Imagine This...

What can ancient Greek myths teach us about modern leadership?  Kirsten Rulf has spent her career at the intersection of tech, policy, and public service.  In this episode, Kirsten shares how she found clarity in moments of uncertainty, why AI presents a major opportunity for the public good, and what it was like helping shape the EU’s landmark tech legislation.  Kirsten is a Partner and Associate Director at BCG. Before joining BCG, she advised German Chancellor Angela Merkel and served as head of digital policy in the German government, playing a key role in negotiating Europe’s AI and data laws.   Listen to In Her Ellement: https://lnk.to/bcg-in-her-ellement-series-link04 [https://lnk.to/bcg-in-her-ellement-series-link04]    [1:26] A Big Win, Then The Hard Work Follows  [05:21] Potential of AI in Public Sector  [08:56] Roots In Ovid’s Metamorphosis  [12:09] From Journalism to CyberSecurity  [14:14] A Phone Call from Angela Merkel  [13:48] Navigating Career Changes and Mentorship  [19:23] “Hope is not a strategy”  [22:16] Reflections  This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Apps were supposed to make life easier to navigate, but they often create more complexity. Planning a trip can involve hundreds of digital touchpoints over several months. But new advances–especially the growth of AI agents–coupled with ambient and voice-recognition technology, could make apps obsolete. BCG’s Dutch MacDonald imagines a world where, for example, we could just have a conversation with our personal AI assistant about our dream vacation and it could do all the planning and booking for us.  Learn More:  Dutch:https://on.bcg.com/4k3Hy5s [https://on.bcg.com/4k3Hy5s]  How AI Agents Are Opening the Golden Era of Customer Experience: https://on.bcg.com/4ndwK7K [https://on.bcg.com/4ndwK7K]  BCG’s Latest Thinking on AI: https://on.bcg.com/3ZMzmj0 [https://on.bcg.com/3ZMzmj0]  This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

The pharmaceutical industry has yet to develop highly effective treatments for common chronic and neurological issues, like Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease. But GenAI promises to accelerate the discovery and development of breakthrough treatments. BCG’s Priya Chandran explores possible new approaches and how breakthrough drugs can be made more affordable and more available to the patients who need them.  Learn More:  Priya Chandran: https://on.bcg.com/3ZZO5ad [https://on.bcg.com/3ZZO5ad]  BCG’s Latest Thinking on the Health Care Industry: https://on.bcg.com/4kFxhxH [https://on.bcg.com/4kFxhxH]  Biopharma Trends 2025: https://on.bcg.com/4mX6CxN [https://on.bcg.com/4mX6CxN]    This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

The most enthusiastic AI evangelists say that in the not-too-distant future bots with artificial general intelligence (AGI) will match—or even exceed—the cognitive abilities of humans on pretty much any task. But what if we don’t reach that elusive goal? BCG’s Noah Broestl imagines how AI will nonetheless continue to evolve in amazing ways, yielding a proliferation of specialized models each with its own specific advantages. These models will be much more accurate, and they will feature advances in safety, transparency, and efficiency.  Learn More:  Noah Broestl: https://on.bcg.com/4mtes1N [https://on.bcg.com/4mtes1N]  BCG’s Latest Thinking on AI: https://on.bcg.com/4jnOLNz [https://on.bcg.com/4jnOLNz]  You Won’t Get GenAI Right If You Get Human Oversight Wrong: https://on.bcg.com/45rTvyj [https://on.bcg.com/45rTvyj]  GenAI Will Fail. Prepare for It: https://on.bcg.com/4kx8ECP [https://on.bcg.com/4kx8ECP]  The AI Instant Skills Boost: What CEOs Need to Know: https://on.bcg.com/4jnE8dJ [https://on.bcg.com/4jnE8dJ]  This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

We could be on the verge of a nuclear power renaissance. Climate change is one reason: nuclear power remains the largest source of carbon-free energy in the United States. Also, demand for electricity is surging. BCG’s Ben Vannier imagines a future where the promise of less expensive nuclear power has been realized. The key will be small modular reactors (SMRs) that are less complex and easier to build. Let’s not ignore the big question: safety. Nuclear power’s already safe, Ben says, and with SMRs, there's even less risk. Learn More:  Ben Vannier: https://on.bcg.com/4jKRQYV [https://on.bcg.com/4jKRQYV]  What’s Holding Back Nuclear in the West?: https://on.bcg.com/42Tg7Gt [https://on.bcg.com/42Tg7Gt]  A Fusion Future Is No Longer Wishful Thinking: https://on.bcg.com/44xwWIi [https://on.bcg.com/44xwWIi]  BCG’s Latest Thinking on Energy: https://on.bcg.com/44weiQR [https://on.bcg.com/44weiQR]  This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp