Shape of Tomorrow

Michael Ianni-Palarchio

A personal podcast that focuses on innovation, education and the impact on the future of all of things. Technology is one of the driving forces that are creating a time of exponential change and opportunities, and these podcasts are my reflecting and sharing to raise awareness and spark conversation amongst a broad base of listeners. Thanks for joining in on these important and exciting conversations.

All thoughts in this podcast are my own and are not directly affiliated with where I work.

Play

Open in

21 episodes
weekly
Avg 29 min
English

Episodes 21

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

S4 · E206
Friday · 32 min
Episode 206 - What If the Future Is Arriving Faster Than We Can Understand It?
Technology has always changed the world. But what happens when the pace of change begins to exceed our ability to understand what it actually means? In this week's episode of Shape of Tomorrow, I step away from the usual technology headlines to explore a question that's been on my mind lately. Are we entering a period where our ability to innovate is moving faster than our ability to adapt? From artificial intelligence and the future of work to education, organizational strategy and leadership, I reflect on what happens when the assumptions we've spent decades building our lives and institutions around begin to change. It's a more personal and reflective conversation this week, one that I hope challenges how you think about the future and perhaps even how you're preparing for it. Because the question may no longer be whether we can keep up with technological change, but whether we truly understand the world it's creating. Thanks for listening!
S4 · E205
October 2 · 19 min
Episode 205 - The Future of Computing Is Becoming Invisible
The future of computing may be changing in ways that are easy to miss if we focus only on the latest product announcements. In this episode, I look at OpenAI’s new agentic direction and what it could mean for the future of apps, then turn to AMD’s acquisition of World Labs and why world models may become such an important part of AI’s next chapter. I also share a special personal announcement that I’ve been looking forward to making for quite some time. This is really an episode about signals, about noticing when something that looks incremental may actually be pointing to a much deeper shift. Listen in, and let me know what you think we may be underestimating.
S4 · E204
September 25 · 35 min
Episode 204 - What Remains When the Old Value Proposition Breaks?
What would your school look like if the diploma were no longer the product? This week, I explore a question that I think leaders in independent education need to start asking. As AI tutors, micro-schools and new learning models emerge, the traditional bundle we call “school” is beginning to come apart. And that raises a much bigger question about what families will actually value in the future. Then I shift gears to Meta’s new AI agent, Muse, and why I think it represents another important marker in the evolution from AI that generates, to AI that reasons, to AI that acts. Two very different topics connected by one idea: what happens when something we assumed was fundamental turns out to simply be the way we used to do things? Welcome to Episode 204 of Shape of Tomorrow.
S4 · E203
September 18 · 25 min
Episode 203 - From Organizational Change to Recursive Improvement
In this episode, I explore two questions I’ve been thinking about a lot this week. First, what should AI actually change inside an organization? I share a simple three-part framework I’ve been using in conversations with leaders to move the discussion beyond tools and use cases, and toward operating model, capability and transformation. Then I turn to something happening at the frontier of AI development: the growing role AI is playing in helping researchers build the next generation of AI itself. That second idea may prove especially important, because the real story may not just be how capable AI becomes, but how quickly it starts accelerating its own progress. Two different conversations, one common theme: the future may arrive through changes in capability and speed long before we fully recognize what has shifted.
S4 · E202
September 11 · 21 min
Episode 202 - The Foldable Moment and the September Strategy Test
This week on Shape of Tomorrow, I’m looking at two very different questions. First, Apple has finally entered the foldable phone market. But I’m less interested in the fact that Apple made a folding iPhone than I am in the particular form factor it chose, and what that decision could mean for the entire category. There may be a bigger shift underway here than simply another new device. Then, with the school year now underway, I turn to school leaders. September arrives with energy, ambition and usually far too many priorities. The real strategic challenge is deciding what deserves the attention of the senior leadership team, and then creating enough discipline to make sure those priorities actually move before the operational machinery takes over. Two short conversations this week. One about where personal technology may be heading. The other about making strategy real inside a school. I hope you’ll join me for Episode 202 of Shape of Tomorrow.
S4 · E201
September 4 · 30 min
Episode 201 - What If People Are Not Resisting Change?
In this episode, I explore why what we call “resistance to change” may actually be confusion, anxiety, frustration or a lack of direction. I also look at the rise of AI devices in our homes and workplaces, and the important questions that emerge when AI becomes part of the spaces around us.
S4 · E200
August 28 · 28 min
Episode 200 - The Power of a Podcast
200 episodes. What began in October 2022 as a small podcast about innovation and education has evolved into something much broader: an ongoing exploration of technology, AI, organizations, change and, increasingly, what all of it means for us. For Episode 200, I’m taking a moment to look back at the journey, reflect on a few convictions that have emerged along the way, and think about the questions that might carry us toward Episode 300. Most importantly, thank you. Whether you’ve listened to one episode or all 200, I’m grateful you’re here. Stay curious, and here’s to the next 200.
S4 · E199
August 21 · 42 min
Episode 199 - AI Is Becoming an Organizational Design Question
Artificial intelligence is entering a more consequential phase. The most important developments are no longer confined to models, benchmarks or chatbots. They are beginning to reshape how physical work gets done, how young people enter professions, and how organizations establish trust when the boundary between human and machine-generated work becomes increasingly difficult to see. In today’s episode of Shape of Tomorrow, I examine three signals: humanoid robots moving into commercial environments, evidence that AI may be disproportionately affecting entry-level employment, and the emerging battle over watermarking AI-generated text. Each raises a different concern, but together they suggest that the AI conversation may be shifting in a much bigger way. What connects robots in factories, shrinking opportunities for young workers and the difficulty of identifying AI-generated content? That is the question I explore in this week’s episode, and I believe the answer should matter to every leader thinking seriously about what comes next.
S4 · E198
August 14 · 50 min
Episode 198 - The New Economics of AI: Productivity, Context and Accountability
Artificial intelligence is creating extraordinary new capabilities, but are organizations actually capturing the value? In Episode 198 of Shape of Tomorrow, I explore the emerging AI productivity paradox and why trust, incentives, and leadership may matter as much as the technology itself. I also unpack three important AI signals: the rise of context-aware AI, the rapidly changing economics of the AI industry, and the emergence of “tokenomics” as organizations begin asking a much harder question: what business value are we actually getting for every dollar we spend on AI? The AI conversation is shifting from what can the technology do? to what can our organization do differently because of it?
S4 · E197
August 7 · 32 min
Episode 197 - What Business Are You Really In?
What will make an independent school indispensable ten years from now? In this episode, I explore how AI, changing expectations and new models of learning could challenge schools to rethink what it really means to prepare students for the future. Then, a completely different signal from the edge: foldable phones. After years as a niche category, are they finally approaching their mainstream moment, and what might Apple have to do with it? Two very different topics connected by one question: How do you recognize the future while it’s still taking shape? Stay curious. Stay innovative.
S4 · E196
July 31 · 33 min
Episode 196 - Escapes, Bubbles, and the Future of AI
Some weeks, the biggest AI stories aren't the ones everyone thinks they are. This week's episode explores two headlines that have dominated conversations: an OpenAI model that reportedly "escaped" its testing environment, and growing concerns that artificial intelligence may be entering bubble territory. But I think both stories point to something much deeper. One reveals a leadership lesson that every organization will need to understand as AI becomes more autonomous. The other offers a perspective on today's AI investment frenzy that history suggests we should approach with both caution and confidence. If you're looking beyond the headlines to understand what these events really mean for leaders, innovators and organizations, I hope you'll join me for Episode 196 of *Shape of Tomorrow*. I think you'll come away seeing both stories a little differently.
S4 · E195
July 24 · 24 min
Episode 195 - The Best Leaders Are Designers
Before recording this week's episode, I found myself wandering the quiet streets of Québec City just after sunrise. It was one of those rare moments where a simple observation turned into a much bigger question. We often think leadership is about making better decisions. But what if that's only part of the story? What if the most effective leaders aren't simply decision makers at all? In this episode, I explore a different way of thinking about leadership. One that has become increasingly important in the age of AI, where execution is becoming abundant and the real competitive advantage lies somewhere else entirely. If you lead a team, a school, a business, or simply want to build better organizations, I think this conversation will give you a new lens through which to view your work. I hope you'll join me.
S4 · E194
July 17 · 24 min
Episode 194 - When Intelligence Becomes Abundant
Every week I try to make sense of what's happening beyond the AI headlines, and this week there was plenty to think about. Instead of focusing on who released the latest model or feature, I explore the bigger pattern emerging across the industry and why I believe it's telling us something important about the future of work, leadership, and competitive advantage. In the second half of the episode, I shift gears and speak directly to school leaders. As another academic year approaches, I've been reflecting on a question that I think deserves far more attention: What should schools be preparing students for when intelligence itself is becoming abundant? I share why I believe the answer has less to do with technology and more to do with learning, judgment, and the kinds of humans we're helping shape. I hope this episode challenges a few assumptions, sparks a few new questions, and leaves you thinking differently about where we're headed. Thanks for listening.
S4 · E193
July 10 · 22 min
Episode 193 - Three Signals of What's Next
This week I'm exploring three stories that I think reveal much bigger shifts than the headlines suggest. We look at OpenAI's new approach to AI work, a remarkable breakthrough from Stanford that could change the pace of scientific discovery, and Anthropic's new Reflect feature that made me rethink my own relationship with AI. None of these stories is really about technology. They're about how work, innovation, and even our thinking are beginning to change. I hope you'll join me as we look beyond the news and explore the signals shaping tomorrow.
S4 · E192
July 3 · 27 min
Episode 192 - The Forces Beneath AI
This week I'm connecting three stories that reveal the deeper forces shaping the future of AI. From energy becoming AI's hidden constraint, to frontier models emerging as geopolitical assets, to vendors embedding AI teams inside customer organizations, I explore what these signals mean for leaders, strategists, and anyone trying to make sense of where AI is really headed. Join me as we look beyond the headlines and connect the dots.
S4 · E191
June 26 · 19 min
Episode 191 - Teaching AI About Reality
Everyone is focused on making AI better at talking. I think the bigger story is teaching AI to understand. In this episode, I explore the rise of world models, why some of the brightest minds in AI believe they represent the next major breakthrough, and what they could mean for robotics, autonomous vehicles, digital twins, and the future of intelligent systems.
S4 · E190
June 19 · 27 min
Episode 190 - AI Isn’t Creating One Future for Work. It’s Creating Two.
This week on Shape of Tomorrow, I explore a fascinating new report from PwC that challenges one of the biggest assumptions about AI and the future of work. Rather than creating a single outcome for workers and organizations, the data suggests AI is driving the emergence of two very different paths. What does this mean for leaders, educators, and anyone thinking about talent, growth, and competitive advantage? Join me as I unpack the findings and discuss the critical question every organization should be asking right now: Which future are you building toward?
S4 · E189
June 12 · 34 min
Episode 189 - Two Very Different AI Stories. One Very Important Future.
This week on *Shape of Tomorrow*, I'm exploring two very different AI breakthroughs that I believe are pointing toward the same future. First, I unpack Anthropic's new **Fable 5** model and explain why it may represent a major step toward AI systems capable of autonomous, long-horizon work. Then, I turn to **Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD)** technology and what it reveals about AI's growing ability to perceive, reason, and act in the physical world. Together, these developments offer an important glimpse into how AI is evolving from a tool that assists us to a system that increasingly performs work alongside us.
S4 · E188
June 5 · 37 min
Episode 188 - Smarter AI, Smarter Growth
This week on Shape of Tomorrow, I take a closer look at two topics that have been occupying my thinking. First, I unpack the latest advances from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. While much of the conversation around AI focuses on benchmarks and model comparisons, I believe the more important story is the emergence of systems that can plan, coordinate, monitor, and execute increasingly complex work. We are moving beyond AI as a tool that simply responds to prompts and toward AI that can actively participate in getting work done. I explore what these developments mean and why I think many leaders still underestimate the significance of what is unfolding. In the second segment, I respond to a thoughtful question from a reader about revenue diversification. How do you create new revenue streams without diluting your core offering or confusing the market about who you are? I share some of the principles I use when evaluating growth opportunities and explain why the most successful diversification strategies tend to build on existing strengths rather than moving away from them. Two very different topics, but both are highly relevant for leaders trying to navigate uncertainty, make better decisions, and position their organizations for the future.
S4 · E187
May 29 · 32 min
Episode 187 - Your Questions, My Answers
This week on Shape of Tomorrow, I'm taking a different approach and answering questions submitted by listeners and readers. We explore how organizations can build trust in their data, separate AI reality from marketing hype, prioritize the right initiatives, and connect technology investments to meaningful business outcomes. If you're navigating the challenges of strategy, innovation, data, or AI, this episode offers practical perspectives and frameworks to help you make better decisions with greater confidence.

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes