4 Waves of AI (We're on Wave 2)
4 Waves of AI (We're on Wave 2)  
Podcast: Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson
Published On: Mon May 18 2026
Description: Are we entering the most transformative era of work in history?Technology is evolving weekly, and culture takes time to adapt. In this episode, AI futurist and award-winning innovation leader Maurice Conti explains how rapid technological change, especially in artificial intelligence, will shape our world, the economy, and the future of jobs, and what AI leadership means for navigating these shifts.Drawing on his experience with companies like Amazon, Nike, Mercedes, and Lululemon, Maurice shares insights from Fortune 100 companies and explains how generative AI, automation, and human-AI collaboration are transforming the workplace.The key insight is simple. The future of AI is not big, flashy, or “sexy.” It is quiet, invisible, and massively impactful. Maurice explains why we have entered the “Augmented Age,” where humans and AI work together, and outlines the major shifts known as the 4 Waves of AI defining this transformation, including the grassroots AI revolution happening inside organizations and the rise of AI agents and ecosystems.If you want to understand where AI is really going beyond the hype, this is a must-watch episode.Like and follow for weekly episodes.In this episode:00:00 Intro01:04 The “Augmented Age”: Humans + AI working together02:10 Sci-Fi to reality: Talking to computers like Star Trek04:11 Have we arrived at intuitive AI?05:15 Why AI progress isn’t linear 06:05 Can anyone predict the future of AI?07:05 The Nvidia story & “more AI in the future” principle08:57 Amara’s Law: Short-term hype vs long-term impact10:08 Why AI will be bigger (and slower) than expected10:54 The 4 Waves of AI explained11:00 Wave 1: “Interesting but not useful” AI12:31 Wave 2: Grassroots AI (hidden ROI inside companies)13:16 Why CEOs can’t see AI ROI14:09 Tool users → tool makers (the real shift)16:17 The invisible productivity explosion20:10 Wave 3: AI agents & ecosystems21:48 Wave 4: AI as electricity (invisible & everywhere)23:18 The dark side of “interesting AI”26:15 Personal AI use cases (daily life & work)27:09 Why most organizations are still “Grassroots”28:38 The explosion of tools (new risks for IT)30:15 CIO/CTO challenges: Control vs innovation33:09 Building the right AI infrastructure layer34:45 Where should companies invest in AI?37:14 Start with the problem, not the technology40:04 Toolset vs skillset vs mindset42:45 Why mindset & culture matter most44:28 The race to the bottom vs innovation45:15 New workplace norms & ethical questions49:49 Why culture changes slowly51:33 Tech vs culture: A fundamental tension52:30 Can organizations adapt to constant change?56:06 The myth of big, sexy AI57:01 Small AI, massive impact58:18 Where real innovation is happening59:13 Why young workers lead AI adoption01:01:22 Advice for leaders01:02:59 AI is a “Lord of the Rings” journey01:05:15 Will AI replace jobs?01:10:23 Lessons from past tech revolutions01:13:47 Why humans need ~25 years to adapt01:16:02 Why expectations rise with technology01:17:38 Why there will always be more work to do01:18:55 Final thoughts Connect with Maurice:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauriceconti/Our links:Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcastFollow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG