmap for leaders to move from AI novices to visionary evangelists. Jason explains why the biggest hurdles to AI adoption aren't technical, but cultural, and why every leader must personally get on the keyboard to understand the future of their business.

• The AI Adoption Gap: Why many executives are still using AI as a basic search engine rather than a transformative productivity tool.

• The "Steno Pad" Parallel: Comparing today's AI hesitancy to the 1980s transition when some executives resisted using PCs.

• Red Teaming Your Leadership: Using AI agents to create "digital twins" of a board of directors to predict questions and refine strategy.

• Data Swamps vs. Strategic Data: How to identify the "fumes" of your business—the unique data assets that actually create a competitive moat.

• Culture Over Code: Why AI initiatives fail when rigid corporate cultures penalize the "trial and error" required for learning.

Start with low-stakes, high-impact tasks to become familiar with the technology:

• Evaluate Communications: Use AI to audit the tone and receptivity of your emails from various stakeholder perspectives.

• Audit Time Allocation: Analyze your calendar data to see if your schedule actually aligns with your strategic priorities.

• Automate a Workflow: Move beyond simple prompting to automating a daily task, such as competitive landscape monitoring.

Move beyond the surface to understand the "how" and "why" of the technology:

• Find an AI Mentor: Partner with someone—even a junior employee or "AI native"—who uses these tools to transform their daily work.

• Master the Core Areas: Gain literacy in machine learning, model architecture, data engineering, and responsible AI governance.

Transition from personal use to organizational leadership:

• Set the Ambition: Determine if your goal is 5% efficiency in customer service or a 50% shift in work product generated by agents.

• Manage the Change: Foster a "typing class" mentality where employees are given the time and safety to learn without penalty.

"If you put the lawyers in the room first to talk about governance, you're probably not going to get to a good end state view of what this can do because you'll spend all the time talking about what it shouldn't do." — Jason Baumgarten

"This is not about delegating it to a team. This is about your personal journey of learning where the future is headed... get on the keyboard." — Jason Baumgarten

Jason Baumgarten is a leader at Spencer Stewart, specializing in CEO and board advisory services for companies ranging from high-growth startups to the Fortune 10. He is a leading voice on how AI is redefining the "what" and "how" of modern leadership.

Unlock the C-suite AI roadmap with Spencer Stewart’s Jason Baumgarten. Learn how CEOs use "digital twins" and personal sandboxes to lead the AI revolution.

• Agentic AI bridges the digital divide between IT and OT technologies, enabling seamless communication with machines.
• It offers new revenue streams through integration and orchestration of agentic ecosystems.
• Implementing an AI innovation board can govern and optimize AI solutions at the portfolio level.
• Experimenting with agentic AI can enhance human abilities and productivity.

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/tkFvcGofoWE

Eleni Rachaniotouhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/eleni-rachaniotou/James Caton:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcatonAgentic AI Playbook:https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybookAll platforms: https://linktr.ee/GenerateNowPodcast

Microsoft:

https://aka.ms/generatenow

James Caton interviews Ed Bobrin, Executive Director, Technology Consulting, AI & Data, EY LLC, on the Agentic conversations he is having in Industry. We discuss:

• the value of Agentic AI to integrate apps in the enterprise ecosystem,
• how Agentic AI is causing customers to rethink their Centers of Excellence, focusing more on orchestration, multi-agent architecture, and governance.
• the value of the Microsoft ecosystem, its openness, enterprise-wide integration, and ability to simplify technology, allowing clients to focus on bigger challenges

Youtube:

https://youtu.be/NricI5fRubg

Ed Bobrin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardbobrin/

James Caton:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton

Agentic AI Playbook:

https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybook

All platforms:

https://linktr.ee/GenerateNowPodcast

1. Human-Centered Approach to Agentic AI: how Estee Lauder and other companies are implementing agentic AI to enhance consumer insights and improve marketing efficiency.

2. Spectrum of AI Agents: Delve into the different types of AI agents, from retrieval to autonomous orchestration, and their impact on productivity and creativity.

3. Empowering Retail with AI: Discover how agentic AI is transforming the retail and consumer goods industry by automating workflows and enhancing customer experiences.

Youtube:

https://youtu.be/3udZrL-ATy0

Mike Edmonds:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeledmondsAgentic AI

James Caton:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton

Agentic AI Playbook:

https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybook

All platforms:

https://linktr.ee/GenerateNowPodcast

James Caton interviews Rick Lievano, Telco Industry CTO at Microsoft, on the Agentic trends he is seeing in the Telco Industry;

• AI Adoption in Telcos: Rick Lievano discusses how telcos are becoming early adopters of generative AI, transforming from traditional communication service providers to digital service providers.
• AI Agents as Domain Experts: The conversation highlights the deployment of AI agents as domain experts in various telco business processes, enhancing customer service and network operations.
• Turnkey Solutions Over POCs: Rick emphasizes the shift from proof of concepts to turnkey solutions, as telcos seek scalable, ready-to-deploy AI solutions to drive real business outcomes.

Youtube:

https://youtu.be/c9ADFN7YQsc

Rick Lievano:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricklievano/

James Caton:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton

Agentic AI Playbook:

https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybook

All platforms:

https://linktr.ee/GenerateNowPodcast

James Caton interviews Dmitry Tikhomirov, VP, Head of Cloud Technology and Delivery,

EMEA and APAC, EPAM Systems, on the Agentic conversations he is having in Industry.

We discuss:

• a project from the insurance industry where Agentic AI-driven claim submission and risk flagging significantly speed up decision-making.

• how EPAM is upskilling their workforce across all job functions to leverage AI, including retraining sellers to articulate AI value and training engineers in AI for business solutions.

• Dmitry’s advice that companies start experimenting with AI to avoid missing opportunities for basic capabilities, and then continuously evolve with the fast-moving industry

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/52HFtUvIfVY

Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generate-now/id1566458654

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/43XcU8A1dsNfW3YGT8KXhp?si=97412552ae4c439a

Dmitry Tikhomirov:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmitrytikhomirov/

James Caton:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton

Agentic AI Playbook:

https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybook

James Caton interviews Sheba Fernando, Vice President, AI Solutions and Presales, LTIMindtree, on the Agentic conversations she is having in Industry.

We discuss:

• an example of how Agentic AI transformed the operations of a building automation customer, reducing call handling time by 60% and significantly lowering operational costs

• how LTI Mindtree is rethinking the traditional AI COE, to include specialized components such as agentic frameworks, reasoning and planning engines, memory systems, and execution environments.

• the need for ‘watcher’ agents, which will monitor incoming signals and alert for anomalies, driving consistency and enterprise value for customers.

.

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/7jwYA3ZxOms

Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generate-now/id1566458654

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/43XcU8A1dsNfW3YGT8KXhp?si=97412552ae4c439a

Sheba Fernando:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheba-fernando-40060619/

James Caton:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton

Agentic AI Playbook:

https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybook

James Caton interviews Roshan Gya, CEO Capgemini Invent, on the Agentic conversations he is having in Industry. We discuss:• the shift towards AI as a utility, and helping clients understand which parts of their value chain to disrupt or move incrementally.• rethinking human-AI chemistry for hybrid teams working together seamlessly.• a focus on outcome-based projects instead of deliverables to show real proof points and value creation.

HBR article referenced:

https://www.capgemini.com/us-en/insights/research-library/hbr-guide-to-generative-ai-for-managers

YouTube:https://youtu.be/z7VZswRV_ys

Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generate-now/id1566458654Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/43XcU8A1dsNfW3YGT8KXhp?si=97412552ae4c439aRoshan Gya:https://www.linkedin.com/in/roshan-soorunsingh-gya-5b29a12/James Caton:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcatonAgentic AI Playbook:https://aka.ms/AgenticPartnerPlaybook

James speaks with Ash about Pinecone's strategic partnership with Microsoft Azure, and Pinecone empowers enterprises to fully leverage AI's potential. The focus on context-aware systems provides real-time, relevant solutions, making AI more valuable and aligning with essential AI-first strategies for modern businesses.

Apple @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generate-now/id1566458654

Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/show/43XcU8A1dsNfW3YGT8KXhp?si=62e09c6df65b4dc9&nd=1&dlsi=e9e6a138e7064929

Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/@generatenowpodcast/featured

Connect with Ash @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashashutosh/.

Connect with James @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton/

Apple @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generate-now/id1566458654

Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/show/43XcU8A1dsNfW3YGT8KXhp?si=62e09c6df65b4dc9&nd=1&dlsi=e9e6a138e7064929

Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/@generatenowpodcast/featured

Connect with Christoph @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph-wollersheim-a4b58744/

Connect with James @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton/

• Model Catalog: Access to first-party and third-party models like GPT-4, Meta's Llama, and more.
• Models as a Service: Simplified deployment and monetization without needing your own GPUs.
• Workshops & Events: Upcoming sessions on real-time intelligence, data warehousing, and AI insights with Microsoft Fabric.
• Success Stories: Featuring partners like NTT DATA with their Tsuzumi model.

Stay tuned for more updates and join us in our upcoming workshops! #MicrosoftAzure #AI #LLM #TechInnovation

Our weekly meetup on Azure AI topics is at https://aka.ms/meetup .

Connect with us on LinkedIn at Hazem El-Hammamyand James Caton .

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Generative AI Monetization

• 00:58 Introduction to Monetizing LLMs

• 04:35 Understanding Models as a Service

• 09:48 Live Demo of Model Catalog

• 12:34 Exploring Azure Marketplace

• 17:48 Model Onboarding Process

• 27:16 Fine-Tuning Models as a Service

• 30:49 Q&A and Audience Interaction

In this episode, you'll break down the core architectural innovations behind Pinecone’s platform, including its adaptive indexing and serverless design, which support workloads from low-latency high-throughput applications to massive multi-tenant environments. Oded shares real-world lessons on choosing build vs. buy—highlighting the long-term costs of ownership versus operational simplicity and scalability. Perry dives into how Pinecone's managed vector database facilitates rapid deployment on cloud platforms like Azure, helping teams focus on their core product, not infrastructure.

If you're navigating the complexity of deploying AI at scale—especially in industries demanding high reliability and performance—this episode is your game plan. Perfect for data engineers, AI leaders, and CTOs ready to ditch operational headaches and embrace "boringly reliable" technology that accelerates innovation while minimizing risk. Tune in to discover how to build smarter, scale faster, and focus on what truly matters—your customers.

Apple @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generate-now/id1566458654

Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/show/43XcU8A1dsNfW3YGT8KXhp?si=62e09c6df65b4dc9&nd=1&dlsi=e9e6a138e7064929

Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/@generatenowpodcast/featured

Connect with

Oded @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/odedkal/

Perry @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrykrug/

James @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmcaton/