Had an absolute blinder of a chat with Alison Taylor, who brings such a fresh perspective from her work at NYU Stern Business School. We got stuck into all sorts of fascinating topics, particularly how AI is turning the business world on its head. Alison made this spot-on observation about how, even as AI gets cleverer, we’re actually seeing human skills like empathy and decent leadership become more valuable, not less. She wasn’t afraid to call out tech companies for being a bit wishy-washy when it comes to walking the walk on AI responsibility and environmental care. What really got me thinking was her concern about firms rushing to use AI without properly sorting out their staff with the right support. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom – we had a proper good discussion about practical solutions, like getting younger employees stuck into big ethical decisions about AI. Alison’s take on all this was wonderfully down-to-earth, acknowledging it’s a bit of a faff while staying optimistic about finding better ways forward. Best of all, she made these complex topics feel Aaccessible
Brilliant Bits from Our Chat:
00:00:00 “Companies aren’t people”: A brilliant take on how we chat about businesses
00:02:03 From corporate detective to lecturer: Alison’s fascinating journey
00:04:03 “Everyone’s having a go at business leaders”: The pressure cooker of modern leadership
00:08:53 When good intentions meet reality: The ESG conundrum
00:14:00 The regulation pickle: Who keeps the big firms in check?
00:19:40 “The ghost office”: Making sense of hybrid working
00:23:20 What keeps the young lot awake at night
00:27:40 When businesses wade into global politics: Help or faff?
00:33:00 Tech giants: All mouth and no trousers on sustainability?
00:37:20 “Machines won’t crack empathy”: Why being human matters more than ever
00:41:20 Screens, teens, and wellbeing: The social media palaver
00:45:40 AI at work: Brilliant tool or proper nightmare?
00:50:20 Getting ethical decisions sorted as a proper team
00:54:20 When AI holds up a mirror: The bias pickle
00:58:31 Making sure the youngsters get a proper say
