WorkLab

Microsoft
AI is changing the way we work at an unprecedented speed. How can business leaders stay ahead of the curve and champion emerging technologies to benefit themselves and their teams? On WorkLab, we talk to experts about the work trends you need to know today—from how to use AI effectively to what it takes to thrive in a digital age. Join host Molly Wood as she explores the science of work and ingenuity.
WorkLab Trailer
Trailer1 min 15 sec

All Episodes

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 crafting its own AI teaching tool.  WorkLab Subscribe to the WorkLab newsletter  Khan Academy Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at news.microsoft.com/podcasts. 

Jun 5

25 min 54 sec

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 WorkLab newsletter  

May 22

25 min 2 sec

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. WorkLab  Subscribe to the WorkLab newsletter  Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at news.microsoft.com/podcasts.

May 8

25 min 30 sec

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 podcasts at news.microsoft.com/podcasts.

Apr 24

24 min 51 sec

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 podcasts at news.microsoft.com/podcasts. 

Apr 10

27 min 25 sec

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 their teams.  WorkLab  Subscribe to the WorkLab newsletter 

Mar 27

23 min 14 sec

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 organization.  WorkLab Subscribe to the WorkLab newsletter 

Mar 13

20 min 2 sec

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 opportunities.  WorkLab  Subscribe to the WorkLab newsletter 

Feb 28

25 min 43 sec

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 newsletter  Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at news.microsoft.com/podcasts.

Feb 21

1 min 18 sec

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 changing.  WorkLab  Subscribe to the WorkLab newsletter  Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at news.microsoft.com/podcasts

Jan 3

21 min 55 sec

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. WorkLab Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at aka.ms/microsoft/podcasts Follow the Intrazone at aka.ms/TheIntrazone.

Dec 2023

19 min 17 sec

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 Insights

Nov 2023

20 min 14 sec