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  1. The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX
  2. #763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation
#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX · Nov 6, 2025

Pega's CTO discusses using pragmatic agentic AI to modernize legacy systems, bridge IT/business gaps, and transform marketing roles.

Agentic AI's Most Valuable Use is Untangling Legacy Systems, Not Just Creating New Ones

Enterprises are trapped by decades of undocumented code. Rather than ripping and replacing, agentic AI can analyze and understand these complex systems. This enables redesign from the inside out and modernizes the core of the business, bridging the gap between business and IT.

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation thumbnail

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX·3 months ago

Deploy Persona-Based AI Agents (e.g., a 'CFO Agent') to Continuously Audit Business Operations

Create AI agents that embody key executive personas to monitor operations. A 'CFO agent' could audit for cost efficiency while a 'brand agent' checks for compliance. This system surfaces strategic conflicts that require a human-in-the-loop to arbitrate, ensuring alignment.

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation thumbnail

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX·3 months ago

Unlike Cloud Computing, AI Adoption Cannot Be Delegated and Requires Hands-On Executive Leadership

AI is a 'hands-on revolution,' not a technological shift like the cloud that can be delegated to an IT department. To lead effectively, executives (including non-technical ones) must personally use AI tools. This direct experience is essential for understanding AI's potential and guiding teams through transformation.

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation thumbnail

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX·3 months ago

Treat AI as Software to Be Configured, Not as People to Be Managed, to Avoid Critical Leadership Mistakes

Pega's CTO warns leaders not to confuse managing AI with managing people. AI is software that is configured, coded, and tested. People require inspiration, development, and leadership. Treating AI like a human team member is a fundamental error that leads to poor management of both technology and people.

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation thumbnail

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX·3 months ago

Use Creative Generative AI for Design, But Deploy Predictable AI for Runtime Execution to Avoid Cost and Risk

Pega's CTO advises using the powerful reasoning of LLMs to design processes and marketing offers. However, at runtime, switch to faster, cheaper, and more consistent predictive models. This avoids the unpredictability, cost, and risk of calling expensive LLMs for every live customer interaction.

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation thumbnail

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX·3 months ago

Frame AI Not as a Job Threat, But as a Tool That Scales an Individual's Impact Across an Entire Organization

A copywriter initially feared AI would replace her. She then realized she could train AI agents to ensure brand consistency in all company communications—from sales to support. This transformed her role from a single contributor into a scaled brand governor with far greater impact.

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation thumbnail

#763: Pega CTO Don Schuerman on how AI can pay down tech debt and accelerate digital transformation

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®: Expert Mode Marketing Technology, AI, & CX·3 months ago