Human First AI Why Replacing Humans Is a Terrible Business Strategy with Derek Crager S3-EP5

In this episode of The Space Tomatoes Podcast, Havok and LX sit down with Derek Crager, founder and CEO of Practical AI, creator of Pocket Mentor, and author of Human First AI, for a refreshingly pragmatic conversation about AI that actually serves humans instead of trying to replace them. Derek makes a compelling case that the current AI will take all the jobs narrative is both overhyped and dangerously shortsighted. He argues that the real opportunity lies in using AI to think with humans, not for them, empowering people to make better decisions outside the box while keeping businesses resilient. We dive into the psychology of AI adoption, why 95 percent of corporate AI projects are failing, the critical role of entry level jobs in the economy, and how Derek's own neurodivergence (autism, ADHD, and dyslexia) shaped his approach to building tools that actually work. We also get the origin story of Pocket Mentor, the worlds first AI based vocational mentor designed specifically for trades and skilled workers, and hear how Derek built Amazons highest rated internal training program from scratch during the pandemic. If you're tired of the AI hype cycle and want practical, human centered thinking on how to actually use these tools without destroying your own customer base, this ones for you. Chapters: 00:00 Intro and Guest Welcome 00:46 What Is Human First AI? 02:23 The Third Path Neither God Nor Devil 05:23 Why Replacing Humans Destroys Your Own Market 08:50 Historical Tech Displacement Calculators, Electricity, Agriculture 18:11 Building Amazons Best Training Program from Scratch 27:57 Pocket Mentor AI That Fits in Your Pocket Literally 46:50 Late Diagnosis Autism, ADHD and Dyslexia at 50 01:13:40 Shoutout to Kim Chavez and Final Thoughts Links and Resources: Practical AI: practicalai.app Human First AI free first chapter: humanfirstai.net Derek on the web: search Derek Crager Practical AI Want to be a guest on Space Tomatoes? Send us a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/spacetomatoes