Love Procurement: The Podcast · 2026-05-12 · 30 min
AI doesn't have to be flashy to be transformative. In fact, some of its biggest wins come from tackling the most repetitive, time-consuming work procurement faces every day. The challenge for procurement is working with the tension between hype and reality, exploring how to thoughtfully experiment with AI, discover where it delivers real value, and recognize why (and when) human judgment still matters more than ever. In this episode of the #LoveProcurement podcast host Kelly Barner welcomes Alastair McDermott to the show. Alastair is the host of the Fewer Late Nights, Not Fewer Humans podcast. He is also an AI consultant, speaker, and trainer at HumanSpark.ai. Alastair answers the following questions about the impact (and absorption) of AI: What's the gap between the hype and the reality in terms of how organizations are using AI today? Is there a risk that "boring" AI will be deprioritized in favor of flashier but less impactful use cases? What does a successful AI rollout look like, and how should we think about the role it can hold in our workflows? Links: Alastair McDermott on LinkedIn
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Ep 7: Transforming Direct Materials Sourcing feat Douglas Keeley
Ep 6: The Future of Procurement: Powered by AI feat Jose Bustillo
Ep 4: Parenthood, Priorities, and Procurement feat Michaela Lippke
Ep 3: The Truth About Tail Spend in Modern Procurement feat Arnaud Malardé