Another Crazy Day in AI: Why Your Next Best Hire Might Look Unconventional

Wowza Team
Jun 18
4 min read

Hello, AI Enthusiasts.

The week’s at full tilt—how’s your battery?

In HR Magazine, the co-founder of The Gen AI Academy has a question for every hiring manager: if AI’s handling the grunt work, why are we still hiring like it’s 2012?

Meanwhile, Klarna, a pioneer of the popular BNPL payment method is aiming for “super app” status, with AI-powered phone plans and crypto tools in the mix.

And over at Google, they want you talking to Search like it’s your smartest friend!

Here's another crazy day in AI:

Why your 5+ years job ads are obsolete
Klarna wants to be more than just payments
Google brings real time voice to AI search
Some AI tools to try out

TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: When Wandering Careers Make Strategic Sense

A robotic scientist in a classic white coat with 'AI Scientist' on its back stands beside a human scientist with 'Human Scientist' on their coat, looking towards the AI Scientist.

Image Credit: Wowza (created with Ideogram)

Are you overlooking the most valuable people just because their resumes don’t look like a straight line?

Dave Birss, the co-founder of The Gen AI Academy, writes "When AI does the work, hire people who can think" for HR Magazine about the mismatch between how companies hire and the kind of thinking they’ll increasingly need. He reflects on his own unconventional path across music, broadcasting, education, advertising, and authorship—not as a detour, but as a foundation for creative problem-solving. As AI takes on more of the predictable tasks, Birss argues, organizations should start paying more attention to people with broad curiosity, flexible thinking, and a comfort with the unknown.

What this reveals about modern hiring:

Professional skills expire faster than most people realize – the half-life has dropped to around 2.5 years in many fields, making learning ability more valuable than existing knowledge
Research on personality traits contradicts common hiring practices – studies show that openness to experience and emotional stability predict success better than specific credentials or tenure
Popular frameworks like T-shaped professionals have blind spots – they assume people need to already know multiple areas rather than being able to develop understanding when circumstances require it
Workplace disruption affects nearly everyone – by 2027, roughly 44% of workers will see their current skills become less relevant, requiring adaptation rather than replacement
Some human capabilities remain consistently important – communication, judgment, empathy, and persuasion continue to be areas where people outperform automated systems
Adaptive expertise matters more than traditional expertise – the capacity to learn new approaches, abandon outdated methods, and apply knowledge in unfamiliar contexts becomes essential
Hiring algorithms may work against organizational needs – systems designed to find linear career progression often eliminate candidates whose diverse experience could be exactly what teams need

Birss raises questions that many hiring managers probably wrestle with but don't always articulate clearly. The tension between wanting someone who can "hit the ground running" and needing someone who can navigate uncertainty reflects a deeper challenge about how we evaluate professional potential. His own career path—which he describes as looking like "three freelancers in a trench coat"—illustrates how diverse experiences can create unexpected advantages when facing complex problems.

The practical implications go beyond individual hiring decisions to how organizations build resilience in an unpredictable environment. Companies that stick too rigidly to traditional qualifications might miss people whose varied backgrounds have taught them to think creatively, adapt quickly, and connect ideas across different fields. At the same time, organizations still need to get work done effectively today, which creates a natural tension between hiring for current needs and preparing for future challenges. The most thoughtful approach probably involves recognizing that these seemingly contradictory requirements aren't mutually exclusive—people with broad experience often bring both immediate problem-solving skills and long-term adaptability to their roles.

Read the article here.

OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:

Klarna Wants to Be More Than Just Payments

/Ryan Browne, Tech Correspondent, on CNBC

Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski envisions transforming the fintech into a personalized “super app,” offering not just financial services but phone plans, crypto tools, and more—with AI as the engine driving user-specific experiences. The Swedish company is rolling out mobile phone plans in the U.S. as part of this shift. Siemiatkowski believes AI finally makes this vision viable, enabling Klarna to act like a true digital financial assistant that can adjust to user needs in real time. It’s a bold attempt to redefine Klarna's image beyond its roots in "buy now, pay later."

Another Crazy Day in AI: Why Your Next Best Hire Might Look Unconventional

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