Hosted by Chandra Wobschall and Paul Houtkooper

Hey JDE Connection listeners – Chandra and Paul here! This week’s conversation started with an article… and quickly turned into something a lot bigger. We came across a study where thousands of AI users were asked a simple question: what do you actually want from AI? And at first, the answers sounded exactly like you’d expect—people want to be more productive, more efficient, better at their jobs. But when you peel that back just a little bit, the real answer starts to show up.

It’s Not Just About Productivity

In this episode, we spend time unpacking a tension that probably feels familiar.
On one hand, AI promises to help us improve productivity, on the other hand, there’s a question sitting just beneath the surface: If we get faster… what happens next?
Do we actually get time back? Or do expectations just rise to fill the space?
We don’t try to answer that question definitively—but we do wrestle with it from a few different angles.

A Feeling We’ve Seen Before

As we talked it through, we found ourselves drawing comparisons to earlier waves of technology—email, mobile devices, ERP systems—things that were supposed to make us more efficient. And in many ways, they did. But they also changed how—and when—we work. So naturally, the question becomes: Is AI different? Or are we repeating a pattern?

The Part That Caught Us Off Guard

One of the more interesting parts of the conversation is what people really want when they say they want to be more productive. It’s not necessarily about doing more. And that’s where things get nuanced. Because depending on how AI is introduced and used, it could move us closer to that… or further away.

There’s Opportunity Here—If We’re Thoughtful

We also spend time talking about the upside—because there is a lot of it. But we kept coming back to one idea: It’s not just about what the technology can do. It’s about how we choose to use it. And maybe more importantly—how we introduce it to the people who are expected to use it.

A Question Worth Sitting With

We don’t wrap this episode up with a neat conclusion. Instead, we leave it with a question that we think is worth thinking about.

Midwesternism of the Day

This week’s cultural moment involves a dish that feels like it started as a dare and somehow became a tradition.

Picture something sweet. Now add something salty. Now add something that absolutely does not belong anywhere near the first two.

Until next time, let’s keep learning, sharing, and most importantly, laughing together.

Toodles!

Missed an episode? Check out the full episode list! Also, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast provider, or select a provider below!

Learn More

Quest Oracle Community is where you learn. Ask questions, find answers, swap stories and connect to other JD Edwards customers and product experts in the JD Edwards Community, where you can also check out what’s happening in the Business Analyst SIG.