Elevator Pitch
AI won’t take your job—but someone using it smarter will. Don’t fall for the hype or the FOMO. This talk gives you the tools to evaluate AI, adopt it wisely, and build a practical rubric for making smart AI decisions—for you, your career, and your team.
Description
AI won’t take your job—but someone using it smarter will. The pressure to “leverage AI” is everywhere, but chasing the latest tools without a strategy can waste time, break workflows, and create more problems than solutions.
AI isn’t just for engineers. It has the potential to enhance workflows across entire teams—from product management and design to development and beyond. But knowing when and how to apply AI is critical. Blind adoption can lead to inefficiencies, ethical concerns, and wasted effort, while a thoughtful approach can unlock real value.
In this talk, we’ll cut through the hype and focus on practical, strategic AI adoption across disciplines. You’ll learn:
- How to separate AI’s real value from misleading buzzwords
- The biggest AI misconceptions that hold teams back
- How to evaluate AI tools for your workflow (without FOMO-driven mistakes)
- How to build a framework for making smart, context-aware AI decisions
- How to communicate AI’s role effectively to leadership and stakeholders
- Why AI isn’t just for engineering—and how product managers, designers, and developers can all benefit
Whether you’re a developer, designer, or product manager, you’ll walk away with the tools to think critically about AI, adopt it wisely, and stay ahead in your career—without falling for the hype.
Notes
I currently lead the day-to-day orchestration of MLB’s Webstream group, where I oversee the technical direction of our platform across multiple connected device & web environments. As part of my role, I’ve been navigating the fast-changing AI landscape, evaluating tools, and helping my team and leadership understand where AI can provide real value—and where it’s just noise.
The push for AI adoption is happening fast, and I’ve seen firsthand how different groups—engineering, product, and design—are responding. Some are excited, some are skeptical, and many simply don’t know where to start. That’s why I want to provide a clear, structured way to understand AI, evaluate tools, define its role, and communicate strategy effectively.
I bring a practical, hands-on perspective to this discussion. While AI has incredible potential, I’ve seen how easy it is for teams to fall into reactionary adoption, chasing tools without a strategy. This talk is about cutting through the hype, focusing on how AI can be useful across product, design, and engineering, and providing attendees with a framework to make smart, context-aware AI decisions for their teams.
Because I work closely with cross-functional partners—engineering, product, and design—I understand the different concerns each role brings to AI adoption. Developers want to know if AI makes them more productive or if it introduces more problems. Designers are curious about AI’s impact on creativity and accessibility. Product managers need to ensure AI aligns with business goals without introducing risk. This talk is structured to speak to all of these perspectives and equip them with the knowledge to make informed decisions.
Technical Requirements
- Standard AV setup: (projector/screen, microphone) is sufficient.
- Slide-based examples: will be included, but no live AI demos or special hardware are required.
- Basic internet access: would be helpful in case of real-time audience interaction (e.g., Q&A polling), but it’s not mandatory.
With AI adoption accelerating in companies like MLB, it’s more important than ever to equip teams with the right mindset and tools to integrate it effectively. I’m confident this talk will resonate with both technical and non-technical attendees, providing practical, actionable insights—not just theory—so that product managers, designers, and developers can approach AI adoption thoughtfully, avoid FOMO-driven mistakes, and make smarter decisions for their teams and careers.