#120 - Ian Stevens on Building an AI-Ready Culture Artwork

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Join your host Andrew Barry, the Founder and CEO of Curious Lion, as he interviews learning leaders practicing the cultivation of Learning Culture; experts who tease out critical theoretical components of this idea; and shares learning nuggets from real-world experiences, and our own research and writing.By following along, you’ll learn:• How a shared vision sets the tone for a Learning Culture. • How shared assumptions determine our current reality. • How shared stories foster commitment to a Learning Culture. • How shared experiences, or Cohort Learning Experiences to be specific, instill the practice of a Learning Culture.Stay curious, my friends.

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The Learning Culture Podcast

#120 - Ian Stevens on Building an AI-Ready Culture

January 26, 2026 • Andrew Barry • Season 4 • Episode 19

When your people complete the mandated AI training but nothing changes, you don't have a tool problem; you have a culture problem.

As Director of L&D at Publicis Sapient, Ian Stevens watched mandates and endless emails fail to drive the engagement, adoption, or completions they needed.

The breakthrough came when they stopped teaching tools and started building mindsets. Ian reveals their secret weapon, the AI Caravan: 60-minute demos fueled by beer and pizza that brought record numbers into the office voluntarily.

He explains why people need to evolve from writers to editors, why adaptability and judgment matter more than technical skills, and how widening the guardrails unlocked momentum. Most importantly, Ian shows how transformation happens with people, not to them.

If you're tired of the "hurry up and wait" approach to AI adoption, this episode reveals how to build a culture where experimentation beats prescription every time.