Elvis speaks with David Cushman, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, about how to separate hype from reality in agentic and generative AI and what a shift toward Services-as-Software means for people, providers, and clients. They explore where AI hits first in services, especially CX/BPO, why headcounts haven’t collapsed yet, and how value migrates toward human-AI teams and enterprise agents that actually do work.

About David Cushman:

David is Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, where he focuses on generative & agentic AI, automation, and the future of enterprise operations. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of HFS’s Hot Tech program and is the author of The 10 Principles of Open Business (Palgrave Macmillan).

Connect with David:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcushman

HFS Research: https://www.hfsresearch.com

Connect with Elvis:

Website: https://meliacred.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elvismelia/

Substack: https://elvismeliacred.substack.com

Find us on:

LinkedIn: @meliacred

Instagram: @meliacredX/

Twitter: https://x.com/ailemsivle

TikTok: @meliacred1

About this podcast:

MeliaCRED: Conversations with Elvis explores how AI, automation, and emerging technologies are reshaping work, education, and economic development — particularly in Africa and the Global South. This interview is part of fieldwork for research on “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Global Business Services in Ghana and Rwanda.”

Video Production: MinabTech for MeliaCRED.

#AgenticAI #HumanAICollaboration #FutureOfWork #GBS #GCC #AfricaTech #MeliaCRED