Dr. Pooja Jaisingh

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of joining the ETHRWorld Next Tech Human Capital Summit India as a delegate, hosted by The Economic Times. An energizing, insight‑packed, and future‑focused two‑day conference that brought together HR & business leaders shaping the next frontier of work and workforce transformation. The central theme, “AI with Minds & Machines,” set the tone for powerful, future‑shaping discussions. While conversations began with familiar questions: *Will AI take over the jobs people do today? *Is there a risk that algorithms could override or diminish human judgment? The deeper narrative was far more strategic that the real shift isn’t "Humans vs. AI, its Humans + AI”. A future where technology doesn’t replace thinking, but amplifies it by enhancing skills & capabilities, accelerating decision‑making, and unlocking new performance frontiers. An absolute stellar opportunity was to watch and experience Dave Ulrich (Speaker, Author and Father of modern HR) deliver a thought‑provoking keynote on AI’s transformative impact on HR, urging the function to reimagine its contribution in an AI‑driven organization. Key takeaways that I could learn: AI is shifting rapidly from experimentation to execution and organizations that delay adoption risk falling behind in both capability and competitiveness. Ethical AI and strong governance frameworks will be the backbone of leadership level decision‑making, ensuring trust, transparency, and responsible scale.  AI + Human is the real transformation where meaningful business impact happens when AI augments human judgment, not replaces or confuses it. AI cannot limit cross‑functional collaboration. If anything, it amplifies it, but the true strategic edge still lies in human-to-human connection, collaboration and problem‑solving. AI can increasingly answer the “What” and “How,” but the “Why” the purpose & direction remains a distinctly “human domain”. That’s where people, leadership & culture continue to shape outcomes. The real shift ahead is also toward skill-based performance ecosystems, where organizations prioritize skills over roles, and agility over hierarchy creating a workforce ready for accelerated transformation. With the impactful takeaways there were discussions on the people related risk and how to address meaningfully & urgently: Widening skill gaps & workforce obsolescence Intensifying challenges in retaining critical talent & succession planning Internal mobility & workforce redeployment challenges The summit reinforced a powerful truth: The future belongs to seamlessly integrate human potential with technological advancement where the mind works with the AI & machines, not against it. And having my P&O team participate in the conference was invaluable, learning from their interpretations, perspectives on “Mind & Machines” added a meaningful depth. #MindAndMachines #Futureofwork #Artificialintelligence #Leadership #Innovation #Brightlysoftware #Siemens

109

6 Comments

Simplilearn is excited to participate in the upcoming executive briefing hosted by IDC on 26 February, featuring Krishna Kumar from Simplilearn, along with Gina Smith PhD and Mark Rudnick from Guild, to discuss one of the most urgent priorities for leaders today — closing the AI skills gap and turning learning into real business impact. As AI moves from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption, the conversation is no longer just about technology. It is increasingly about people, organisational readiness, and how companies build the capabilities required to translate AI into measurable outcomes such as productivity, innovation, and growth. This session represents an important step toward educating and enabling leaders who are shaping their workforce for an AI-driven future. The discussion will focus on what organizations are getting right, how to build practical AI readiness across teams, and how learning strategies can directly influence business performance. Leaders defining their workforce strategy for the year ahead are encouraged to join the session. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g7GJUvcr

35

1 Comment

The Future of Skilling: Humanizing AI in Talent Management I recently met CHRO of one of the respected Indian conglomerates and we discussed how does organisations today found themselves at the crossroads when they look to the future. In 2025, the conversation around learning and talent management isn’t about choosing between legacy platforms and AI-based solutions—it’s about how we can combine the best of both to create a more human, agile, and future-ready workforce. Today’s organizations are navigating a landscape where AI-driven tools are no longer a novelty but a necessity. Over 70% of companies now use AI for recruitment, engagement, and performance management, and more than half leverage AI for training and development. These platforms deliver personalized, real-time learning experiences and insights that help employees grow in ways that feel relevant and motivating. But embracing AI doesn’t mean leaving people behind. The most successful organizations are those that: • Respect the value of experience embedded in traditional systems, ensuring institutional knowledge is preserved. • Invest in personalization, using AI to tailor development paths and feedback, making every employee feel seen and supported. • Foster collaboration across generations and roles, blending digital fluency with deep expertise. • Prioritize well-being and inclusion, leveraging technology to create fair, engaging, and meaningful work experiences for all. AI is also helping HR teams move beyond administrative tasks, empowering them to focus on strategic initiatives like internal mobility, skills-based hiring, and employee well-being. With AI-powered analytics, organizations can identify skill gaps, predict future needs, and build resilient, adaptive teams. As we move forward, the challenge isn’t about replacing old with new—it’s about designing a talent ecosystem where technology amplifies human potential. When we put people at the center of our skilling strategies and use AI as an enabler, we create workplaces where everyone can thrive. Let’s lead the way in building learning cultures that are not just digital-first, but truly human-centric. #FutureOfWork #TalentManagement #AIinHR #LearningAndDevelopment #HumanFirst

32

How are India’s education leaders adapting to AI while maintaining the standards their institutions are known for? We’ll explore how to balance digital transformation with the human core of learning here: https://bit.ly/4a2VF9T Woolf is hosting Dr. Sowmya Narayanan Sadagopan (International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore), Dr. Pramath Raj Sinha (Ashoka University), Abhimanyu Saxena (Scaler), Alexandra Kadlec(Woolf), and Dr. Marten Krijgsman(Woolf)—leaders whose perspectives span technology, pedagogy, and institutional design—to explore these questions. Around the world, universities are embracing digital transformation and artificial intelligence—but the real challenge is deeper. As AI accelerates past human abilities in recall, synthesis, and computation, we must ask: what remains uniquely human in higher education? India has long led global shifts in technology and talent. Now it may again, as its educators rethink curricula, assessment, and the purpose of a degree in an AI-native world. Might this moment invite us to rebalance efficiency with connection, speed with judgment, and automation with genuine intellectual formation? I look forward to hearing these speakers discuss what an AI-native future requires of all of us. I hope you’ll join us for the conversation.

51

3 Comments

agree with Aastha Patel and Lakshmi Ganesh 100% on this one #ai #education from the The Learning Agency How can we help educational decision makers to evaluate what I'd call the Learning Sciences choices in an AI product? "The visible interface is only part of the experience. Behind it are layers of design decisions that shape how learning actually happens, choices about what to prompt, how to respond, when to pause, and what to ask next. These decisions are often invisible, but they shape the quality and depth of the learning experience that follows." https://lnkd.in/ewzb5yeh

19

3 Comments

EDB is beyond proud to announce a new partnership with Pratham Education Foundation, one of India’s leading education nonprofits, to support their Science Learning Program in Jhalda, West Bengal. This hands-on initiative from EDB reaches more than 7,000 children across 31 villages through mobile science labs, science fairs, village libraries, and the work of local youth volunteers known as Vigyan Mitras (“Science Friends”). As part of our #EDBeKind initiative, EDB employees will also have the opportunity to give back, supporting Pratham’s work through volunteer time, workshops, storytelling, and skills-based consulting. This is one more way we’re investing in the future of science, technology, and open source. Learn more about the partnership here: https://bit.ly/4cS7kHZ #STEMeducation #CSR #CommunityImpact #Pratham #ScienceLearning #PostgreSQL #OpenSource #GiveBack

18

1 Comment

A great read from Sandeep Nahata on The Future of Learning: From Destinations to Dialogues. Sandeep explores how learning is evolving from being a one-time destination to an ongoing dialogue — a continuous, personalised journey that adapts to each individual. I particularly like his point about moving beyond simply "delivering" learning to truly enabling it, so people can grow in the flow of work and life. Highly recommend giving this a read if you're interested in how we can make learning more meaningful and impactful. Link to article 👇 #FutureOfLearning #LearningAndDevelopment

11

1 Comment

Part 2: Shifting From Toxic to Restorative Reading “The Restorative Organization” by Nitin Goil and Sebastian Anthony, illuminated how workplaces built on restorative principles, rather than punitive or hierarchical models, better handle issues like harassment, bullying, and toxic environments. These lessons are especially relevant when operating in markets where leadership is often authoritative, and psychological safety is overlooked. Shifting from "command and control" to a restorative model requires a cultural shift that not only fosters trust but builds long-term resilience. The book offers a FLOWER framework, which introduces six cultural ‘petals’: Fulfilling, Listening, Ownership, Wellbeing, Enterprising, Results. This elements help humanise workplaces, driving engagement and performance through purposeful, people-centred environments. Goil and Anthony also highlight the importance of leading with heart and vision to help build a culture that supports wellbeing, encourages accountability, and fosters continuous growth. When operating in emerging or culturally conservative markets, leaders need deep emotional intelligence, which includes the ability to ask the right questions, navigate taboos, and offer dignity to diverse stakeholders to build a foundation upon that ensures market entry remains sustainable. #sustainability #restorativeorganization

33

14 Comments