How AI Agents Are Changing Business - PwC’s Dan Priest with Nicholas Thompson

How AI Agents Are Changing Business - PwC’s Dan Priest with Nicholas Thompson

Author: Atlantic Re:think June 17, 2026 Duration: 31:10
You've probably heard it already: AI is going to radically change the way we work. But the details change depending on who's making the prediction: AI will wipe out the C-suite, or entry-level jobs, or make us all into prompt engineers. Those scenarios are far-fetched, says Dan Priest. In his role as the Chief AI Officer at PwC, Priest sees firsthand how companies across the industrial landscape are utilizing AI– often in ways that clash with those  fatalistic prognostications. In a vital conversation with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, Priest unpacks what he's learned about AI implementation, agents, and how businesses can adapt in the age of AI. (00:00) Introduction (02:30) The two extremes of AI adoption (04:46) Will we see a billion-dollar one-person company? (06:24) Why technology advances faster than implementation  (07:32) Where is AI actually being deployed? From IT/code generation to CFO/CHRO functions (10:17) Specialist vs. generalist roles in an AI world  (12:17) Should every employee have their own agent?  (14:39) Agent performance limits: Task length, concentration windows, and why multi-model checks and balances matter (18:11) Who gains most from AI: top performers or early career workers? (21:37) Agentic applications  (26:12) The hourglass organization: Replacing pyramid and diamond models with expanded entry points plus leadership, compressing middle management Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nicholas Thompson sits down with some of the sharpest minds working at the edges of artificial intelligence in The Most Interesting Thing in A.I.. This isn't a dry technical briefing or a series of speculative futures; instead, each conversation digs into the tangible, often surprising ways this technology is already altering the fabric of our daily lives and institutions. You'll hear from leading thinkers who cut through the hype to discuss the real ethical dilemmas, economic shifts, and social transformations unfolding right now. Produced by Atlantic Re:think and PwC, the podcast provides a grounded space to explore questions about creativity, power, work, and truth in an age of intelligent machines. The discussions are built on the premise that understanding AI's impact requires looking beyond code and algorithms to consider human values and consequences. Tune in for thoughtful, accessible dialogues that reframe how we think about one of the most significant forces of our time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 41

The Most Interesting Thing in AI
Podcast Episodes
The Case Against the AI Bubble - Azeem Azhar with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:15
Among the many eye-popping numbers of the AI industry—from trillions in investments to billions in spending—one stands out: $0 in profit among leading AI companies. According to Bloomberg, “never before has so much money…
The Race to Superintelligence - Richard Socher with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:45
As AI’s capabilities improve, reports of “rogue” agents and misaligned systems are becoming more frequent. In response, some activists, academics, and politicians have called for a pause in development, warning of the da…
How to Get Hired in the AI Era - Clara Shih with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:43
For years, tech CEOs have promised that AI will take on the menial, repetitive tasks that have long been a part of office life. Typically, those tasks are assigned to younger, less experienced workers—and poll after poll…
Meta's Plan to Win in AI - Andrew Bosworth with Nicholas Thompson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:58
However you feel about Meta, Andrew Bosworth has likely played a part in it. The long-serving right hand to Mark Zuckerberg and current Chief Technology Officer, “Boz” has helped shape almost every stage of the company’s…