Azeem Azhar’s mission is to help leaders stay ahead of the curve at a time when technology, especially AI, is evolving at an exponential rate. He founded the Exponential View newsletter, which offers insights and advice to an eager audience of 116,000+ people who want to get ahead in a rapidly changing world. He joined us to discuss the potential for AI to help business leaders navigate uncertainty and describe some of the ways that AI agents and deep research will fundamentally change the way w...
Mar 05, 2025•24 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast AI is evolving at a mind-bending pace, reshaping every aspect of business. How can leaders filter out the noise to stay focused on transforming their organizations? How can they leverage the limitless potential of AI, agents, and deep research? How can they harness the latest technology to access untapped value, turbocharge their decision making, and maintain their organization’s competitive edge? In the new season of the WorkLab podcast from Microsoft, we’ll be exploring all of those questions ...
Feb 26, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Learning how AI can help with a few tasks won’t lead us to unlock its true power—for that, we need to fundamentally change how we think about the technology. So says Conor Grennan, Chief AI Architect at the NYU Stern School of Business and founder of the consulting company AI Mindset, who has studied the challenges that employees and organizations face in their AI journeys. He joins us to share insights about how making behavioral changes can help everyone get the most out of AI at work. WorkLab...
Jan 08, 2025•27 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Kevin Novak founded the AI-focused VC firm Rackhouse Ventures in 2021 after a decade of trailblazing leadership roles in data science. He works closely with the founders of the AI-native startups he backs, giving him a bird’s eye view of how they’re leveraging AI to reinvent business. He joined the WorkLab podcast to share some of his learnings, as well as insights about the promise of AI agents, how AI is transforming what we’ll be able to do with our data, and the perils of how we think about ...
Dec 04, 2024•21 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast If you want to have a fascinating conversation about AI, talk to Jaime Teevan. In her recent discussion with WorkLab podcast host Molly Wood, Microsoft’s chief scientist shared key insights informed by her decades of research into productivity and collaboration. They also talk about how conversations will become increasingly important as we level up our AI skills, and how leaders can challenge themselves and their teams to think more creatively about tapping the full potential of the technology....
Nov 20, 2024•30 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast “The biggest advice I have for CEOs is to ask, what are you trying to solve? What’s your strategy? What’s your business problem? And then we can think about how AI can support that.” That’s the message of Delphine Zurkiya , a senior partner at the strategy and management consulting firm McKinsey & Company who works with clients while also leading her division’s AI initiatives. In this episode, we discuss AI adoption, reskilling teams for this new era of work, and the value of being completely tr...
Nov 06, 2024•25 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast “With artificial intelligence and data at our fingertips, we now have the tools to address the world’s most pressing problems. We no longer have excuses.” That’s the message of Juan Lavista Ferres, a Microsoft corporate vice president and the chief data scientist of the company’s AI for Good Lab. He joined us to share key insights about the lab’s work and highlight what business leaders can learn from Microsoft’s efforts to harness technology to make the world a better place. WorkLab Subscribe t...
Oct 23, 2024•25 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast “If you want to really understand artificial intelligence, a good starting point is to get better at understanding human intelligence,” says Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. He’s a professor of business psychology, Chief Talent Scientist at Manpower Group, and author of several books on talent, leadership, and technology. He joins host Molly Wood to discuss how AI can help unlock greater performance, from improving recruiting and decision making to freeing up more time to apply our unique human skills. ...
Oct 09, 2024•23 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast “My purpose is helping people do their best work by being the best version of themselves,” says Timm Chiusano, a creative executive turned TikTok superstar. He’s garnered more than a million followers with content sharing his insights about leadership, productivity, and creativity. He joins us to discuss the joys of managing, the value of authenticity, leadership strategies for incorporating technology into the workplace, and the value of being mindful and present in your work and personal lives...
Sep 25, 2024•23 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast What does it take to transform your business from the ground up for the AI era? There’s no better person to ask than Kate Johnson, President and CEO of the telecommunications company Lumen. In this episode of the WorkLab podcast, she talks about how AI is helping the company stay agile in the ever-shifting telecom industry. We also delve into the importance of changing company culture in tandem with its technology, and how she has prepared her teams for this new era of work. WorkLab Subscribe to...
Sep 12, 2024•25 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast AI is transforming every aspect of organizations, from structure to culture. How can smart leaders harness its full potential to enhance productivity and get more out of collaboration? How can they ensure that it’s functioning as a vital member of their team? How can they leverage its ability to add value, spot new opportunities, and help build out entirely new business models? In the upcoming season of the WorkLab podcast from Microsoft, we’ll be exploring all of these questions. WorkLab Subscr...
Sep 04, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Imagine a world where we each have our own personal tutor who knows exactly when we need more challenge, support, or motivation. Sal Khan believes AI can be that tutor. He’s the founder of the online education nonprofit Khan Academy and the author of several books on education technology, and he’s here to talk about how smart companies can leverage AI to make the skilling process more responsive, more personalized, more accessible, and more effective. We also delve into Khan Academy’s experience...
Jun 05, 2024•26 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Charles Lamanna is the Corporate Vice President of Business Apps and Platforms at Microsoft. In this episode, he explores how newly announced Microsoft Copilot capabilities help business leaders do more than boost their personal productivity using AI. They can reinvent their teams and even their entire business. Lamanna also shares how low- and no-code tools are democratizing AI by allowing anyone, not just software developers, to turn their great ideas into products. WorkLab Subscribe to the Wo...
May 22, 2024•25 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Michael Platt literally wrote the book on the neuroscience of leadership, and he’s on this episode of the WorkLab podcast to explain how AI is transforming our understanding of the brain, as well as the way we work. Platt is the Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative and a Professor of Marketing, Neuroscience, and Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. His research explores how our minds work in relation to communication, decision making, group intelligence, and team building. Wo...
May 08, 2024•26 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast How is Accenture, the professional services company with more than 730,000 employees across the world, transforming its enterprise using AI? And how is it recommending its clients do the same? In this episode, we go behind the scenes with CEO Julie Sweet to learn how. She also shares why the firm is investing $3 billion into AI, concrete use cases from Accenture clients, and tips for leaders on hiring and recruiting. WorkLab Subscribe to the WorkLab newsletter Discover and follow other Microsoft...
Apr 24, 2024•25 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Peter Lee, President of Microsoft Research, explains how AI is transforming every aspect of the medical industry, from research to diagnosis to how doctors communicate information. He also helps listeners grasp how what he’s seeing in medicine is happening across all industries: ultimately creating systems that are less siloed and less confusing, more thorough, more efficient, more secure—and even more empathetic. WorkLab Subscribe to the WorkLab newsletter Discover and follow other Microsoft po...
Apr 10, 2024•27 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Do you think AI will reduce the need for managers? Think again. As work becomes more efficient, the need for empathetic human oversight will increase, says Bryan Hancock , global leader of McKinsey’s talent management practice. He explains why managers will play a critical role in building AI-powered organizations and ensuring that they thrive. In this episode, he shares why leaders must invest in their managers, and let those managers invest the time that AI saves them into better supporting th...
Mar 27, 2024•23 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast The best leaders have a framework for stepping confidently into the unknown. This includes creating an AI-powered organization, a challenge that has many up at bat. In this episode, Dr. Britt Aylor, Director of Leadership Development at Microsoft, gives us a crash course in the adaptive leadership framework. In the WorkLab podcast from Microsoft, host Molly Wood talks with executives, educators, technologists, and researchers to get the actionable insights you need to future-proof your organizat...
Mar 13, 2024•20 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter, author, and productivity expert. He joins us on the WorkLab podcast to share insights on how to form good habits for the AI era, along with the secrets behind “supercommunicators” who have next-level conversation skills. His key insight: the ability to clearly articulate what you want is vitally important to how you interact with other people as well as AI, and it can even help you get clarity on how to best tackle challenges and seize opportu...
Feb 28, 2024•26 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast The year 2024 will be remembered as the moment when AI-powered organizations shifted into overdrive. How should leaders reinvent their processes for this new era? What’s the best way for organizations to use the time that AI saves their teams? Join host Molly Wood for the new season of the WorkLab podcast, which explores the hard data, real-world lessons, and actionable insights you need to future-proof your organization. New episodes available February 28. WorkLab Subscribe to the WorkLab newsl...
Feb 21, 2024•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nir Eyal is an entrepreneur and author of the bestselling book Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products . He’s harnessed that expertise to develop simple guidelines on how we can tune out distractions. In this episode of WorkLab , he shares his insights on how to maintain focus. Eyal is the last guest for season 5 of the WorkLab podcast, in which host Molly Wood has conversations with economists, technologists, and researchers who explore the data and insights into why and how work is changin...
Jan 03, 2024•22 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Erica Keswin , a business strategist who’s worked with the world’s most influential brands, defines what a human workplace is, and how leaders can achieve it in the age of generative AI. She also talks about her newest book, The Retention Revolution . Keswin is the latest guest on Microsoft’s WorkLab podcast, in which host Molly Wood explores the data and insights about the work trends you need to know today—from how to use AI effectively to what it takes to thrive in our new world of work. Work...
Dec 13, 2023•19 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Eric Horvitz , Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft, explains how generative AI has the power to supercharge human potential and why business leaders should see it as the world’s best “ideas processor.” Horvitz is the latest guest on Microsoft’s WorkLab podcast, in which host Molly Wood explores the data and insights about the work trends you need to know today—from how to use AI effectively to what it takes to thrive in our new world of work. WorkLab: Hard Data, Compelling Stories, Vital Insig...
Nov 29, 2023•20 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Dentsu Creative, one of the world’s largest global creative agencies, is a part of the Microsoft Copilot Early Access Program. Global Head of Technology James Thomas shares how integrating C opilot is tra nsforming work flows and enh ancing creativity for his teams. Thomas is t he latest guest on Micr osoft’s WorkLab podcast, where host Molly Wood explores the data and insights about the work trends you need to know today—from how to use AI effectively to what it takes to thrive in our new world...
Nov 15, 2023•18 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Aneesh Raman, a vice president at LinkedIn, explains how generative AI is changing work and expanding opp ortunities for people withou t standard career paths and educational backgrounds. Raman is the fourth guest for season 5 of Microsoft’s WorkLab podcast, in which host Molly Wood has conversations with economists, technologists, and researchers who explore the data and insights about the work trends you need to know today—from how to use AI effectively to what it takes to thrive in a digital ...
Nov 01, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Christina Wallace is a Harvard Business School instructor, serial entrepreneur, and author of the book The Portfolio Life . In this episode of WorkLab , Walla ce di scusses how leaders and individuals need to rethink careers and personal growth in AI-powered work. She is the third guest for season 5 o f the WorkLab podcast, in wh ich host Molly Wood has conversations with economists, technologists, and researchers who explore the data and insights about the work trends you need to know today—fro...
Oct 18, 2023•23 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Sam Schillace’s breakthroughs in collaboration technology and engineering leadership have helped transform the way we work. In this episode, the Microsoft CVP and Deputy CTO disc usses his exper iences with AI tools, and their potential to shift our productivity paradigm. Schillace is the second guest for season 5 of the WorkLab podcast, in which host Molly Wood has conversations with economists, technologists, and researchers who explore the data and insights into why and how work is changing. ...
Oct 04, 2023•20 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast No one can predict the future, but quantitative futurist Amy Webb is doing her best. In this episode of WorkLab , Webb shares the most plausible outcomes for what the future looks like with AI and what business leaders can do today to make sure their organizations are set up for success. Webb is the first guest for season 5 of the WorkLab podcast, in which host Molly Wood has conversations with economists, technologists, and researchers who explore the data and insights into why and how work is ...
Sep 20, 2023•23 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast The AI era of work isn’t coming—it’s here. How can you stay ahead of the curve and make sure your employees and your organization are using AI to its fullest potential? Listen to the WorkLab podcast. This trailer introduces season 5, in which new host Molly Wood has conversations with executives, educators, technologists, and researchers who explore the data and offer insights on everything from how to use AI effectively to what it takes to thrive in the digital age. WorkLab: Hard Data, Compelli...
Sep 13, 2023•1 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Ethan Mollick teaches innovation and entrepreneurship at The Wharton School and writes the popular AI Substack One Useful Thing . In this episode of WorkLab , Mollick explains why business leaders should be using AI now and what it means for the future of work and education. Mollick is the final guest for season 4 of the WorkLab podcast, in which hosts Elise Hu and Mary Melton have conversations with economists, technologists, and researchers who explore the data and insights into why and how wo...
Jun 28, 2023•22 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast 
