Tony Evans spent over a decade at Meta working across technology, marketing, and leadership. He’s now the author of Generation AI and founder of his own AI company Onv.ai.

He focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, people, and organizational change.

In this conversation, Tony and Margot discuss why AI reveals more about a company’s culture than its tech stack, what’s actually holding back adoption in large organizations, and how leaders can navigate the cultural and generational tensions AI is surfacing. From executive fear to junior overconfidence, this episode dives into the human realities shaping the AI era at work.

You will learn:

• Why AI acts as a mirror, exposing organizational weaknesses in data, culture, and process
• How misalignment on basic definitions—like “customer”—can stall AI adoption
• Why AI is less about tools and more about mindset, learning, and trust
• What leaders need to understand about using AI personally and professionally
• How generational differences in AI use can create tension—and how to turn it into collaboration
• Why investing in team learning and collective intelligence matters more than ever

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:15 Why Tony wrote Generation AI

03:00 How AI mirrors organizational strengths and flaws

06:00 What leaders get wrong about AI adoption

09:00 Should executives be trained in AI?

12:30 Why mindset shifts matter more than technical skills

16:00 Personal use of AI vs. organizational adoption

20:00 The hidden risks of banning AI tools

24:00 Gamification, prompting, and learning at all levels

28:00 The AI generation gap: juniors vs. executives

33:00 How to foster trust and reverse mentorship

38:00 What great leadership looks like in the AI era

44:00 Final takeaway

CONNECT AND SUBSCRIBE:

Learn more about Tony Evans: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonyevans/

Subscribe to The AI Social Club Podcast for more conversations with AI & data leaders

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margot-bletterie/

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