Using AI Purposefully for More Value [Newsletter #45]

Hello, AI enthusiasts from all around the world! Welcome to the weekly newsletter for the AI and The Future of Work podcast.

These days, it’s easy to assume that every problem needs an app. We all fall into that habit. But today’s guest encourages us to think differently.

There’s a big difference between jumping on the AI bandwagon because everyone else is—and using it with intention and a clear vision for the future.

This week’s issue explores what it means to treat AI as a tool that solves a real, consciously analyzed need and not something we implement just because it exists.

We also talk about how becoming your own internal customer can help you understand your AI strategy more clearly. Plus, what's the future of 'Software as a Service' (SaaS)? And much more! 

Let's dive into this week's highlights! 🚀

🎙️ New Podcast Episode with Ravi Malick, Box CIO

Are you actually getting work done?
If answering that question is difficult, you might assume there’s something wrong with your work.

But maybe the issue isn’t the work itself—it’s how we define productivity.

These days, we try to solve every problem with a new app.
It makes sense. The tech world celebrates agility. More tools often feel like more progress.

Not according to Ravi Malick. As Global CIO at Box, he deals with this mindset every day.

To Ravi, it’s all about intentionality. New apps or AI tools might seem exciting—but the real question is whether they’re actually necessary.

After all, scaling a business isn’t just about speed—it’s about being thoughtful.

One of Ravi’s key responsibilities is helping people shift their focus from the next quarter to the next five years. That long-term lens is what shapes how he thinks about his role—not just as a CIO, but as an internal customer.

His job is to improve how the company operates from within, and in doing so, demonstrate how Box can power the future of work.

At the core of his perspective is a simple but powerful idea:
We’ve spent years—maybe even decades—confusing activity with productivity.

So let’s go back to that first question:
Are you really getting work done, or just checking boxes?

Ravi encourages us to rethink our relationship with AI. Instead of fearing that it will replace human innovation, we can use it to free up our minds—clearing space to think, to create, and maybe even rediscover what makes work meaningful.

He believes AI can help us do more by doing less. And if we use it well, it might just lead us into a new golden age of creativity.

Before joining Box, Ravi served as SVP and CIO at Vistra Corp, where he led the integration of three acquisitions that doubled the company’s size. He holds a BA in Political Science from Brown University and is actively involved in philanthropic work.

This is just one of the many themes Ravi explored in his conversation with PeopleReign’s CEO, Dan Turchin. In this episode, they discuss:

• Why long-term thinking is the key to increasing competitiveness.

• Why practicing what you preach is a crucial part of any company's success.

• How digital agents can become coworkers, especially at peak times, reaching new levels of operational scalability.

• How staying curious can help CIOs who are feeling threatened by AI.

Our latest AI and the Future of Work podcast episode featuring Ravi Malick inspired this issue.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here to hear how Ravi sees the future—not as something to fear, but as a space full of opportunity.

📖 AI Fun Fact Article

Is this the end of SaaS as we know it?

There was a time when SaaS was the buzzword on everyone’s radar. But things have changed. So when Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella suggests that SaaS may be over, it’s a statement that turns heads.

In a recent piece for Engineering.com, Lionel Grealou explores Nadella’s comments, explaining that enterprises everywhere are rushing to modernize with AI. From user expectations to pricing models, AI is shifting the foundation SaaS was built on.

But that shift isn’t happening evenly. While some industries are adopting AI rapidly, others—like manufacturing and traditional enterprise providers—are scrambling to fit it into legacy ecosystems.

Grealou also outlines some of the major challenges enterprises face as they try to modernize, including cultural resistance and the ethical use of employee data when automating decisions that affect hiring, promotions, or compensation.

Still, the opportunities may outweigh the risks—especially for startups and smaller companies—as long as they are deliberate in their use of AI.

PeopleReign’s CEO, Dan Turchin, agrees with the sentiment—but disagrees with the headline.

Every technology transition for the past three decades has included the requisite and premature prediction about the death of traditional enterprise software. Legacy vendors like SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, and Microsoft are easy targets because they sell expensive tools notorious for delivering experiences employees love to hate.

They continue to innovate and are often given the right of first refusal by customers because switching costs are high. 

We can expect AI to improve how we interact with traditional enterprise software long before it replaces it. 

Dan has said it frequently: AI is the new UI. Voice is the new app. 

SaaS models create constant churn risk, which puts pressure on incumbents to evolve fast. But calling this the end of big SaaS any time soon? That’s a stretch.

📖 How AI is improving care for patients and providers.

To mark World Health Day, this special AI and the Future of Work episode highlights how AI is already making care more accessible, affordable, and compassionate. These healthcare experts are using technology to solve real challenges—from clinician burnout to gaps in access.

🎙️ Hosted by Dan Turchin, CEO of PeopleReign, this curated compilation features:

- Boe Hartman(Co-founder, Nomi Health)

- Punit Soni (Founder, Suki)

- Dr. Brigham Hyde (Co-founder, Atropos Health) & Dr. John Halamka, M.D., M.S. (President, Mayo Clinic Platform)

– Dr. Shiv Rao (CEO, Abridge)

🎧 Listen now to discover how AI is changing healthcare for the better:

📚 Worth a Read!

👋 Until Next Time: Stay Curious

That’s a Wrap for This Week!