Guest: Glenn Russell (LinkedIn)
Company: Egen
Show Name: An Eye on AI
Topic: Agentic AI

As AI becomes more embedded in daily business operations, one skill stands above all others: critical thinking. In this conversation from An Eye on AI, Glenn Russell, Global AI Practice Lead at Egen, argues that the human ability to question, interpret, and reason remains irreplaceable — no matter how advanced AI tools become.

“Use AI tools, absolutely,” he tells TFiR host Swapnil Bhartiya. “Use ChatGPT or Gemini to summarize documents. But understand that you’re dealing with something probabilistic in nature.” Russell explains that while large language models (LLMs) can produce accurate outputs most of the time, they are also prone to confident errors — what the industry calls “hallucinations.”

He has seen these errors firsthand: “I’ve watched LLMs invent APIs that don’t exist or Terraform modules out of thin air,” he says. That’s why blind trust in AI is dangerous. The solution, he argues, isn’t fear but awareness. “A healthy dose of skepticism, while understanding that this is a tool that can help you, is essential.”

Russell believes that as AI continues to advance, the most successful organizations will be those that combine automation with human reasoning. “You’re never going to replace human conversation with agents talking to each other,” he notes. “Not now, and not for a long time — if ever.”

Egen’s work with enterprise clients reflects this philosophy. The company helps leaders adopt AI responsibly by encouraging human-in-the-loop design — systems where humans validate, correct, and guide AI outputs rather than fully automate them. This approach minimizes risk and ensures that decision-making remains grounded in context and intent.

As AI-driven systems expand into domains like software development, operations, and customer experience, the temptation to over-rely on machine-generated answers will only grow. Russell’s call for critical thinking is a reminder that leadership in the AI era means balancing trust and verification.

His message is also a pushback against the narrative that AI will replace human creativity or reasoning. “There are no terminators walking among us,” he quips, underscoring that the real challenge isn’t machines taking over — it’s humans abdicating responsibility.

In 2026, the enterprises that thrive will be those that empower their teams to use AI thoughtfully — leveraging automation for speed and insight while keeping human intellect at the center.