E046 – AI or Not – Christopher Richardson and Pamela Isom

Welcome to "AI or Not," the podcast where we explore the intersection of digital transformation and real-world wisdom, hosted by the accomplished Pamela Isom. With over 25 years of experience guiding leaders in corporate, public, and private sectors, Pamela, the CEO and Founder of IsAdvice & Consulting LLC, is a veteran in successfully navigating the complex realms of artificial intelligence, innovation, cyber issues, governance, data management, and ethical decision-making.

What if the real edge in AI isn’t bigger models or more GPUs, but leaders who can turn complexity into clear decisions? We sit down with analyst and “tech whisperer” Christopher Richardson to unpack the hard truths behind AI’s economics, why reliability still lags the hype, and how to build systems that actually pay off. From conference rooms where “the cloud” gets mistaken for the sky to board tables demanding ROI, we map the shift from curiosity to concrete roadmaps that stand up under pressure.

Christopher explains why large language models remain probabilistic and how that matters for accuracy, governance, and risk. We dig into the promise and pitfalls of agentic AI, where chaining models often compounds hallucinations and cost. The conversation tackles the “AI bubble” risk head-on: when adoption slows because outputs cannot be trusted for mission-critical work, the funding engine sputters. We also examine a fresh take on competitive advantage through the DeepSeek lens—achieving strong results with fewer parameters and lower GPU use—hinting that smart efficiency may outpace brute-force scaling.

Sustainability and equity thread through every topic. We talk plainly about the byproduct of electricity being heat, why water use and siting decisions matter, and how to measure trustworthiness beyond slogans. Then we turn to access: open models, practical training, and education pipelines that unlock talent in places like Baltimore, building a broader, more resilient workforce. The playbook is pragmatic and hopeful—smaller, domain-tuned models; clear governance; measurable utility; and real investment in people.

If you care about AI strategy, responsible innovation, and turning hype into durable outcomes, this conversation offers a grounded path forward. Subscribe, share with a colleague who’s wrestling with AI decisions, and leave a review with the one change you’d make first to improve trust and ROI.