In this episode of Mastering AI with the Experts, I sit down with Dona Sarkar — Chief Troublemaker at Microsoft, global AI & accessibility leader, entrepreneur, author, and fashion designer — to explore why human connection is still the most valuable asset in the AI era. We talk about the limits of automation, why data quality can make or break AI projects, and how leaders can adopt AI without losing their unique voice. Dona shares candid stories from running offline businesses, busts common AI myths, and reveals how to experiment your way to success. Whether you’re a business leader, tech pro, or just AI-curious, this conversation will challenge how you think about the balance between AI power and the human touch.
Dona Sarkar website : https://donasarkar.com/
0:00 Intro
2:14 How Dona manages a wine bar, fashion label, and AI at Microsoft
3:54 3 lessons from running real-world businesses with AI
12:59 Why experimenting is the only way to succeed with AI
18:03 The truth about AI agents, memory, and the human in the loop
28:09 A roadmap for adopting AI: start with Copilot, then scale up
43:34 Designing responsible AI agents and fixing accessibility gaps
54:30 Dona’s #1 productivity tip and her vision of AI-free zones
