Now To Next Podcast EP4: Collapse or Reset? Why AI Agents + Trust Will Redefine Work

Software is disappearing. Trust is the new competitive advantage.

When I asked the community to send me Questions from the Edge, I expected a handful of responses. Instead, I got more than 25 detailed, sharp questions about HR, AI, and the future of work.

So I decided to launch a new series within Now to Next to tackle them head-on.

The first two themes were clear:

1. The Collapse of Software and the Rise of Agents

2. Trust, Change, and the Human Side of AI

Here’s the reality:

➡ ️ Software is collapsing into agents.
We’re not buying “systems” anymore. We’re orchestrating workflows. The UI, the intranet, the portal — they’re disappearing as agents become our digital front door. Pricing models are shifting. Implementation cycles are collapsing. This isn’t incremental change. It’s a collapse moment.

➡ Trust is the true competitive advantage in AI.
Technology scales instantly. Belief and confidence don’t. Employees aren’t naive — they know AI is being used to reduce jobs. The gap between the efficiency story leaders tell and the lived reality is where trust erodes. Silence only breeds fear. Leaders must narrate change, even when the answers aren’t clear.

➡ ️ Reskilling is meaningless without redesign.
We can’t just train people for yesterday’s jobs. We need new operating models. Leadership, structures, and work itself need to be reset — not incrementally, but exponentially.

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💡 Key takeaway: If we don’t rebuild with intent, agents, and workflows at the center — instead of platforms, processes, and users — we’ll end up with stranded assets and eroded trust.

This is our moment. Everyone is now. Everyone needs to create their next.

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Quote to Remember:
“Trust is the true competitive advantage in AI. If I don’t have trust, I don’t have AI.”