AI Is Not Magic, It Is A Tool | Ep. 24 with Rob Milstead (IPG)

<p>🎙️ AI Is Not Magic, It Is A Tool | Rob Milstead<br /><br />Six months ago, companies were measuring employees by how many AI tokens they burned. Then people blew through millions of dollars.<br /><br />Rob Milstead has led technology for 30+ years as a CIO, Chief Digital Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer, from Genuine Parts (NAPA) to a faith-based nonprofit, and today as CIO of Intertape Polymer Group. He has no computer science degree. His undergrad is in music. He calls himself the cartilage between tech and business.<br /><br />We talk about why his team picks the cheapest model that works, why the CFO must get the same answer every time, how to sell a "boring" data project, and why people matter more than any tool.<br /><br />In this episode:<br />00:00 Meet Rob Milstead<br />01:11 Why a CIO sits on an AI startup board<br />04:16 "I am the cartilage" of tech and business<br />08:24 The in-store kiosk patent and the torn catalog<br />13:22 Never say "PIM" to an executive<br />15:14 AI is not magic: the boardroom trap<br />19:28 Why the newest model is not always the best<br />23:59 Gross or net? Data context and security for AI<br />28:03 How to sell a data project nobody wants<br />32:05 IT as a thought partner, not a gatekeeper<br />35:08 Startups, music, and making it simple<br />39:01 Don't forget your people<br /><br />Which of your AI projects is chasing the hottest model instead of a real problem? Tell me in the comments. Subscribe for more honest talks with leaders who have done the work.<br /><br />🔗 Links &amp; Resources<br />Rob Milstead on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rob-milstead-4391b5/<br />Dave Goyal: davegoyal.com | linkedin.com/in/davegoyal<br />Data AI Studio: dataaistudio.com</p>