The Union

An executive asked if Krista would favor his competitor. That question tells you everything about where the market actually is. Scott and John unpack the massive gap between AI vendor assumptions and enterprise buyer reality, with real customer stories that reveal how dangerous that gap can be. What you'll learn: Why the median enterprise buyer scores 10 to 20 out of 100 on AI literacy The cu...

Meeting note takers flood your inbox and bury knowledge in silos. An enterprise brain does the opposite. It connects meetings, email, chat, tickets, and systems of record into one shared memory that remembers, reasons, and acts. In this episode of the Union Podcast, Scott King, John Michelsen, and Chris Kraus break down why understanding is the prerequisite for any agentic AI strategy, why summari...

Are you treating your AI strategy like a popularity contest? In this episode, we break down our latest research on 28 LLMs and explain why "celebrity" models are often a liability for the Cognitive Enterprise. Key Learnings: The ROI Trap: Why using a trillion-parameter model for menial data extraction is killing your budget. The API Burden: How to avoid the massive development cycles tri...

In this episode, Scott, John, and Chris explain what it takes to build a cognitive enterprise—a business with memory, reasoning, and action. We reject the idea of adding AI for AI’s sake. Instead, we show you how to create an organizational brain that weaves systems, humans, and models into a unified, intelligent whole.  🔍 What you'll learn: Why AI initiatives often fail and how to avoid fra...

A recent MIT report found that only 5 percent of generative AI projects deliver measurable ROI. The rest collapse under complexity, lack of memory, and poor alignment with business outcomes.  In this podcast, we break down why companies often struggle with AI adoption and what leaders can do to succeed. You’ll learn:  - Why personal productivity with GenAI tools doesn’t translate to enterprise suc...

Scott King, John Michelsen, and Chris Kraus discuss key insights from the report Choosing the Right Agentic Platform. They break down what separates true agentic platforms from chatbot tools and task bots that create more fragmentation than value. Learn why orchestration, integration, machine learning, and built-in enterprise features are essential for sustainable AI adoption. See how Krista enabl...

Most business leaders say they don’t want AI training on their data—but what they really mean is they don’t want to lose control. In this episode, we explain why the only way AI delivers real value is by learning your business: your documents, your processes, your language, and your priorities. We break down the difference between exposing data and improving outcomes, and why generic AI won't...

Tired of meeting recordings that lead nowhere? We explore why summaries and tasks aren’t enough for operations executives seeking real enterprise knowledge. It’s more than recordings—it’s about weaving in emails, Teams chats, CRM data, and documents for a complete picture. Learn how orchestration transforms these insights into automated workflows, boosting efficiency and outcomes. From tackling cu...

In this episode, we break down the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — what it is, how it works, and why it’s generating so much hype in the AI world. But beyond the headlines, we explore the real enterprise implications. Is MCP secure? Can it be trusted to connect large language models to your internal systems? And what risks are developers and businesses ignoring in the rush to experiment? We draw pa...

Should AI agents really cost $20,000 per month? In this episode, we break down OpenAI’s reported pricing for specialized AI agents and why many companies will try (and fail) to build their own. 🔍 What’s Inside: ✅ The hidden costs of DIY AI—why it’s not just about training a model ✅ Why most AI agents fail without orchestration, security, and integration ✅ How businesses get trapped in an endle...

Are AI agents the future of business—or just overhyped digital teenagers? In this episode, we break down why today’s AI agents promise big but need serious guidance to deliver. Think of them as teens on their first job: full of potential, but not ready to run the show. We explore: - The truth behind slick AI demos (spoiler: they’re not autonomous yet) - How AI can boost your business today—as a he...

Are AI agents a security risk or a security enhancement? In this episode, John Michelsen breaks down the biggest concerns enterprises have about AI-driven automation. We discuss data privacy, internal and external threats, compliance, and how AI platforms like Krista can actually improve security posture. If you're deploying AI in your organization, this conversation is a must-listen.  🔹 Top...

The explosion of AI agents is transforming enterprise workflows, but it’s not without challenges. From integration hurdles to operational silos, businesses struggle to navigate the crowded ecosystem of hundreds and eventually thousands of agents. In this episode of The Union Podcast, Scott and Chris discuss risks of disconnected tools and how a platform approach like Krista’s agentic platform ensu...

In a world where technology evolves faster than ever, you don’t have to know your exact future to thrive—you just need to be on the path to it. This video explores how AI is reshaping industries, redefining work, and accelerating innovation in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago.  John Michelsen shares insights into the rapid advancements of AI, emphasizing that while you can’t pre...

In this episode of The Union Podcast, Scott King and Chris Kraus review AI prompting guides from Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google. They discuss the challenges of crafting effective prompts, the limitations of teaching prompt engineering to everyone, and why automation should take center stage for business users. Highlights include:  ✅ The differences between Google’s business-focused approach and Mi...

AI is no longer optional—it’s a competitive necessity. But what does it take to implement AI effectively for your business? In this episode, we break down why half of the AI you need is readily available in generative models, but the other half must be tailored to your unique processes, data, and goals. Join Scott King, Chris Kraus, and John Michelsen as they explore the challenges of traditional...

Agentic platforms are essential for AI-driven automation. Join John Michelsen and Chris Kraus as they discuss how agentic platforms empower organizations by enabling autonomous AI agents to perform complex tasks and make intelligent decisions. Discover the key capabilities that set agentic AI apart, including low-code configuration, robust security guardrails, and seamless multi-channel engagement...

Are large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT truly automating work? John Michelsen unpacks the misconception that LLMs alone can drive business transformation. Join us as Michelsen shares real-world examples, revealing why relying solely on LLMs leads to slow, manual workflows. Learn how true automation requires orchestration across systems and processes, integrating AI into a seamless workflow t...

In this episode, we John Michelsen and Chris Kraus explain the limitations of traditional document processing methods like Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and how they struggle with unstructured data and unforeseen questions. Listen in as they discuss how flexible, context-driven Natural Language Processing (NLP) is transforming document understanding,...

AI is redefining document processing, moving beyond the limitations of traditional methods like Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR). As business demands become more complex, old solutions fall short—especially when dealing with unstructured content like diverse invoice formats and sales orders. Discover how AI's advanced capabilities can adapt to vary...

In this episode, we explain how AI-powered solutions like Krista are transforming the way businesses answer unforeseen questions. Join us as we explore the challenges of handling unknown inquiries in complex workflows, the role of real-time data, and how AI can integrate dynamic systems to provide instant, accurate responses. We also discuss use cases for customer support, sales, and standard oper...

In this episode of The Union Podcast , we discuss how AI is revolutionizing document understanding and business operations. Join hosts Scott King, Chris Kraus, and John Michelsen as they explore real-world AI use cases that help businesses extract insights, automate workflows, and manage unstructured data more effectively. They discuss: Three key document understanding use cases that can transform...

Michael Haske, CEO of Krista, shares his experiences and insights from attending the SHRM 24 conference. The event, which brought together HR professionals from around the globe, focused on major transformations in the workplace, particularly the integration of AI, the skills gap, and the need for enhanced civility.  AI Integration in HR: A Hot Topic   One of the central themes of the SHRM 24 conf...

Human resources are undergoing a significant transformation, thanks to advancements in AI and automation. Traditionally manual HR processes work, but many HR professionals wonder, "How can AI and automation technologies be applied to my everyday challenges?" Chris Kraus and I discuss several HR-specific AI and automation applications, offering practical insights into real-world use cases...

While LLMs offer undeniable benefits, integrating them into the workplace poses significant risks to company data. Here’s why: Data Leakage: It’s easy for employees to paste confidential company information into LLM prompts inadvertently. This could include anything an employee can access: financial reports, trade secrets, customer data in text, documents, or even data in spreadsheets.  Ownership...