At the Edge

Elad Gil on the future of AI 19.12.2025 24min

Many leaders are wondering about when their company will see a return on its AI investment. On this episode of At the Edge, Elad Gil—technology angel investor, AI expert, and entrepreneur—says most companies and organizations will need at least ten years to fully integrate AI into their everyday processes, even as its value is already proving itself. In his conversation with Senior Partner Lareina Yee, Gil talks about major drivers of AI’s impact, from market shifts and new business models to the persistent challenge of change management—and why data may be overrated.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Meet your robotic coworker 16.12.2025 25min

Humanoid robots don’t live in sci-fi movies only anymore. Agility Robotics’ creations are helping workers in real places—warehouses, shop floors, distribution centers—do their jobs more efficiently, safely, and precisely. On this episode of the At the Edge podcast, Agility’s CEO, Peggy Johnson, speaks to McKinsey Senior Parter Lareina Yee about the future of humanoid robots in the workplace, the steps required for the safe integration of these tools, and how leaders can embrace this evolution.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

The AI infrastructure of the future 24.11.2025 23min

As AI innovation escalates, it’s predicted the demand for an uninterruptible power supply will increase dramatically. Crusoe, a company specializing in AI infrastructure, uses stranded and renewable energy sources to power facilities while cutting the time to market for new sites by more than half using modular components. On this episode of the At the Edge podcast, Crusoe’s cofounder and CEO, Chase Lochmiller, speaks to McKinsey Senior Partner Lareina Yee about Crusoe’s unique approach to AI infrastructure and how AI will shape the future workforce.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Security and AI’s potential to protect 27.10.2025 26min

The way AI is trained and used is evolving every day. Unfortunately, cyberattacks are advancing in tandem, raising the bar for AI products that are brought to market today. On this episode of the At the Edge podcast, Cisco’s President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel speaks to McKinsey Senior Partner Lareina Yee about how companies can secure their AI systems to protect enterprise data and consumers—and how to use AI to predict and quickly respond to cyberattacks.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

How to lead through the AI disruption 15.09.2025 29min

Prompt engineering as a career path now seems almost quaint. The speed of AI capability is burning a future path for work and leaving recent convictions in the dust. Few executives see the pace of AI innovation as closely as Ruba Borno. As vice president of the Global Specialists and Partners group at Amazon Web Services (AWS), she works with partners and customers across industries to turn rapid technological advances into business impact. On this episode of the At the Edge podcast, she speaks with McKinsey Senior Partner Lareina Yee about leadership strategies, how to avoid pilot purgatory, and why AI security doesn’t slow grow growth, but speeds it.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

How a global biopharma is adopting an end-to-end AI transformation 26.07.2025 25min

If CEOs want to transform their companies, they must lead with AI and agentic AI—that’s the key to winning a competitive advantage. So says Paul Hudson, CEO of leading pharmaceutical company Sanofi, on this episode of the At the Edge podcast. He speaks with McKinsey Senior Partners Hemant Ahlawat and Lareina Yee about his leadership of a company-wide effort to use AI to expedite drug discovery, gain efficiencies, and remake the company.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Why learning to code still matters 09.07.2025 27min

Karlie Kloss, founder of Kode With Klossy (KWK), and Osi Imeokparia, KWK’s CEO, say the process of coding builds more career skills than knowing how to write instructions for a computer. On this episode of At the Edge podcast, they speak with McKinsey Senior Partner Lareina Yee about how KWK’s programs teaching 13-to-18-year-old young women and gender-expansive teens how to code help enable the students to develop critical thinking skills, improve their problem-solving abilities, and participate confidently in tech careers and beyond.      See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Preparing for tomorrow’s agentic workforce 12.06.2025 27min

To effectively compete, companies must take a hard look at what they can do to support an AI infrastructure. On this episode of the At the Edge podcast, SambaNova Systems cofounder and CEO Rodrigo Liang joins host and McKinsey Senior Partner Lareina Yee to discuss agentic AI, the S-curve of AI value, and why businesses must adopt a hybrid AI model.      See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Lead or lag: CEOs must embrace AI at full speed 06.05.2025 25min

Renowned business leader John Chambers says AI disruption is this generation’s internet revolution. John Chambers, founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures and the former CEO and chairman of Cisco Systems for more than 20 years, grew Cisco to nearly $50 billion in annual revenues, helping companies around the world transform by leveraging the internet. On this episode of the At the Edge podcast, he joins host and McKinsey Senior Partner Lareina Yee to discuss the urgent need for companies to adopt AI and what this technological transformation means for the future of business.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

When will we see mass adoption of gen AI? 24.02.2025 23min

Will generative AI live up to its hype? On this episode of At the Edge, tech visionaries Naveen Chaddha, Managing Partner at Mayfield Fund, Kiran Prasad, CEO and Cofounder of Big Basin Labs, and Naba Banerjee, McKinsey senior advisor and former director of trust and operations at Airbnb join guest host and McKinsey Senior Partner Brian Gregg. They talk about the inevitability of an AI-supported world and ways business can leverage AI’s astonishing capabilities while managing its risks.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Using AI and data to make immersive art 31.01.2025 26min

What happens when art meets technology, AI, and data? You get the trailblazing digital artist and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), lecturer Refik Anadol. For this episode of At the Edge, Anadol sat down with McKinsey senior partner Lareina Yee at the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos. They discussed his multisensory installation about the melting glaciers and the joy that comes from bonding with technology to push the boundaries of creativity.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

What McKinsey learned while creating its generative AI platform 22.01.2025 14min

Nearly one hundred years of McKinsey’s insights and knowledge serve as the source material for the firm’s AI platform, “Lilli.” In this episode of the At the Edge podcast, Erik Roth, a McKinsey senior partner and global leader of growth and innovation, joins senior partner Lareina Yee to discuss how Lilli was developed and thoughtfully executed—and why immediate access to the firm’s intellectual property has transformed the way McKinsey serves its clients.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

The case for human-centered AI 20.12.2024 21min

Maximizing generative AI’s promise while minimizing its misuse requires an inclusive approach that puts humans first. Which is why the design of these formidablesystems must include experts from diverse backgrounds, says James Landay, a professor of computer science at Stanford University and today’s guest on this episode of the At the Edge. Hear his conversation with host and McKinsey senior partner,Lareina Yee, about how to develop safe, inclusive, and effective AI.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Cocreator of the internet on how to make the internet accessible to all 10.12.2024 24min

Vint Cerf codesigned the foundational architecture of the internet. He’s a renowned computer scientist, Google’s chief internet evangelist, and today’s guest on this episode of the At the Edge podcast. Cerf speaks with McKinsey senior partner Lareina Yee about the genesis of the internet, the need to improve online accessibility, and the importance of accountability. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

What an AI-powered finance function of the future looks like 04.11.2024 26min

On this episode of the At the Edge podcast, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar joins McKinsey senior partner Lareina Yee to talk about how to lead through this era of intense technological adaptation and what it means for the future of the finance function and business leadership.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Keeping artificial intelligence real 11.10.2024 26min

Companies are entering a new phase with generative AI (gen AI), as they realistically ponder how to deploy the potent technology responsibly and profitably. The answer, says Navrina Singh, founder and CEO of Credo AI and today’s guest on this episode of the At the Edge podcast, is proper governance in the form of continuous human oversight. Singh speaks with McKinsey senior partner Lareina Yee about the importance of monitoring, measuring, and managing AI risk for the good of humanity, as well as for gaining a competitive advantage.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Technology alone is never enough for true productivity 13.09.2024 27min

Technology continues to change how we work, and gen AI is the latest, greatest disruptor. But real productivity happens only when companies holistically rethink how they do business. In this episode of the At the Edge podcast, economist and Stanford professor Erik Brynjolfsson speaks with McKinsey’s Lareina Yee about how gen AI differs from previous technological innovations, why it will likely augment more jobs than it replaces, and why keeping humans in the loop is essential. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Approaching generative AI with a beginner’s mindset 26.08.2024 23min

Applying a growth mindset is the best way for businesses to approach the rapid changes born of generative AI (gen AI), says Clara Shih, CEO of Salesforce AI and today’s guest on this episode of the At the Edge podcast. Shih speaks with McKinsey senior partner Lareina Yee about the transformative power of gen AI to help accelerate workflows, the importance of change management, and the top questions business leaders are asking about AI adoption.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Embrace gen AI with eyes wide open 17.07.2024 25min

Although the relentless rise of generative AI (gen AI) has many fearing for the loss of their livelihoods to machines, former Fortune CEO Alan Murray argues that it may actually end up benefiting management and workers alike. In this episode of the At the Edge podcast, former Fortune CEO and editor Alan Murray speaks with McKinsey’s Lareina Yee about why gen AI marks a turning point in human history, one that must be carefully managed for the good of business and society.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Gen AI: A cognitive industrial revolution 07.06.2024 22min

The advent of steam power in the late 18th century utterly transformed manufacturing, transportation, and construction. A new kind of upheaval is already underway, one that will energize all language-based capabilities including communication, reasoning, analysis, sales, and marketing. In this episode of the At the Edge podcast, venture capitalist Reid Hofman, cofounder of LinkedIn and Inflection AI, and founding investor in OpenAI, speaks with McKinsey’s Lareina Yee about the generative AI revolution, and how it can teach users to understand and harness its power. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information