Elvis speaks with David Cushman, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, about how to separate hype from reality in agentic and generative AI and what a shift toward Services-as-Software means for people, providers, and clients. They explore where AI hits first in services, especially CX/BPO, why headcounts haven’t collapsed yet, and how value migrates toward human-AI teams and enterprise agents that actually do work.

About David Cushman:
David is Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, where he focuses on generative & agentic AI, automation, and the future of enterprise operations. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of HFS’s Hot Tech program and is the author of The 10 Principles of Open Business (Palgrave Macmillan).

Connect with David:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcushman
HFS Research: https://www.hfsresearch.com

Connect with Elvis:
Website: https://meliacred.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elvismelia/
Substack: https://elvismeliacred.substack.com

Find us on:
LinkedIn: @meliacred
Instagram: @meliacred
X/Twitter: https://x.com/ailemsivle
TikTok: @meliacred1

About this Podcast:
MeliaCRED: Conversations with Elvis explores how AI, automation, and emerging technologies are reshaping work, education, and economic development — particularly in Africa and the Global South. This interview is part of fieldwork for research on “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Global Business Services in Ghana and Rwanda.”

Video Production: MinabTech for MeliaCRED.

#AgenticAI #HumanAICollaboration #FutureOfWork #GBS #GCC #AfricaTech #HFSResearch #MeliaCRED

Elvis speaks with Wondwesen Zewdie about what happens when data, algorithms, and national identity collide on the football pitch. They explore R&D Group’s “Moneyball” contribution to professional football analytics with artificial intelligence, and the Ethiopian outsourcing association’s (EOA’s) approach to regional and global networking in the Global Business Services sector.

From data-driven solutions in one of Africa's fastest-growing economies to the geopolitical forces influencing AI's future, this conversation covers insights about innovation, strategy, and global interconnectedness.

About Wondwesen Zewdie:
Wondwesen Zewdie is the Managing Partner at R&D Group, a pioneering Ethiopian outsourcing and technology company known for its work in sports analytics, AI-driven data services, and talent development. With over 15 years of experience building scalable teams and platforms, Wondwesen has helped position Ethiopia as a rising hub for global business services. Beyond his leadership at R&D Group, he is also the founding president of the Ethiopian Outsourcing Association, where he advocates for the country’s growing role in the global digital economy.

Connect with Wondwesen:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wondwesen-zewdie-46896461/
• Website: http://www.randdethiopia.com

Connect with Elvis:

• Website: https://meliacred.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elvismelia/
• Substack: https://elvismeliacred.substack.com

Find us on:

• LinkedIn: @meliacred
• Instagram: @meliacred
• X/Twitter: https://x.com/ailemsivle
• TikTok: @meliacred1

About this podcast:
MeliaCRED: Conversations with Elvis explores how AI, automation, and emerging technologies are reshaping work, education, and economic development particularly in Africa and the Global South.

Video Production: MinabTech for MeliaCRED.

This episode is part of fieldwork for research on “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Global Business Services in Ghana and Rwanda” which you can find on Substack at https://elvismeliacred.substack.com/p/the-impact-of-artificial-intelligence

#AIandFootball #MoneyballAfrica #AIForDevelopment #FutureOfWork #DigitalColonialism #AGI #AfricaTech #AIandPower #GlobalSouth #ElvisMelia #MeliaCRED

Elvis speaks with Georgina Hutchinson, Associate Partner at Dalberg Data Insights and former Senior Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Georgina has spent years at the intersection of technology, policy, and governance, working to democratize AI for the public good.

In this episode, they explore what life could look like in the company of artificial general intelligence (AGI). From AI consciousness to job creation in the Global South, from digital public infrastructure to the ethics of AI-enabled decision-making. This conversation digs into the messy, exhilarating, and uncertain terrain of the post-AGI era.

Topics Covered:

– What happens after AGI?
– Could Africa thrive in an AI-powered gig economy?
– Universal Basic Income in the Global South: pipe dream or smart policy?
– Does critical thinking still matter in an AI-dominated world?
– The risks of lifeless AI systems convincing us that they are conscious
– What AI safety looks like in an unregulated arms race
– How art and the human experience may become more important

About Georgina Hutchinson:

Georgina is an Associate Partner at Dalberg Data Insights, where she works to make AI accessible and impactful for public sector and development-focused institutions. Previously, she was a Senior Policy Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where she supported governments across Africa on digital transformation and AI readiness. She holds degrees from SOAS University of London and the University of Cambridge.

Connect with Georgina:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgina-hutchinson-95505218/

Connect with Elvis:

🌍 Website: MeliaCRED

🔗 LinkedIn: @elvismelia

✏️ Substack: elvismeliacred

Find us on:
📍 LinkedIn: @meliacred
📷 Instagram: @meliacred
🕊 X/Twitter: https://x.com/ailemsivle
🎵 TikTok: @meliacred1

About this podcast:
MeliaCRED: Conversations with Elvis explores how AI, automation, and emerging technologies are reshaping work, education, and economic development—particularly in Africa and the Global South.

Video Production: MinabTech for MeliaCRED.

This episode is part of fieldwork for research on “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Global Business Services in Ghana and Rwanda”which you can find on Substack at https://elvismeliacred.substack.com/p/the-impact-of-artificial-intelligence

#AGI #FutureOfWork #AIForDevelopment #AIConsciousness #AfricaTech #DigitalGovernance #UBI #CriticalThinking #GigEconomy #Dalberg #AIandEthics #AIandPolicy #AI4Gov #AI4Good #ElvisMelia #MeliaCRED