#954 Why Does AI Momentum Stall in Large Organizations? with Kyle Lagunas & Allyn Bailey

Understanding these key points is what actually moves the needle on AI gains.

Today, we're talking to Kyle Lagunas, analyst and founder at Kyle & Co, and Allyn Bailey, senior director of communications at SmartRecruiters, about why AI momentum in HR is stalling and what's actually moving the needle. We discuss why the organizations leading on AI aren't doing anything flashy, how the most boring red-tape work turns out to be the biggest unlock, why HR's instinct for risk avoidance is exactly the wrong posture for this moment, and what a surprising finding about EU companies under heavy regulation reveals about the relationship between guardrails and speed.

All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CTO Podcast! 

To learn more about SmartRecruiters, check out their website here.

To read Kyle and Co's full AI Momentum Model, check it out here.

About Allyn Bailey

I work at the intersection of AI, narrative, and the reinvention of human work.

We are living through the most profound shift in work since the industrial revolution. AI is not just changing how we hire, lead, or operate. It is changing how human capability itself is expressed.

My work sits at that intersection.

For more than two decades, I have helped organizations navigate moments of transformation. Today, my focus is helping leaders and companies understand what it means to build, lead, and evolve in an AI-native world.

As Executive Director of Executive Narrative and Communications at SmartRecruiters, I shape the strategic narrative at the intersection of AI, hiring, and the future of work. This includes guiding executive voice, defining category positioning, building global thought leadership platforms, and translating complex technological shifts into clear human implications.

But more broadly, my work is about helping leaders make sense of what is changing and what it requires of them.

About Kyle Lagunas

I keep tabs on key practices in talent transformation—from operations to technology and innovation. Through primary research and deep analysis, I do my part to tune people into important conversations and emerging trends in the rapidly changing world of work. I've spent the last several years offering a fresh take on the role of technology as part of an integrated talent strategy, and focus on providing actionable insights to keep leading organizations a step ahead.