The Future Of Work Podcast With Jacob Morgan | Futurist | Workplace | Careers | Employee Experience & Engagement |

Automation and AI are rewriting the rules of work, leaving CHROs grappling with a challenge to preserve humanity that fuels innovation. When technology starts moving faster than people, the real test of leadership begins. In this episode, CHRO Katie Watson shares how she's leading an AI revolution without losing the heart of business at Western Digital, a 55-year-old tech company powering the world's data. We explore how Western Digital is modernizing every corner of its workforce—from fully automated "lights-out" factories in Thailand to AI-assisted engineering and HR systems—while protecting what makes work meaningful. Katie shares how upskilling programs have helped thousands of employees transition into higher-value roles, why "AI champions" are key to driving adoption, and how human connection must remain at the center of digital change. She also discusses how HR and business leaders can govern AI responsibly, build comfort with experimentation, and help employees see technology as a collaborator rather