No Bullsh!t Leadership Podcast

Episode 377: Leading in the Age of AI with James Killick

Host: Martin G Moore
Guest: James Killick, AI Strategist and Product Expert
Date: November 18, 2025

Overview

In this insightful episode, Martin G Moore brings on AI strategist James Killick to demystify the realities of AI in modern leadership and business. With AI continuing to generate buzz—and anxiety—about its ability to replace jobs, Moore and Killick cut through the hype, discuss which aspects of AI are genuinely ready for prime time, and hone in on the critical shifts leaders need to stay relevant in the AI era. Their candid discussion covers the unreliability of AI, why so many corporate AI initiatives fail, what work is (and isn’t) ripe for automation, and how leaders must become AI orchestrators to thrive.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Realities and Limits of AI Today

[04:23] – [09:18]

• Reliability and Hallucinations:
  AI often appears more competent than it is, frequently “hallucinating” or producing plausible-sounding but false information.

  “The really critical aspect is you don’t know when it’s going to hallucinate... If you’re not on the ball, it is actually scary what it can do.” – James Killick (04:23)

• Stories of Hallucination:
  Killick shares an anecdote where Claude AI accurately identified Moore had studied law, but then fabricated that Killick, too, had dropped out.
• Comparison to Human Behavior:
  AI responds to user prompts with a tendency to please, sometimes contradicting itself to agree with the user’s assertions.

  “Are you just trying to make me happy? ... Sometimes I feel as though my AI’s just trying to make me happy.” – Martin Moore (05:54)

2. How AI Searches and Presents Information

[07:25] – [09:18]

• AI vs. Google Search:
  Moore likens LLMs to “crawling the internet” and providing direct synthesized answers, whereas Google points to sources.
  • Killick notes LLMs are analogous to “overeager interns”—they dig deep but lack discernment and can be gamed (“black-hatted”).

  “You can spoof AI... try and put yourself forward as the authority and you can trick AI at the moment.” – James Killick (07:52)

• Prompting Matters:
  AI becomes more effective for those who “prompt well,” allowing users to get tailored, contextual responses.

  “If you’re prompting well, AI for sure [is more effective than Google].” – James Killick (08:56)

3. Why Most Corporate AI Projects Fail

[09:53] – [11:17]

• Staggering Failure Rates:
  Up to 90% of corporate AI initiatives fail—often because businesses shoehorn solutions in without identifying genuine problems.

  “They are getting the solution and saying, ‘How can I put this into my business?’ Rather than looking for the problem.” – James Killick (10:03)

• Business-First Mindset:
  Success comes from amplifying what already works or solving an existing bottleneck, not blindly adopting AI for its own sake.

4. How Leaders Should Deploy and Manage AI

[12:08] – [14:05]

• Start with “Easy Wins”:
  Early success is more likely in templated functions like marketing and sales, while operational or administrative tasks are more complex.
• Pilot Programs:
  Test small, high-impact use cases to free up top performers rather than cutting headcount.

  “Test one or two very small things that can free up your best staff to do the best part of their job.” – James Killick (13:38)

5. What Remains Uniquely Human

[15:00] – [16:25]

• Differentiation and Human Touch:
  As AI mainstreams, “human in the loop” qualities like creativity, relationship-building, and distinction become priceless.

  “AI cannot create new. That’s what humans are for.” – James Killick (15:55)

• Agentic AI’s Ceiling:
  AI’s shortfall is true creation—it can remix the past but rarely creates something genuinely novel.

6. Preparing for What’s Coming

[16:25] – [20:14]

• Pace of Change and Disruption:
  The transition to widespread AI will be dramatic, with significant impacts on economies and job markets.

  “When it breaks through that [ceiling]... there’s a part of me that’s scared, I’ll be completely honest.” – James Killick (18:04)

• Lack of Regulation:
  Both express concern over AI’s unregulated advancements, with Moore highlighting how definitions of “good” are deeply contested.

7. The Leader’s Playbook: Becoming an AI Orchestrator

[21:18] – [22:48]

• AI Orchestration:
  Leaders should coordinate both humans and AI agents, ensuring staff have basic training and fostering collaborative innovation.

  “The people that win are going to... keep their humans in the loop, they’re going to get them excited about the initiatives.” – James Killick (21:53)

• Guided Adoption (Not Free-for-All):
  Allowing unchecked experimentation leads to security and consistency issues—leaders must set the boundaries and standards.

8. Security and Organizational Strategy

[23:27] – [24:29]

• Data Protection:
  Use enterprise AI tools (e.g., Copilot, Gemini) that align with company security protocols instead of public AI interfaces.
• Behavioral Challenges:
  Employees may try to bypass company tools for privacy—leaders need awareness but can’t eliminate all risk.

9. Mastering the Art of Prompting and Validation

[25:36] – [27:09]

• Skepticism is Essential:
  Leaders should always validate AI output, even cross-referencing between different AIs for accuracy.

  “A healthy level of skepticism… is a healthy approach to take to AI.” – Martin Moore (26:41)

• Domain Knowledge as a Superpower:
  Use AI to amplify your expertise, not become a generalist.

  “People with domain experience will be the ones that win. Go really niche with AI and use it to amplify what you already know and what you already do.” – James Killick (26:49)

10. Raising the Bar: Competitive Edge and AI’s Leveling Effect

[28:16] – [30:33]

• Current Window of Opportunity:
  Using AI to speed up delivery confers a temporary advantage, but expectations will normalize.

  “There is a window of opportunity and it’s now.” – James Killick (28:16)

• Homogenization of Output:
  While AI makes everyone’s work more competent, it also makes it harder to stand out—a phenomenon Moore calls “leveling.”

  “It just feels grey and beige and all the same [when AI writes].” – Martin Moore (30:33)

11. Customizing AI Output: Tone, Context, and Projects

[31:55] – [34:09]

• Overcoming AI’s Blandness:
  Structure detailed “tone of voice” documents, use system instructions, and provide context and anecdotes so AI aligns with your style.

  “Give it all of this context plus your tone of voice, the system instructions... The hard work of the prompting is done.” – James Killick (33:00)

• Project Frameworks:
  Organize AI work into projects with system instructions and specific knowledge bases to maintain consistency and security.

12. Rapid-Fire Questions: Practical Leadership in the Age of AI

[34:49] – [35:58]

• One thing every leader should automate: Meeting transcripts

  “One thing. Meeting transcripts.” – James Killick (34:49)

• Leadership skill made more valuable: Managing both humans and AI

  “Now you have to not only manage humans, but the AI agents as well.” – James Killick (35:10)

• Biggest myth about AI: You need to be technical.

  “I’ve never written a line of code and I also got my 84-year-old father to use AI.” – James Killick (35:24)

• Mindset shift required: Radical flexibility

  “We are moving so fast... you’ve got to be ready to adapt to a lot of different changing scenarios.” – James Killick (35:45)

Notable Quotes

• “AI won’t replace you, but leaders who master it will.” – Martin Moore (00:00)
• “AI is like an overeager intern.” – James Killick (07:25)
• “Test one or two very small things that can free up your best staff to do the best part of their job.” – James Killick (13:38)
• “AI cannot create new. That’s what humans are for.” – James Killick (15:55)
• “The people that win are going to… get their humans excited about the initiatives.” – James Killick (21:53)
• “People with domain experience will be the ones that win.” – James Killick (26:49)
• “It just feels grey and beige and all the same [when AI writes].” – Martin Moore (30:33)
• “You have to not only manage humans, but the AI agents as well.” – James Killick (35:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• AI Hallucinations & Reliability Concerns: 04:23–06:33
• AI Search vs Google, Prompting Skills: 07:25–09:18
• Corporate AI Initiative Failure Rates: 09:53–11:17
• Where AI Excels First (Sales/Marketing): 12:08–14:05
• Human Aspects AI Can't Replace: 15:00–16:25
• Speed, Disruption, and Regulation Gaps: 16:25–20:14
• The AI Orchestrator Mindset: 21:18–22:48
• Organizational Security & AI Use: 23:27–24:29
• Prompting/Validation Techniques: 25:36–27:09
• Competitive Edge and Output Homogenization: 28:16–30:33
• Customizing AI’s Tone and Output: 31:55–34:09
• Rapid-Fire Leadership Q&A: 34:49–35:58

Memorable Moments

• Killick’s story of AI hallucinating his own background, demonstrating the technology’s unreliability (04:43).
• Moore’s anecdote about using “Chad” (ChatGPT) for football stats, highlighting AI’s eagerness to please (05:22).
• The concept that leaders who orchestrate both people and AI will outpace those who don’t (21:18).
• Practical advice: Every leader should automate meeting transcripts this year (34:49).
• Killick’s bold guarantee to create a tone-of-voice document that finally satisfies Moore (34:09).

Takeaways

• Be skeptical and validate AI output; domain knowledge will be more vital, not less.
• Leaders must become orchestrators, integrating both human and machine work strategically.
• Start small, focus on actual bottlenecks, and train your team intentionally—not ad hoc—on AI tools.
• Major disruptions are coming, but human connection, creativity, and discernment will define the next edge in leadership.
• Stop worrying about technical prowess—AI fluency is about intelligent use, not code.

Resources & Links:

• James Killick’s community: “Make Money with AI”; company: Enjin Co
• Bonus resources: Prompt library, AI readiness blueprint (links in show notes)

Tone of the Episode:
Frank, practical, and occasionally humorous—a no-nonsense breakdown of what leaders need to know (and do) to benefit from AI and avoid being swept aside by it.

Listen if You:

• Are charting an AI strategy for your team or business
• Worry about job security and AI’s impact
• Want pragmatic leadership advice, not shiny tech promises