The Culture Gap — AI, Talent & Why Most Companies Fail | ft. Brett Wiskar | Zero Shot Ep. 12

Most businesses think giving 15 staff a Copilot licence is their AI strategy. It isn't. In this episode of Zero Shot, James Gauci and Llew Jury sit down with Brett Wiskar — innovation and strategy advisor with 25 years of experience and National Manager of Digital Innovation at Australian Catholic University — for the most unfiltered conversation this show has ever had. If your organisation is still hiring for the job description instead of for adaptability, you're already behind. Brett has a front-row seat to how large organisations, universities, and SMEs are actually navigating AI adoption in 2026 — and the gap between those who are genuinely in the race and those running innovation theater is wider than most leaders want to admit. In this episode you'll learn: 🏢 Why most large organisations are still not genuinely in the AI race — and what "innovation theater" actually looks like from the inside 🧠 Amara's Law explained: why we overestimate AI short-term and dangerously underestimate it long-term 🎓 What universities are — and aren't — doing to prepare the next generation of AI-ready talent 👤 How to hire for the AI era: the attributes that matter more than GPA or technical skill 🔁 Why your next hire should redesign their job, not just do it ⚡ The Jevons Paradox and what efficiency gains from AI actually mean for your workforce 🤖 Brett's personal AI workflow: why he builds a new agent at the drop of a hat — and keeps 15 running at once 🏗️ Why if you're using Excel for anything critical in 2026, you can fix that by Friday ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome + Episode 12: First ever guest on Zero Shot 1:10 – Sponsor: Prompt Cowboy 1:35 – Introducing Brett Wiskar: 25 years of innovation without the hype 4:17 – Why AI is different from every previous technology wave 7:54 – What to actually do on Monday morning if you're just getting started 11:47 – The Year of the Dabble is over: who's genuinely ahead in 2026? 13:11 – Inside large organisations: Copilot theater vs. real AI transformation 20:00 – Amara's Law: the dangerous gap between AI hype and AI consequence 33:00 – Stop hiring for the job. Start hiring for redesign 37:31 – What universities are doing (and not doing) about AI readiness 40:00 – LinkedIn Skills on the Rise: the soft skills that are actually the hard ones 44:42 – Frameworks for adaptability: how to find people who can think, not just do 54:10 – Construction, sales, and industries still shooting fish in a barrel 55:43 – The Zero Shot Fast Five with Brett Wiskar 59:41 – Next guest recommendations + Episode 13 teaser: The Human Factor in AI 🔗 Resources & Links 📊 LinkedIn Skills on the Rise Report:   / skills-on-the-rise-2026   ⁠Microsoft Copilot:⁠ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/micro... Cogniti: ⁠https://cogniti.ai/ ⁠Gartner Hype Cycle:⁠ https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/h... 🎧 Spotify / Apple Podcasts: (add links) 🎙️ About Zero Shot Zero Shot is the anti-hype AI podcast for business leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs who want the technical and commercial truth about artificial intelligence. Hosted by James Gauci (CEO of Cadent) and Llew Jury (MD of Advancer), and produced by Yennia La Rotta, Zero Shot cuts through the noise to deliver strategy that actually moves the needle. New episode every week. Subscribe so you never miss the filter. 🎙️ 💬 Drop your biggest question about AI adoption or hiring in the comments — Brett, James, and Llew are reading. 👍 Like | 💬 Comment | 🔔 Subscribe AI adoption in 2026 isn't about which tools you have — it's about whether your people know how to think. This episode cuts through the AI hype to deliver an honest conversation about organisational change, the future of talent, AI in education, and why most businesses are still not genuinely in the race. Whether you're a CEO, a hiring manager, a university leader, or an entrepreneur trying to build an AI-ready team, Brett Wiskar's insights will challenge the way you hire, train, and lead in the age of artificial intelligence. Produced by Yennia La Rotta.⚡ #AIAdoption #FutureOfWork #AIStrategy #ZeroShotPodcast #BusinessAI #AIEducation #TalentStrategy #OrganisationalChange #ArtificialIntelligence #AmarasLaw #AILeadership #HiringStrategy #AIWorkforce #DigitalInnovation #Australia