Episode Details

What does it actually look like when AI goes from pilot project to daily habit across an entire global workforce? PepsiCo pulled it off — 90 to 95 percent of their 320,000-plus employees are using Microsoft Copilot every single workday. Not just licensed. Actually using it. That's a number that should stop every HR and tech leader in their tracks. In this episode, we break down the three-layer AI stack PepsiCo built to make that happen: Microsoft Copilot embedded right into the tools people already use, an AI-powered internal career mobility platform called myDevelopment, and a personalized skills learning system through PEP U Degreed. Together, they logged 1.8 million hours of digital learning in 2024 alone. But here's the really interesting part — it wasn't mandates or forcing anyone to use anything. A single email from an executive sparked a chain reaction of buy-in across the globe. The lesson for HR leaders? Adoption at scale comes from embedding AI where work already happens, not bolting on new tools and hoping people show up. If you're still stuck in pilot mode, this episode is for you. We unpack what PepsiCo got right, what you can take back to your own organization, and why the gap between AI licensing and AI adoption is really a human problem, not a technology one.