Why Most Companies Aren’t Ready for AI with Jess Von Bank and Jason Averbook

This series was recorded live at HR Tech 2025 inside the HR Executive studios on the expo floor in partnership with the WRKdefined Podcast Network. Make sure you’re subscribed to the full series and visit HRExecutive.com for the news, analysis, and insights shaping the future of work. AI hype is loud, messy, and often misguided. Jess Von Bank and Jason Averbook cut through the noise and get right to the uncomfortable truth. Most companies aren’t ready for AI because they haven’t fixed the basics: broken systems, outdated processes, and low organizational literacy. This conversation gets into the heart of what actually needs to change before AI can deliver real value. In this episode we speak with Jess Von Bank and Jason Averbook about responsible AI, organizational readiness, governance, incentives, failed expectations, and why rethinking work itself matters more than any new tool. Key Takeaways AI won’t fix anything until organizations fix their fundamentals Governance, literacy, and incentives decide whether AI succeeds Automating old processes is not innovation Most AI failures come from bad expectations, not tech Leaders need to rethink how problems are defined The industry must stop “AI sprinkling” on outdated systems Real transformation requires behavior change and reimagining work Chapters 01:56 Why the TA and HR tech ROI hasn’t matched investment 02:45 The opportunity and danger inside the AI buzz 03:26 Human centricity, fairness, and literacy 04:11 The hype cycle and the rush to adopt 05:10 Asking “AI for what?” before chasing ROI 06:14 Why this is a reset, not another tech wave 07:33 Digital lipstick on an analog pig 08:11 Transformation vs ongoing evolution 09:52 What will happen to most vendors 10:39 Why AI projects fail 11:41 Redefining how companies solve problems 12:21 Defining success the right way 13:03 HR’s responsibility in making AI work 14:00 Leaders need AI literacy too 14:47 Productivity vs collective intelligence 15:55 Redeploying work, not displacing workers 16:24 The limits of current AI use cases 17:00 Why displacing jobs is the wrong metric 18:15 Vendors must solve real problems 18:59 Consolidation, infrastructure, and the ecosystem 20:04 Responsible innovation needs offense and defense 20:32 Why infrastructure consolidation matters 21:21 Why responsible AI starts with asking “why?” 22:01 Rethinking whether core HR practices still make sense 22:44 The crisis moment HR is facing 23:08 Closing thoughts and gratitude Guest Info Jess Von Bank, Global Leader, Digital HR Transformation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessvonbank/ Jason Averbook, Sr. Partner Mercer LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonaverbook/ Host Bob Pulver, Elevate Your AIQ Podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobpulver/ Connect with WRKdefined Site: ⁠http://www.wrkdefined.com⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/WRKdefined⁠ Substack: ⁠https://wrkdefined.substack.com/⁠