Will AI replace us, reshape our work, or create opportunities we’ve never imagined? For this month’s episode experts Ben Waber and Raffaella Sadun join the podcast to help us cut through the hype and discuss AI’s real impact on jobs, skills, and organizations. Drawing from research and industry experience, they tackle the myths of total automation, the need for firm-specific experimentation, and the evolving skills and management strategies required in the age of AI.

Join us as we take a pragmatic look at the challenges and opportunities as AI transforms how we work.

Our guests:

• Raffaella Sadun is the Charles E. Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, and is a co-chair of Harvard Business School’s Project on Managing the Future of Work and co-PI of the Digital Reskilling Lab. Her research focuses on managerial and organizational drivers of productivity and growth in corporations and the public sector.
• Ben Waber is a leading thinker at the intersection of management, data, workplace, and people. He is currently a visiting scientist at MIT and a senior visiting scientist at Ritsumeikan University. Previously, he was the president and CEO of Humanyze, a workplace analytics company he co-founded.

This month, we explore how data science and AI are transforming the wine industry—from vineyard planting and grape harvesting to customer engagement. Can advanced technologies help winemakers enhance quality, promote sustainability, and better match wines to consumers—all while preserving the essential human touch? Might these innovations be applied to other products as well?

Join us as we discuss these questions and more with industry leaders Kia Behnia, CEO and co-founder of Scout, and Katerina Axelsson, CEO and founder of Tastry. Pour yourself a glass and tune in as we uncork the intersection of data, AI, and the art of winemaking.

Our Guests:

• Kia Behnia is CEO and co-founder of Scout, an AI-powered analytics platform built for precision viticulture, and proprietor of Kiatra Vineyards and Neotempo Wines.
• Katerina Axelsson is CEO and founder of Tastry, a sensory-sciences company that blends advanced analytical chemistry, machine learning, and AI to predict consumer preferences—especially in wine.

This month, we’re taking a closer look at what’s on your dinner plate. From brightly colored cereals to shelf-stable snacks, food dyes, preservatives, and ultra-processed foods are found everywhere. But are they safe? Are they necessary—or could they actually be harmful? In this episode, we speak with leading experts in food science and public health to separate fact from fear. What does the evidence really say about these controversial ingredients? Are recent legislative bans rooted in science, or are other factors at play? Join us as we unpack the science, the politics, and the public perception behind what we eat.

Our guests:

• Lisa Lefferts is an environmental health consultant and former senior scientist at the Center in the Public Interest. She is the primary author of the successful petition to ban Red No. 30 and also served on the FDA's Food Advisory Committee when it considered synthetic food dyes in 2011.
• Marion Nestle is an American molecular biologist, nutritionist, and public health advocate. She is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health emerita at New York University.

Once the stuff of science fiction, deepfake technology has rapidly become one of the most powerful—and consequential—applications of generative AI, blurring the line between reality and illusion and reshaping how we trust what we see and hear online. This month we delve into this phenomenon with Professor Hany Farid, a pioneer in digital forensics, and Professor Siwei Lyu, whose lab develops state-of-the-art deepfake detection methods.Together, they’ll walk us through the data journey—from the vast raw data sets that fuel synthetic media to the pixel-level signatures that can unmask it. Whether you’re a computer scientist, policymaker, or simply curious about how synthetic content is transforming our information landscape, join us for an in-depth conversation about turning data into both convincing illusions and robust defenses—and learn how we can preserve trust and truth in our rapidly evolving digital world.

Our guests:

• Hany Farid is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, with a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences and the School of Information. He is also a member of the Berkeley Artificial Research Intelligence Lab, Berkeley Institute for Data Science, Center for Innovation in Vision and Optics, Development Engineering program, Vision Science program, and is a senior faculty advisor for the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity.
• Siwei Lyu is a SUNY Distinguished Professor and a SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the director of the UB Media Forensic Lab, and founding co-director of the Center for Information Integrity at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York.

This month, we welcome back one of our most popular guests—MIT Professor Andrew Lo—for an insightful exploration into the complexities of tariffs. In this episode, we break down what tariffs are, how they work, and their far-reaching economic and political impacts. Our conversation delves into the challenges of predicting tariff outcomes, the need for better data-driven policies, and offers practical advice for individual investors navigating periods of economic uncertainty. Join us for a fascinating deep dive into the world of economic policy

Our guest: Andrew W. Lo is the Charles E. and Susan T. Harris Professor of Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

This month we explore sleep, which is at the center of some of the most exciting developments in data science and health research. Joining us is Dr. Rebecca Robbins, sleep expert and co-author of Sleep for Success!, whose work explores how we can unlock better sleep and healthier lives. From wearable tech and machine learning to behavioral changes, we explore the evolving landscape of sleep research: what the data says about our changing sleep habits, which modern sleep trends actually work (and which don’t), and how modern science intersects with an ever more tired population. Join us for an eye-opening conversation on the science of sleep.

Our guest:

• Dr. Rebecca Robbins, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate scientist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

This month, we're delving into the thrilling world of Formula 1 racing—a high-octane blend of speed and data analytics that drives innovation both on and off the track. Joining us is Rob Smedley, renowned F1 race engineer and strategist with extensive experience at Ferrari, Williams, and the Formula One Group. We'll discuss Rob's journey into this fascinating sport, how data shapes race strategies and driver development, and the biggest transformations AI has brought to Formula 1. Whether you're a motorsports fan, data scientist, or simply curious about cutting-edge technology, join us to explore how data fuels Formula 1's future.

Our guest:

Rob Smedley, CEO and Founder of Smedley Group, an advanced technology business whose mission is to make motorsport faster, fairer, cleaner, and cheaper.

This month we are exploring emerging technologies and how they are transforming the way we approach romantic connections. How are AI tools and algorithms changing the way people meet? Can an app actually help you land more dates? And what does all of this mean for the future of dating and long-term relationships? Join us as we talk to two experts who unpack these big questions and share insights on how AI is impacting our love lives.

Our guests:

• Kathryn Coduto, Assistant Professor of Media Science in the Department of Mass Communication, Advertising, and Public Relations at Boston University.
• Sean Kim, Head of AI and Machine Learning at AI dating assistant app RIZZ.