Embedded Episode #1: The Human Edge: LinkedIn's Chief Economic Opportunity Officer Gets Real
Aneesh Raman tells me what 65% of jobs transforming by 2030 actually means for us. Plus, as a Kenyan, I'm particularly passionate about highlighting African voices in this podcast season.
I'm thrilled to announce the launch of my new podcast series, Embedded.
Our team at the Rundown Studio worked so hard all year on Pressmate, Wanja, and The Newsroom Blueprint. Now we are so happy to bring you this series over the coming holiday season. It’s taken a year of time zones, prioritization, and juggling acts, but we did it!
Thomas, Gill, Zaqi, and I hope you enjoy it!
For the next ten weeks (Season 1), I will be sitting down with people who are shaping how AI intersects with our daily lives. Our guests will make information accessible to you and break down the big issues into bites we can all digest.
Our very first episode is with my friend and former CNN colleague, Aneesh Raman, LinkedIn's Chief Economic Opportunity Officer.
In Brussels at an Iraq meeting together when Aneesh was the Baghdad Reporter for CNN
Aneesh discusses the trends he's been witnessing since the AI boom and breaks down some of the skills and qualities that will be most valuable for employers in an AI economy. How can AI be leveraged to create more efficient and personalised systems to match opportunity more effectively with skills? What will the impact of AI be on jobs? And how can we create a more equitable work environment, addressing existing biases and lowering barriers to entrepreneurship for marginalised groups?
You can listen to the full episode here. Do follow on Spotify!
Numbers Aneesh highlights
65% of job skills transforming by 2030
78% of top employers prioritize human skills
75% monthly increase in AI-related skills on LinkedInÂ
Indigenous Knowledge Scholar
on Ubuntu Ethics and Rashida Richardson, Mastercard's Senior Counsel for AI, will be next.My co-founder at The Rundown Studio, Thomas Brasington, says, "AI can code and run chatbots—that's the easy part. The real challenge is in handling truth, nuance, and cultural context."
Why Africa Matters in the AI Conversation
As a Kenyan, I'm particularly passionate about bringing African voices and innovations to the forefront of the AI conversation. Too often, discussions about technology's future happen without input from the continent. Africa is innovating, and we will highlight some of the people making it happen.
Here are a few products being developed I want to highlight.
South Africa: HIV chatbot app "Your Choice"
Kenya is developing an AI-powered crop disease diagnosis
Nigeria: Awarri developing first Nigerian language LLM.
Follow us on The Rundown Studio or Spotify
Any paid subscription really boosts our morale and our ability to create this sort of content. We are bootstrapping, and your $8 a month will really help us go a long way. Thank you in advance for my Christmas present!
Let me know if you’d like to partner with me and The Rundown Team, amplify our content, or sponsor our series.
AI Elevate: Conference Alert
This is a superb conference for you to consider attending in Dubai on December 13. Here’s the conference agenda. If you would like to attend, do reach out to me or register directly on the site.
When I'm not recording "Embedded," I'm working on Pressmate, a new tool we're developing at The Rundown Studio to streamline press release design while keeping the human touch that makes communications effective. More on that soon!