Navigating AI, Data, and the Future of Work with Cary Sparrow

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In this insightful conversation, Michael D. Levitt, Founder and Chief Burnout Officer of the Breakfast Leadership Network, sits down with Cary Sparrow, founder of Wagescape, to explore the turbulent evolution of the modern labor market.

Adapting to a Rapidly Changing Workforce

Cary reflects on the past decade of transformation in employment trends, driven by the pandemic, artificial intelligence, and wage inflation. He compares leading through these changes to navigating whitewater rapids — requiring adaptability, clear focus, and quick course corrections. Over ten years, Wagescape has grown by bringing transparency and real-time insight to the labor market, helping businesses make smarter workforce decisions.

AI’s Uncertain Future Path

Michael and Cary dive into the unpredictable trajectory of artificial intelligence, drawing parallels to the early dot-com era. With two AI patents under his belt, Cary shares that while AI’s potential is enormous, not all current initiatives will endure. Both agree that innovation often comes from unexpected sources — not just the big tech players dominating the headlines.

Implementation and Strategic Caution

Cary shares a story about a promising AI project that quickly became obsolete due to rapid advancements. Together, he and Michael discuss the importance of balancing early adoption with strategic caution, particularly in fields like hiring and finance, where AI’s cost-saving appeal must be weighed against the need for accuracy and accountability.

AI Meets Healthcare and Employment

Drawing on his background in healthcare leadership, Michael recalls working with an ethics officer who helped make tough medical decisions using data-driven insights. He compares this to how AI could analyze healthcare and employment statistics while maintaining human oversight. He suggests that large language models could forecast labor trends over the next 6 to 12 months — a potential game-changer for workforce planning.

The Future of Hiring and Education

Cary and Michael examine the increasing demand for data-informed hiring, where AI serves as a predictive enhancement rather than a replacement. They discuss how universities must evolve their curricula to align with shifting market skills, and how business leaders often struggle to trust data that challenges traditional gut instincts.

Evolving Data Resistance

Cary highlights a cultural shift: clients are no longer rejecting data outright but are instead asking smarter questions about its sources and implications. This evolution reflects a growing collaboration between data providers and decision-makers — a key step toward data literacy and trust.

As industries accelerate toward an AI-integrated future, this episode offers grounded, real-world insight into how leaders can adapt, stay curious, and lead through uncertainty.

 

About WageScape (formerly Greenwich.HR) At WageScape, we believe leadership begins with clarity—and clarity comes from having the right data at your fingertips. We empower businesses to focus on what matters most: solving complex problems, leading with vision, and creating impact—while we provide the most comprehensive, real-time labor market data to fuel those decisions.

As CEO, my role is centered on building deep, values-driven partnerships with our clients—relationships rooted in trust, transparency, and a shared commitment to innovation. I bring over 35 years of leadership experience across engineering, the military, consulting, and operations, all focused on tackling big challenges and driving sustainable growth. Our team at WageScape is united by a mission: helping organizations make smarter, faster decisions in an $80 trillion global economy.

What Sets WageScape Apart:

✅ Trusted by Global Leaders We’re proud to serve some of the most respected organizations in the world—Walmart, Aon, Stanford University, Yahoo Finance—offering labor market insights that drive clarity, strategy, and results.

✅ We Don’t Just Provide Data—We Build Partnerships Whether you're a consultant, enterprise tech firm, financial institution, or developer, we collaborate closely to help you achieve transformational outcomes.

✅ Global-Scale Intelligence, Real-Time Precision Using patented AI, our datasets—updated continuously from 5.6 million hiring organizations in 210 countries—equip teams with the speed, scope, and scale to lead confidently.

✅ Powering Innovation and Market Readiness Our data fuels everything from predictive market modeling to product innovation and workforce planning—unlocking trends before they hit, and enabling bold, informed decisions.

Impact That Speaks Volumes

🟢 Elite universities have leveraged our la