The McKinsey Podcast How the best CEOs are meeting the AI moment
86 snips
Jan 22, 2026 
Eric Kutcher, a senior partner at McKinsey North America, dives into the complex transformation that AI represents for CEOs, emphasizing that it’s 80% business change. He highlights the need for firms to reimagine processes to truly realize AI's potential and advocates for hands-on learning among CEOs to boost their AI fluency. Kutcher discusses the evolving organizational roles and the importance of fostering a customer-centric approach. He encourages ambition in execution while fostering continuous learning and community building within teams.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Family Examples Show Rapid Adoption
- AI adoption has exploded across ages and households almost overnight.
- Eric Kutcher recounts his wife and son using LLMs for travel planning and exam prep as examples.
Build Fluency By Using AI Personally
- CEOs should build personal fluency by trying AI on topics they care about.
- Engage hands-on with AI to spark intellectual curiosity and change how you approach work.
Human-Agent Hybrid Workflows Emerge
- Future workflows will be human-agent hybrids requiring judgment and continuous tuning.
- Kutcher expects flatter orgs with more workers exercising judgment and fewer middle managers.