Imagine This Podcast: An Intelligent View Of The Future Of Business

 I think we're right to be suspicious of artificial intelligence (AI). After all, while its proponents tout its potential benefits, we have history on our side to prove that humans tend to warp technology for malicious uses. 

That was my mindset when I began listening BCG’s Imagine This…podcast about AI's impact on the future. The podcast's new series began on February 20 with an episode called, "A Bot in the C-Suite?" In the show, Boston Consulting Group's Mickey McManus envisions a future where the CEO shares the corner office with AI. 

After listening to the episode, which raised a flurry of legitimate questions, I thought that AI can't possibly do a worse job than, say, the top execs or CEO of Boeing. And AI doesn't have greed to cloud its business judgment.

In this series,BCG’s Imagine This… is hosted by BCG’s Editor-in-Chief Paul Michelman and GENE, his generative AI co-host. The show is more than the conventional wisdom on AI's impact on the future—it’s a guide filled with actionable insights.

This innovative series takes listeners on a thought-provoking journey into potential future scenarios that could redefine our world and the way businesses operate within it. Paul’s expansive experience on change technology coupled with GENE’s Socratic communication bring an analytical yet empathetic perspective to fast-paced growth.

Each episode is a deep dive into the disruptive possibilities shaping our world, featuring expert voices from BCG to illuminate the path forward. I find myself listening so closely to hear what GENE has to say throughout the conversations! The BCG team has even done some work to encourage GENE to generate their own opinions, instead of always being agreeable.

In the three episodes I listened to, I'll be honest enough to say that I wanted to despise GENE. But I couldn't. GENE made sense. GENE had excellent insights and, dare I say it, instincts. 

The podcast is developed by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which is the sunlight in the darkness of consulting created by the machinations of the McKinsey Company. Founded in 1963, BCG promotes itself this way: "We work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact."

Michelman is an excellent host who manages his guests, the thematic current, and AI Gene. He's professional, polished, and his prescriptive nonchalance is disarming.  My favorite episode is "Joy as a Business Strategy" with guest Debbie Lovich. The episode begins with a counterfactual question: What if we found ourselves in 2030 with 50 percent more job openings than people to fill them? What? The existing wisdom is that technology like AI will explode the ranks of the unemployed. It's an episode with intellectual twists and turns around every sentence or conclusion. I highly recommend it.

Last year, BCG created one of my favorite climate podcasts called Climate Vision 2050, which transports listeners 30 years into the future to show how the world radically reduced carbon emissions and saved itself from climate catastrophe. This show offers a creative approach to talking about climate, getting into technical solutions without losing the beauty of an engaging, immersive narrative.

Check out BCG’s Imagine This… It's a podcast worth your time. Be prepared to have your confirmation bias questioned about AI, and put on your thinking caps. The series raises a lot of questions about the future of the workplace. I never thought I'd said this, but I'm glad these consultants (BCG) are around!