WorkLab

A season preview about how organizations decide what to hand off to AI agents and what must stay human. Short takes on redesigning work, shifting leadership mindsets, and preserving accountability as machines execute tasks. A sneak peek of a conversation about career changes and openness to new roles.

Leaders weigh what tasks to delegate to AI and what must stay human. The season explores how work gets redesigned as machines take on real tasks. It highlights why direction, discernment, and workplace identity matter when AI scales. The focus is on leadership choices that enable progress without losing control.

Economist Tyler Cowen, a leading thinker and author, joins host Molly Wood to delve into the complexities of AI's impact on the economy and workplaces. He shares intriguing insights on how unhappiness can signal positive change, ponders the struggle of legacy institutions to adapt, and highlights the sectors poised for AI disruption. Cowen emphasizes the need for continued learning and skill retooling amid rapid advancements, urging listeners to embrace change and expand their interpersonal skills in the AI era.

Tyler Cowen, an economist and author, joins to discuss the complexities of AI adoption in workplaces and education. He explores why discomfort can signal progress, presenting a counterintuitive perspective on change. Cowen emphasizes the importance of teaching AI literacy and interpersonal skills in higher education. He also predicts that energy and biomedicine will drive job creation. With insights on managing employee morale amid AI advancements, Cowen illustrates how personal skills will become essential in the evolving job market.

Dan Diasio, Global Consulting AI Leader at EY, shares insights on the transformative power of AI in the workplace. He emphasizes the urgent need for companies to adopt an AI-first mindset to remain competitive. Diasio discusses the disruption AI brings to consulting and the critical importance of employee upskilling. He outlines the essential blend of mindset, skill set, and tool set for leaders aiming to drive transformation in their organizations. Tune in for practical strategies to keep pace with AI-native competitors.

Dan Diasio, EY's Global Consulting AI Leader, dives into how AI is reshaping the consulting landscape. He emphasizes the need for companies to become AI-first and invest in upskilling employees to compete effectively. Diasio discusses the shift from productivity to a growth mindset and the emergence of agentic tools blending human and machine capabilities. He shares practical strategies for leaders to drive transformation and highlights the importance of critical skills like creativity and systems thinking in AI-driven workplaces.

Raffaella Sadun, Charles E. Wilson Professor at Harvard Business School, delves into the essence of Frontier Firms—organizations that thrive through innovative experimentation and human-AI collaboration. She emphasizes the challenges of reskilling, advocating for a clear strategy and the right mindset shift for employees. Sadun also outlines practical steps for leaders to empower their teams and drive transformation. From embedding development in managers' roles to encouraging employees to become AI inventors, her insights are actionable and thought-provoking.

Raffaella Sadun, Charles E. Wilson Professor at Harvard Business School, dives into the challenges of transforming into a Frontier Firm. She discusses the necessity for cultures built around experimentation and collaboration between humans and AI. Sadun emphasizes that there’s no universal playbook for AI strategy; it must be tailored to each organization's culture. She shares insights on effective reskilling techniques, the evolving role of leaders, and how employees can become innovators in their firms.

Pascal Bornet, a renowned AI and automation expert with a rich consulting history at McKinsey and EY, discusses the revolutionary role of AI agents in the workplace. He explains how these agents can plan, act, and learn, potentially replacing traditional apps. Bornet shares his SPA framework for effective agent design and highlights real-world applications, including use cases from Pets at Home. He emphasizes the importance of centering human skills like creativity and critical thinking to ensure success in AI adoption.

Pascal Bornet, an AI and intelligent automation expert with experience at McKinsey and EY, discusses the transformative potential of AI agents in business. He introduces the SPA framework for designing effective agents that sense, plan, act, and reflect. Bornet shares impressive real-world examples, including fraud reduction and faster onboarding processes. He emphasizes the importance of human-centric design in AI adoption and highlights the unique blend of creativity and critical thinking that humans bring to hybrid teams with AI. Gain insights on how to effectively integrate AI agents for competitive advantage.