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In this special episode of AI and the Future of Work, we are bringing you an exclusive conversation recorded live on the show floor at the HumanX 2026 event. This full interview kicks off a special three-part series, with the upcoming two episodes releasing in a compilation format. To start things off, we are sharing our uncut conversation with the man who made this entire gathering possible.

Stefan Weitz is the Co-founder and CEO of HumanX, an organization and premier event dedicated to cutting through the AI hype to find practical, world-changing applications. He joined Microsoft in 1996, working alongside leaders like Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer on iconic product launches and foundational tech like Bing and Windows.

In this live episode, Stefan draws on his extensive product development background to explain why our survival in the AI era depends on treating technology as an evolving tool and why the most powerful thing a leader can say today is "I do not know".

In this conversation, we discuss: 

• Why relying on focus groups and lean product development is the wrong approach for building breakthrough AI hardware and software.
• The reason established tech giants risk losing the AI race if they rely solely on distribution over building superior products.
• How AI differs fundamentally from all previous human tools and why its ability to learn creates unprecedented exponential growth.
• Why the speed of current technological adaptation threatens to outpace our natural ability to transition roles and find new purpose.
• The danger of anthropomorphizing artificial intelligence and why framing it as human creates unnecessary fear and resistance.
• How saying "I do not know" has become the most powerful leadership tool in a non-deterministic technology landscape.

Resources:

• Connect with Stefan on LinkedIn