Forward Thinking

We’ve been hearing for a long time that robots are coming for our jobs. Now, with widespread global unemployment due to COVID-19, that sounds even more ominous. But what if robots and AI could, in fact, help with recovery? Well, it’s possible. For instance, in some rural parts of the US, artificial intelligence and machine learning are making these regions more economically viable. In this episode...

“Digital is changing the way that we create value in society. Where in value chains does that happen? Who gets the benefits? And is there a gap between what we measure in dollars and the economic welfare, the benefits, that people can get from these digital services? There's a wedge opening up between the categories and the dollar values that we can assign to activities and the benefits that peopl...

Millions of people have lost their jobs over the past year, and the jobs that are going to be available coming out of the pandemic might be really different from those that were available even a few years ago. Just think about some of the jobs that employed a lot of people before: in-person services like personal care, dining, travel, and leisure. All those things have been decimated by the impact...

The Bio Revolution has the potential to transform our lives, and genome editing—the ability to change the DNA sequence in a targeted way using CRISPR-Cas9, is one of the key innovations that has sparked imaginations while also raising its fair share of controversy. What is the origin of this technique? How do we weigh the enormous benefits against the potential risks? And what is its role in solvi...

As part of Black History Month, MGI co-chair James Manyika had an open, candid conversation with Mellody Hobson and an audience of McKinsey colleagues in the San Francisco office. “You can almost pick any arena you want in American business, society, and community, and I think you’ll probably find Mellody involved, playing some important pioneering role there.” From her childhood on the South Side...

You’ve heard about the Industrial Revolution and the digital revolution. But now, we’re heading into a Bio Revolution. And this is going to transform the economy and society in many ways—even beyond health and agriculture. And we need to understand both the potential for good and how to avoid the pitfalls. In this episode, we start with a picture of the science that’s happening, then explore where...

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 00:90) >   Forward Thinking is a new podcast series hosted by Michael Chui and Anna Bernasek. We want to inform and provoke your thinking by interviewing names you may know—like Nobel prizewinners Jennifer Doudna and Sir Christopher Pissarides—and by introducing up-and-comers you should know. We ask experts to tell us about the...

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 28:53) >   We speak with two leaders on the forefront of applying AI techniques such as automation and machine learning in the business world. How can CEOs stay ahead of the curve in training and developing their workforce for using this technology? Since companies are doing the hiring and creating the jobs, what role do they p...

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 35:55) >   We’ve explored McKinsey Global Institute’s research on the future of work in this podcast series. What do other experts have to say? We sat down with Zoe Baird, CEO of the Markle Foundation, and Tim O’Reilly, founder of O’Reilly Media, at the Churchill Club in San Francisco to share their thoughts on the new world of...

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 32:14) >   Automation will displace many jobs over the next 10-15 years, but many others will be created, and even more will change. Jobs of the future will use different skills and may have higher educational requirements. In this episode, we ask experts how we can retrain workers for the new world of work and what the shifts...

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 21:22) >   In this episode, we examine how technology has affected employment and incomes in manufacturing and other sectors in the United States and other advanced economies in the recent past and discuss whether automation could widen the gap between high and low-income jobs. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy in...

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 31:53) >   New technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping the workplace globally, but there are likely to be significant differences from country to country. In this podcast, we look at automation’s likely impact in China, Europe, and India. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy informat...

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 34:59) >   This is not the first time the world has experienced significant shifts in employment due to new technology. History tells us that in the long run, technology is a net creator of jobs. But with AI and automation's rapid advances, could this time be different? Here's what we can learn from past employment transitions,...

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 26:38) >   James Manyika of the McKinsey Global Institute and Matthew Taylor of the RSA discuss how new workplace trends such as automation, AI, and the gig economy are creating a need for policies that create not just jobs, but work that is more satisfying and meaningful. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy informa...

Read more >    Listen to the podcast (duration: 22:45) >   New technology has the potential to drastically change work. How can we prepare today for the shifts that are coming tomorrow? See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information