Imagine This...

By the year 2035, we will likely be able to utilize AI to crunch complex data sets and produce far more accurate predictions of the future, for everything from stock market fluctuations to consumer trends. Already, meteorologists are using AI to improve weather forecasting—for instance, by more accurately predicting when a hurricane will make landfall. But BCG’s Alan Iny says this does not mean that business leaders will be able to dispense with planning for multiple scenarios. Predictions will never be perfect—and everyone will have access to the same tools—so strategic planning will remain critical even as it evolves in new ways. Learn More: Alan Iny: https://on.bcg.com/4fCNDo5Are Leaders as Prepared for Strategic Risks as They Think They Are?: https://on.bcg.com/3AXqw8J BCG on Corporate Finance and Strategy: https://on.bcg.com/496c3Ek CEO Moments of Truth: https://on.bcg.com/ITMoT GenAI on GenAI: https://link.chtbl.com/bcg-genai-on-genai?sid=IT CEO Digest: https://link.chtbl.com/ceo-digest-bcg-show?sid=IT This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

What can ancient Greek myths teach us about modern leadership? Kirsten Rulf has spent her career at the intersection of tech, policy, and public service. In this episode, Kirsten shares how she found clarity in moments of uncertainty, why AI presents a major opportunity for the public good, and what it was like helping shape the EU’s landmark tech legislation. Kirsten is a Partner and Associate Director at BCG. Before joining BCG, she advised German Chancellor Angela Merkel and served as head of digital policy in the German government, playing a key role in negotiating Europe’s AI and data laws.  Listen to In Her Ellement: https://lnk.to/bcg-in-her-ellement-series-link04  [1:26] A Big Win, Then The Hard Work Follows [05:21] Potential of AI in Public Sector [08:56] Roots In Ovid’s Metamorphosis [12:09] From Journalism to CyberSecurity [14:14] A Phone Call from Angela Merkel [13:48] Navigating Career Changes and Mentorship [19:23] “Hope is not a strategy” [22:16] Reflections This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Apps were supposed to make life easier to navigate, but they often create more complexity. Planning a trip can involve hundreds of digital touchpoints over several months. But new advances–especially the growth of AI agents–coupled with ambient and voice-recognition technology, could make apps obsolete. BCG’s Dutch MacDonald imagines a world where, for example, we could just have a conversation with our personal AI assistant about our dream vacation and it could do all the planning and booking for us. Learn More: Dutch:https://on.bcg.com/4k3Hy5s How AI Agents Are Opening the Golden Era of Customer Experience: https://on.bcg.com/4ndwK7K BCG’s Latest Thinking on AI: https://on.bcg.com/3ZMzmj0 This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

The pharmaceutical industry has yet to develop highly effective treatments for common chronic and neurological issues, like Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease. But GenAI promises to accelerate the discovery and development of breakthrough treatments. BCG’s Priya Chandran explores possible new approaches and how breakthrough drugs can be made more affordable and more available to the patients who need them. Learn More: Priya Chandran: https://on.bcg.com/3ZZO5ad BCG’s Latest Thinking on the Health Care Industry: https://on.bcg.com/4kFxhxH Biopharma Trends 2025: https://on.bcg.com/4mX6CxN  This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

The most enthusiastic AI evangelists say that in the not-too-distant future bots with artificial general intelligence (AGI) will match—or even exceed—the cognitive abilities of humans on pretty much any task. But what if we don’t reach that elusive goal? BCG’s Noah Broestl imagines how AI will nonetheless continue to evolve in amazing ways, yielding a proliferation of specialized models each with its own specific advantages. These models will be much more accurate, and they will feature advances in safety, transparency, and efficiency. Learn More: Noah Broestl: https://on.bcg.com/4mtes1N BCG’s Latest Thinking on AI: https://on.bcg.com/4jnOLNz You Won’t Get GenAI Right If You Get Human Oversight Wrong: https://on.bcg.com/45rTvyj GenAI Will Fail. Prepare for It: https://on.bcg.com/4kx8ECP The AI Instant Skills Boost: What CEOs Need to Know: https://on.bcg.com/4jnE8dJ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

We could be on the verge of a nuclear power renaissance. Climate change is one reason: nuclear power remains the largest source of carbon-free energy in the United States. Also, demand for electricity is surging. BCG’s Ben Vannier imagines a future where the promise of less expensive nuclear power has been realized. The key will be small modular reactors (SMRs) that are less complex and easier to build. Let’s not ignore the big question: safety. Nuclear power’s already safe, Ben says, and with SMRs, there's even less risk.Learn More: Ben Vannier: https://on.bcg.com/4jKRQYV What’s Holding Back Nuclear in the West?: https://on.bcg.com/42Tg7Gt A Fusion Future Is No Longer Wishful Thinking: https://on.bcg.com/44xwWIi BCG’s Latest Thinking on Energy: https://on.bcg.com/44weiQR This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

In the future, hackers will have many new vulnerabilities to exploit, especially as industries move from legacy IT to state-of-the-art digital systems. BCG’s Vanessa Lyon looks at how cyber-attacks are likely to evolve over the next ten years, and what business leaders need to do to protect their companies. This is critical, she explains, because governments are already moving to hold CEOs and other top executives personally accountable for cyberattacks on their companies. Learn More: Vanessa Lyon: https://on.bcg.com/4jmhN0M The Cyber Secure CEO: https://on.bcg.com/3Gq91QW What Cybersecurity Leaders Get Right: https://on.bcg.com/4iACrJk Cybersecurity Has a Talent Shortage. Here’s How to Close the Gap: https://on.bcg.com/445Ozi3 BCG on Cybersecurity and Digital Risk: https://on.bcg.com/44advVGThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

AI Can Build Your Next Business—If You Think BiggerBusinesses are overlooking AI’s ability to create entirely new products and businesses. Beth Viner, who leads BCG’s corporate venturing and business building at BCGX, explains how organizations can move beyond efficiency and generate big revenue gains. Companies can combine their historical strengths with AI’s power to meet customer needs in new and unexpected ways.  Learn More: Beth Viner: https://on.bcg.com/4193Lco BCG X: https://on.bcg.com/3WUviLQ  BCG on AI: https://on.bcg.com/42OlGpK Beth’s TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x92AnU6MUr0 The So What from BCG: https://lnk.to/so-what-general-show10This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Cities have been struggling since the pandemic. In some—including Los Angeles and San Francisco—office high-rises have become “zombie buildings,” with vacancy rates of 50% or more. But many people still want to live in cities and be part of a vibrant community. BCG’s Santiago Ferrer explores how new forms of transit, from modular pods to self-driving cars, can help reinvigorate moribund downtowns by making them easier to reach and navigate. As part of this transformation, cities will find innovative uses for zombie buildings, turning them into everything from residential units to community art hubs. Learn More: Santiago Ferrer: https://on.bcg.com/4iXe2Po Accelerating the Shift to Sustainable Transport: https://on.bcg.com/3Y8ScQo Cities of the Future: https://on.bcg.com/43Ttw2f BCG’s Latest Thinking on Public Sector: https://on.bcg.com/4le9qWn This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Even the most nimble and successful companies are sometimes forced to replace huge swaths of their workforce when business strategy changes. But layoffs come with costs: hiring and firing workers is expensive. Letting workers go can also damage an institution’s reputation and demoralize the employees who remain. BCG’s Kevin Kelley explains how companies can reduce the need for layoffs by creating teams that are flexible enough to pivot as priorities shift. The key is to avoid turning teams into silos that know how to do only one thing and thus become obsolete when priorities change. Learn More: Kevin Kelley: https://on.bcg.com/4kSmNLN Resetting the Organization to Improve Cost and Enhance Effectiveness: https://on.bcg.com/3ReXxla BCG’s Latest Thinking on Cost Excellence: https://on.bcg.com/4irJBjB BCG’s Latest Thinking on People Strategy: https://on.bcg.com/43Mo2WI BCG on Organization Design: https://on.bcg.com/4krU0gW This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

India has been experiencing a rapid transformation over the past decade. The government has made massive investments in physical and digital public infrastructure, and its share of affluent consumers has grown considerably. It’s also young – over half of India’s 1.4 billion people are under the age of 30. In this episode, BCG’s Kanika Sanghi imagines how India’s rising consumer class could change the global economy, from setting trends to pioneering new business models. Sanghi's advice is that business leaders across industries should start planning now to capitalize on India’s growth story. Learn More: Kanika Sanghi: https://on.bcg.com/3D2ZI8i BCG on Customer Insights: https://on.bcg.com/4h5FUPw The CEO’s Guide to India: https://on.bcg.com/3EZP9U0 The $2 Trillion Opportunity: How Gen Z is Shaping the New India: https://on.bcg.com/3QH83lg This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

It’s no secret the media business, which has long relied on advertising revenue, is in crisis. It’s not a stretch to imagine that few if any of the major TV networks, newspapers and magazines - the old guard bedrocks of U.S. media - will survive into the next decade. BCG’s Neal Zuckerman imagines a world where every business has a Chief Content Officer. From health insurers to snack-food companies, companies are creating their own content to entertain and educate their customers. Zuckerman also explores the future of on-demand streaming and how the news business could survive and even thrive.  Learn More: Neal Zuckerman: https://on.bcg.com/4k6uj5i BCG Media and Entertainment Industry: https://on.bcg.com/3QoGKfi Why Video Streamers Need to Rebundle: https://on.bcg.com/415I5fJ Content Creation Is Key to Marketing Success https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=475zs6pf8nIThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

How will advances in sustainable materials and modular construction change how homes are designed and built? And how will these innovations address the urgent need for affordable housing? BCG’s Matthias Tauber suggests ways to solve the housing crisis through changes in design, manufacturing, materials, permitting, and financing. Homes of the future will provide more alternatives, often by reimagining shared spaces and resources in flexible ways that allow for custom designs. The one no-regret move? Tauber says: invest in technology.  Learn More: Matthias Tauber: https://on.bcg.com/4fh2mo2 Building Materials Industry: https://on.bcg.com/3Ultz19 GenAI on GenAI: https://link.chtbl.com/bcg-genai-on-genai?sid=IT CEO Digest: https://link.chtbl.com/ceo-digest-bcg-show?sid=IT CEO Moments of Truth: https://on.bcg.com/ITMoT This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Join BCG’s Global Chair Rich Lesser, and GENE, BCG’s GenAI conversational agent, for the high points from the speaking halls and hallways of the 2025 World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Rich and GENE spotlight what world and business leaders had to say in conversations about geopolitics, economic growth, the path to AI success for business, and more. To learn more about BCG at Davos, visit https://www.bcg.com/about/partner-ecosystem/world-economic-forum/davos. To hear more of GENE, listen at https://lnk.to/imagine-this-general-show01.TodayThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

BCG's Matthew Sinclair explores the future working relationship between human and machine. Will a coming generation of AI bots be able to generate and iterate ideas as well as or better than people? Will knowledge workers be replaced by machines? BCG’s Matthew Sinclair imagines a future where technology could replace writers, software engineers, and, yes, consultants – although he’s not convinced that businesses should lose the human touch. There are inherent risks in handing over the most creative elements of your business to bots – including perpetuating what Sinclair calls “the tyranny of the banal.” Learn More: Matthew Sinclair: https://on.bcg.com/4btUGgN AI at Scale: https://on.bcg.com/44Y6pSu Matthew Sinclair on Medium: Matthew Sinclair – Medium GenAI on GenAI: https://link.chtbl.com/bcg-genai-on-genai?sid=IT CEO Digest: https://link.chtbl.com/ceo-digest-bcg-show?sid=IT This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp