The Ai Shift: What Leaders Need To Know About Ai Agents

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 we work.

Find this episode on:
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/worklab/id1582908812
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2vApnLW5XfXoP8WDYGzFkT
- WorkLab Podcast: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/podcast/

WorkLab air date: March 4, 2025
Chapters
00:00 - About WorkLab
00:33 - Overview of Exponential View
02:04 - Adapting to Fast-Changing Technologies
03:48 - Contrarian Ideas about GenAI in the Workplace
05:58 - AI Assistants vs. AI Agents
08:40 - Impact of AI Agents on Business
10:28 - Leadership and Adaptation
13:09 - AI as a Light Bulb vs. AI as a Factory
14:14 - Navigating Other Disruptions with AI
16:46 - Difference Between Data and Knowledge
18:27 - Unexpected Uses of AI
20:31 - Challenges and Opportunities of AI at Work
21:14 - Future of Work with AI

About the WorkLab Podcast:
Join host Molly Wood as she explores what leaders need to know to prepare their organizations for the innovations and disruptions that are transforming the way we work. Listen to her conversations with leading economists, technologists, and researchers on everything from how to use AI effectively to what it takes to thrive in a digital age.

Sign up for the WorkLab newsletter to get the latest AI research, insights, and trends delivered straight to your inbox: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/newsletter

For more insights on the future of work, visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/

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