Agile and Project Management - DrunkenPM Radio

Hosted by Dave Prior, Agile Trainer, Consultant and Project Manager

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Oct 2026

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A podcast about Agile and Project Management

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October 8, 202653 min

Good Teams, Bad Outcomes with Martina Ziegenfuss and Jim Elvidge

Good Teams, Bad Outcomes with Martina Ziegenfuss and Jim Elvidge In this episode of drunkenpm radio, Martina Ziegenfuss and Jim Elvidge of Clerv.io join me for a conversation about a frustrating but common pattern in organizations: smart, capable teams still end up delivering slow, messy, or misaligned results. The conversation looks at how team performance is shaped by the surrounding system, not just the people on the team. They also unpack how AI can speed up delivery in some places while exposing bottlenecks, governance gaps, and operating model problems somewhere else.In this episode, Dave, Martina, and Jim explore what makes a team “good,” why good teams can still produce bad outcomes, and how leadership choices often create the very friction teams are blamed for. They also discuss Clerv.io’s diagnostics and playbooks, designed to help organizations see systemic problems more clearly and work through them. Key Topics - What defines a good team - Systemic challenges in organizations - Impact of AI on team performance - Creating a culture of empowerment - Diagnosing organizational health with diagnostics - Experimenting with team structures - The role of leadership and management - Overcoming systemic resistance to change - Tools for assessing organizational health - The future of team design and AI Chapters 00:00 — Why good teams can still produce bad outcomes 04:19 — Why Clerv.io started and what its playbooks are for 06:49 — Good teams, bad outcomes, and the impact of the system 11:37 — How team design depends on the broader system and architecture 14:22 — How organizational history, silos, and fear create friction 19:36 — The cross-functional team experiment and what it changed 27:05 — What AI can and can’t replace in team roles 33:06 — Theory of constraints: why faster tools don’t fix the bottleneck 35:43 — AI exposing governance and approval delays 47:03 — How to contact Martina and Jim and follow Clerv.io Links from the Podcast Clervio: https://clerv.io/ 2026 PMI WDC Conference: www.pmiwdc.org/conference-2026-pmi-wdc PMI SWVA 2026 Fall Symposium: Digital PM Summit: thebureau.community/2026-digital-pm-summit Connect with Martina Ziegenfuss LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinaz/ Connect with Jim Elvidge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimelvidge/ Connect with Dave Prior drunkenPM Radio: soundcloud.com/drunkenpmradio LInkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6E6lOSFg21gfyMmjHUH1yw

October 2, 202651 min

We Dont Need Another Hero - with Dave Borzillo

In this episode, Dave Borzillo shares insights from his book 'Sanity at Scale' on how engineering leaders can shift from heroics to systemic excellence, emphasizing removing waste, visualizing work, and fostering team collaboration. Key Topics - Challenges in system thinking and organizational agility - The importance of visualizing work and using impact maps - Strategies for removing waste and reducing cognitive overload - The role of leadership in fostering a culture of continuous improvement - Techniques for effective prioritization and backlog management Chapters 00:00 Introduction to 'Sanity at Scale' and Guest Background 04:21 The Power of Removing Waste and Deleting Unnecessary Items 08:52 The Limitations of Math in Estimation and Prioritization 13:01 Fostering Team Estimation and Shared Understanding 15:45 The Importance of Triangulating Data and Multiple Measures 17:41 Building Cross-Functional Teams and Knowledge Sharing 19:58 Visualizing Work with Whiteboards and Digital Tools 22:30 Engaging Senses and Human Connection in Daily Standups 24:57 Mapping Value Streams and Identifying System Bottlenecks 27:56 Dealing with Systemic Resistance and Cultural Change 29:36 Challenging Processes and Experimenting Safely 32:14 Leadership as a Servant and the Boundary Layer Role 35:00 Reward Systems and Incentivizing Collaboration 37:16 Changing the Mindset: From Hero to System Thinker 39:18 Transitioning from Firefighter to Strategic Pilot 41:36 Aligning Work with Organizational Outcomes 43:33 The Power of Purpose and Clear Vision 45:20 Addressing Cultural and Leadership Barriers 48:12 Encouraging Deletion and Simplification in Work Processes 49:10 Upcoming Event and Book Giveaway Links from the Podcast Dave’s Book Sanity at Scale - https://tinyurl.com/2txmmhft Better Ways of Working: https://betterwaysofworking.com/ Better Ways of Working Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/4nabc9sr 2026 PMI WDC Conference: https://www.pmiwdc.org/conference-2026-pmi-wdc PMI SWVA 2026 Fall Symposium: https://pmi-swva.org/2026-symposium Digital PM Summit: https://thebureau.community/2026-digital-pm-summit Connect with Dave Borzillo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveborzillo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@betterwaysofworking Better Ways fo Working: https://betterwaysofworking.com/ Connect with Dave Prior drunkenPM Radio: https://soundcloud.com/drunkenpmradio LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo/

September 9, 20261 hr 2 min

Don't Panic Pivot: Managing Critical Issues to Prevent Crises

In this episode, Shalabh Tandon and Shubhada Sahasrabudhe join me to discuss their new book, 'Don't Panic Pivot: Managing Critical Issues to Prevent Crises.' We explore the differences between risks and issues, what makes an issue critical, and why they emphasize a systematic approach to managing crises. The authors introduce their nine-six framework, which includes three whys, nine ingredients, and six steps to effectively address critical issues. They highlight the role of leadership and organizational culture in fostering a proactive environment for issue management. We also dig into the intricacies of crisis management and the importance of building resilience within organizations, maintaining quality, and ensuring transparent communication during crises. You'll hear their tips on how to find balance between discipline and drama in crisis response and how AI can enhance crisis management strategies. The conversation highlights actionable insights for leaders and organizations to navigate crises effectively. You can find a video version of this interview here: https://youtu.be/H9LXedwxP2U Takeaways - Most crises are a culmination of ignored small issues. - A systematic process helps organizations respond thoughtfully, not react impulsively. - Building a resilient organization involves learning from issues and creating a culture of psychological safety. - The 9-6 framework includes steps like describe, impact assess, contain, root cause, and communicate. - Transparency and consistent communication are crucial during crises. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Crisis Management 02:53 Understanding Risks vs. Issues 06:02 Defining Critical Issues 08:59 The Impact of Critical Issues 10:58 What is Critical Issue Management? 14:04 The Importance of Systematic Approaches 17:01 The Role of Leadership in Crisis Prevention 20:00 Cultural Aspects of Issue Management 21:58 The Process of Managing Issues 24:59 The Six Steps of Crisis Management 36:05 Understanding Crisis Response Dynamics 39:21 Building Organizational Resilience 43:58 Quality vs. Crisis Management 48:05 The Importance of Transparency in Crisis 54:06 Discipline Over Drama in Crisis Management 56:31 Leveraging AI for Crisis Management The Book: Don't Panic Pivot: Managing Critical Issues to Prevent Crises https://tinyurl.com/4ps5jpxf Learn More about QuRIuS Web: www.quriusllc.com Promo Video: https://tinyurl.com/yyk6wjaj Contacting Shubhada and Shalabh: Shubhada – https://www.linkedin.com/in/shubhada-sahasrabudhe/ Shalabh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalabh-tandon/

July 20, 202621 min

Agile 2026 Preview PM Identity Crisis

Agile 2026 is almost here! And John Tanner and I will be presenting on Monday, July 27th, at 3:15 PM. Our session is called When AI Starts Doing Your Job: Surviving the PM Identity Crisis. If you are someone who has been struggling with getting out of the gate with AI. If your hesitating because you don’t know how to start, you don’t know what to do with it, it's just too overwhelming, or you can see how it impacts the other roles, but not your own, you are the reason John and I put this session together beause that was me, 8 months ago, moaning about how I didn’t want to be the prompt guy. If you’d like to learn a little more about the session and you are curious about John’s PMO as Code work, check out this video and then come see us at Agile 2026! When AI Starts Doing Your Job: Surviving the PM Identity Crisis PMI Agile 2026 Monday, Jul 2715:15 - 17:00 EDT https://events.pmi.org/flow/pmi/pmiagile26/sessioncatalog/page/sessions/session/1778861942411001eyOh Contacting John LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tannerjs/ C4G Enterprises: https://c4genterprises.com Contacting Dave LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo

June 30, 202633 min

Managing Projects with Half Double - Half the Time Double the Impact with Mattias Petrén

I sat down with longtime friend and fellow PMI volunteer Mattias Georgson Petrén to get schooled on Half Double, the Danish hybrid framework that has been around for over ten years but I only just learned about. Mattias walks through where it came from (a frustrated group of practitioners, industrial funding, and research backing from Aarhus University), what it promises — half the time double the impact — and how it blends Agile cadence with the discipline of traditional, stage-based product management. We get into co-location, the 50% staffing rule, and why he treats Half Double as a lens layered on top of existing frameworks rather than a replacement for any of them. We close out with a conversation about where project managers fit into an AI-driven future that left me probably less worried than I've been about this in months. Key Themes - How Dave and Mattias met at a PMI chapter event in Malta back in 2008, and how that network led to real client work together - Mattias's path from engineering physics PhD to "accidental" project manager - The early days of Agile inside PMI circles, and the influence of conferences like Øredev - What Half Double actually is: a hybrid method built on impact, flow, and leadership - The origin story — Danish practitioners, an industrial fund, and Aarhus University research - Why Half Double performs best on complex projects, not predictable, fully-plannable ones - Co-location, the 50% staffing rule, and designing cadence into distributed teams - Why Mattias treats Half Double as a set of lenses layered on top of an existing framework (PMI, PRINCE2, Scrum) rather than a replacement for one - The "chasing tasks vs. chasing impact" trap that both traditional and Agile PMs fall into - Where project managers fit in an AI-driven future — and why Mattias isn't worried Chapters 00:00 The Value of Networking in Project Management 02:47 Mattias Petrén's Journey into Project Management 05:11 The Evolution of Agile in Project Management 07:47 Introduction to Half Double Methodology 10:47 Understanding the Half Double Framework 13:15 Hybrid Approaches in Project Management 16:03 Leadership and Co-location in Half Double 18:47 Embracing Chaos in Project Management 19:51 The Role of Project Owners 21:41 Understanding Project Impact and Stakeholder Management 23:44 Integrating Agile with Traditional Project Management 26:01 The Half Double Methodology Explained 29:23 The Future of Project Management in an AI-Driven World Links from the Podcast Half Double Institute - https://halfdoubleinstitute.org PMI Agile 2026 https://agilealliance.org/pmi-agile-2026/ Dave and John Tanner’s session at Agile 2026 - "When AI Starts Doing Your Job: Surviving the PM Identity Crisis" https://tinyurl.com/23jc8uhs Contact Mattias LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattiasgeorgsonpetren/ Email - mattias@georgson.com

June 16, 202633 min

Navigating the Future of Agile and Scrum with Alex Sloley

In this episode, Dave Prior chats with Alex Sloley, an agile coach and Scrum Alliance Board candidate, about the evolving landscape of Agile, Scrum, and the impact of AI on teamwork and project management. They explore how community involvement, technological innovation, and leadership can shape the future of Agile practices. Key Topics • The significance of community engagement and serving through roles like the Scrum Alliance board • The accelerating pace of iteration in Agile driven by AI and technological advancements • How AI is transforming Scrum practices, from sprint durations to team collaboration • The importance of adopting AI-guided discipline without losing human judgment • The evolving skills required for future developers and project managers • Vision for Scrum’s evolution to keep pace with rapid technological change • The role of the Scrum Alliance in fostering innovation and listening to its members • Strategies for balancing Agile principles with modern remote, digital work environments • The necessity of healthy conflict within governance and leadership to drive progress • The importance of positivity and realism in navigating industry change Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Alex Sloley and his background in Agile and Scrum 01:00 - The importance of community service and board participation in the Agile world 02:00 - Personal motivations for running for the Scrum Alliance Board 04:40 - Current state of the Agile community amid industry transformations 05:50 - Embracing change and the role of AI in agility and operations 09:55 - Integrating AI into Agile processes for discipline and efficiency 12:52 - AI as pair programmer and thinking partner for developers 17:40 - Rethinking Scrum practices in an AI-driven environment 20:26 - The potential for AI agents as part of Scrum teams and digital team members 24:56 - Revitalizing the Scrum Alliance: Listening to members and fostering innovation 28:08 - What members should expect from a visionary Scrum Alliance Board 32:25 - How to connect with Alex for insights into AI and Agile 33:01 - Closing remarks and encouragement to participate in the Scrum Alliance elections Contacting Alex • Web: https://alexsloley.com/ • LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsloley/ • Alex’s book The Agile Community https://alexsloley.com/books Vote in the Scrum Alliance Board Election! Remember, voting ends June 24. Make your voice heard to shape the future of Agile leadership and community.

May 27, 202656 min

Breath, Stoicism, and The Power of Not Knowing with Carl Smith

In this episode, hosts Dave Prior and Stuart Young sit down with Carl Smith, a "philosophical futurist" and leader of The Bureau (https://thebureau.community/), a community of over 1,500 creative leaders. The conversation explores how to "tune up" your personal and professional systems to better serve yourself and others by embracing vulnerability, mindfulness, and the power of imperfection. Key Topics and Takeaways - The Trap of Busyness vs. Productivity: Carl shares a recent "reset" triggered by a Saturday morning spent staring at spreadsheets. He discusses the danger of moving from a "creating" mindset to a "protecting" mindset, and how his attempt to become more efficient unintentionally made his team inefficient. - Energy Management and Burnout: Carl defines burnout as a state where you send all your energy out and none comes back. He uses a slot machine analogy to describe how different interactions can either deplete or replenish your internal "jackpot". - Self-Regulation Power-Ups: -Speed Journaling -NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Relaxation) -Nose Breathing (Yes, it's a thing) -Health Tracking Systems and why you might need more than one -Stoicism Links from the Podcast No One Is Coming to Save You: The Power Ups to Help Surf the Chaos https://tinyurl.com/5dsh2n4v The Bureau of Digital https://thebureau.community/ Breath by James Nestor https://tinyurl.com/38uemcx4 Outlive by Peter Attia https://tinyurl.com/4e5a6nc3 The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins https://tinyurl.com/2rpwe93u Project to Product by Mik Kersten https://tinyurl.com/2rksj6bw Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman https://tinyurl.com/46xeh8nn Everyday Stoicism by Gareth Southwell https://tinyurl.com/5c5n5392 Daily Stoic Podcast byRyan Holiday https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily-stoic/id1430315931 Life Saver Graphics LLC —https://tinyurl.com/yfr95r8u Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Systems of Imperfection 03:22 The Importance of Self-Care and Productivity 05:50 Navigating Work Overwhelm and Chaos 08:55 The Role of Community in Professional Growth 11:45 Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence 14:50 Mindfulness Practices for Better Living 17:47 The Power of Authenticity in Leadership 20:59 The Intersection of Technology and Humanity 23:59 Stoicism and Its Relevance Today 26:54 Embracing Imperfection and Learning from Mistakes 29:52 The Future of Work and Community Engagement 32:57 Creating Value Through Collaboration 35:54 Final Thoughts on Being Human in a Digital Age 56:09 Outro.mp4 Contacting Carl: The Bureau of Digital: https://thebureau.community/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-w-smith/ Contacting Stuart - linktr.ee/stuartliveart Contacting Dave -linktr.ee/mrsungo

May 21, 202644 min

The Journey from Project Manager to Chief of Staff with Darby Strong

The Journey from Project Manager to Chief of Staff with Darby Strong In this conversation, Dave Prior and Darby Strong explore the transition from project management to the role of chief of staff, emphasizing the importance of interpersonal skills, empathy, and systems thinking. They discuss how experiences in the restaurant industry can shape effective project managers and the significance of creating a supportive work environment. The dialogue highlights the need for leaders to be aware of their impact on team dynamics and the importance of fostering a culture of collaboration and trust. In this conversation, Darby and Dave explore the nuances of leadership roles, particularly the differences between project managers and chiefs of staff. They discuss the importance of trust, courage, and the ability to absorb ambiguity in leadership. Darby shares her personal journey and insights on transitioning from project management to a chief of staff role, emphasizing the need for cooperation and systems thinking. The conversation also touches on the significance of taking action and the value of interdisciplinary approaches in effective leadership. Takeaways - The restaurant experience provides valuable skills for project management. - Effective project managers are often generalists with a systems thinking approach. - Communication and empathy are crucial in leadership roles. - Creating a supportive environment helps teams thrive. - The role of chief of staff involves strategic partnership with leadership. - Project managers can influence organizational culture positively. - Understanding team dynamics is essential for effective leadership. - Compassion for leaders can enhance team performance. - Interdependence is key in collaborative work environments. - Project managers should focus on nurturing both teams and leadership. - Chiefs of staff need to absorb ambiguity for clarity. - Building trust takes time and consistent effort. - Courage to be candid is crucial in leadership roles. - Project managers can transition to chief of staff roles with the right mindset. - Creating systems for cooperation is essential in leadership. - Influence is a key skill for project managers and scrum masters. - Taking action can help overcome inertia and open new opportunities. - Interdisciplinary approaches can enhance leadership effectiveness. - Understanding natural systems is vital for effective project management. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:58 The Restaurant Experience and Project Management 06:03 The Importance of People in Project Management 08:56 Transitioning from Project Management to Chief of Staff 12:04 The Role of a Chief of Staff 14:53 Navigating Leadership and Team Dynamics 18:02 Empathy and Perspective in Leadership 25:26 Interdependence Day: A Unique Celebration 26:10 Traits of a Chief of Staff vs. Project Manager 30:12 Building Trust and Courage in Leadership 32:23 Absorbing Ambiguity: The Role of a Chief of Staff 33:20 Transitioning from Project Management to Chief of Staff 35:15 Creating Systems for Cooperation 37:12 The Influence of Project Managers and Scrum Masters 41:56 Taking Action: Overcoming Inertia 43:42 Interdisciplinary Approaches in Leadership Contacting Darby LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darbystrong/

May 18, 202636 min

How AI is Transforming Scrum Teams - Practical Strategies from Claudio Lassala

Discover how AI can be seamlessly incorporated into Scrum teams to enhance productivity, storytelling, and problem-solving. Claudio Lassala shares real-world experiences of leveraging AI to fill skill gaps, automate tasks, and scale solutions, challenging traditional notions of team roles and developer identities. Key Insights: • The importance of teaching AI your principles for better, personalized outcomes • AI's role in automating routine tasks allows developers to focus on high-value stakeholder engagement • Emphasizing a solution-oriented mindset rather than coding as an identity • Managing resistance by framing AI as a problem-solving partner, not a threat • Continuous re-skilling and mindset shifts needed for teams to thrive with AI • Leaders should focus on enabling their teams to leverage AI ethically and effectively Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and Claudio's background in IT and agile coaching 02:21 - How AI is integrated into Scrum teams 03:45 - Using AI to write user stories and acceptance criteria 05:24 - The importance of conversations and stories in Agile 07:01 - Teaching AI to reflect team principles and critique solutions 08:15 - Addressing fears of losing roles with AI integration 09:42 - Resistance from team members and how to approach it 11:08 - Demonstrating productivity gains with AI-driven planning 12:13 - Balancing automation with the human touch in problem-solving 15:03 - Clarifying misconceptions about AI automating all tasks 16:38 - Managing detailed task decomposition with AI 18:04 - The evolution of developer roles and knowledge retention 20:17 - Using analogies like cars with carburetors to explain technological shifts 21:34 - Passion projects and opportunities AI unlocks 23:29 - How AI might change the identity of developers 26:38 - The need for continuous retraining and knowledge updating 29:43 - Supporting team members in adapting to AI tools 33:01 - Leadership strategies for leveraging AI ethically and effectively 36:16 - Personal storytelling: AI in content creation and blogging 37:04 - Claudio’s favorite guitar solo and closing thoughts Contact Claudio • LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiolassala/ • Web / Blog https://lassala.net/ • Improving https://www.improving.com/profile/claudio-lassala/

May 12, 202647 min

The AI Engagement Lifecycle with Endava, Dava.X.AI, and Miro

Endava set out to reinvent how IT services get delivered in an AI-native world. Dava.X.AI is the group inside Endava driving that shift. Miro is the workspace they're building it on. Together they've shipped Davaflow — an AI engagement lifecycle that runs from signal to explore to govern to evolve, with humans and agents working alongside each other the whole way. On the latest drunkenPM Radio, Matt Cloke (CTO, Endava), Joe Dunleavy (Global Head of Dava.X.AI), and Dave Ross (Evangelist at Miro) talk about how the three came together, what real partnership looks like when two roadmaps quietly merge into one journey, and what it took to actually make it work. Full episode is live. Takeaways - Reframe from value capture to value creation — don't use AI to make existing processes 10–15% better, reimagine the work entirely from an AI-first perspective. - IT services hit its "ChatGPT moment" two years ago when clients and analysts started asking Endava why they were needed if AI could just write the code. - AI is becoming a method, not a tool — just as Agile organized humans to do work, this new method organizes agents and the people working alongside them. - The technology question is largely settled; the change management question isn't — quality has hit the inflection point, and what remains is the human shift, much like Waterfall-to-Agile. - DavaFlow runs in four phases — Signal, Explore, Govern, and Evolve — moving from identifying the right problem, through virtual personas and prototypes, to governing agent output, to evolving in production. - Chat is the wrong interface for most of this work — humans are visual creatures, and tools like Miro give LLMs context that a chat box never could. - AI-driven work can produce better traceability than humans ever did — every decision and prototype connects back through the chain of thought, what Joe called "traceability on steroids." - Anyone can buy the tools — what separates enterprise work from vibe-coding chaos is policy-as-code, defined skills, and human-in-the-loop checkpoints. - Adoption happens in baby steps, not the full vision — showing people the end of the journey overwhelms them, so start at signal and layer in each next step. - The hardest part is the identity question — engineers liked writing code and designers liked crafting prototypes, and the shift is a growth-mindset problem, not a skills problem. Links from the Podcast Endava: https://www.endava.com/ Dava.X.AI https://www.endava.com/dava-x/dava-x-ai Miro: https://miro.com/index/ Upcoming Miro Canvas Events Main Canvas 2026 landing page: https://canvas.miro.com/ Register for the streaming event on May 19 where Joe will be speaking: https://canvas.miro.com/sanfrancisco/virtual-keynote Register for the in-person event on May 19th in San Francisco where Joe is speaking live: https://canvas.miro.com/sanfrancisco Register for the in-person event on June 2nd in London where Matt will be speaking live: https://canvas.miro.com/london Register for the in-person event on June 16th in Sydney where Wesley Fagan the APAC SVP for Strategy and Chief Design Officer at Endava will be speaking live: https://canvas.miro.com/sydney Contacting the Guests Matt Cloke https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcloke/ Joe Dunleavy https://www.linkedin.com/in/joedunleavy/ Dave Ross https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmross/ Dave Prior https://linktr.ee/mrsungo Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Endava and AI Transformation 08:54 Navigating the AI Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities 17:52 The Evolution of Miro and AI Integration 24:00 Dava Flow: The AI Engagement Lifecycle 25:49 The Power of Visual Context in AI 27:03 Enhancing Contextual Understanding with AI 29:12 Temporal Dimensions in Decision Making 31:27 Navigating Change in Organizational Mindsets 35:40 Demonstrating Value to the C-Suite 38:13 Embracing the Future of Work 41:09 Amplifying Human Creativity with AI