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Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith

Microsoft, Brad Smith

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith speaks with leaders in government, business, and culture to explore the world’s most critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society.

As a 30-year veteran of an industry driven by disruption, Brad Smith hosts candid conversations with his guests that examine, reframe, and explore potential solutions to the digital issues shaping our world today, including cybersecurity, privacy, digital inclusion, environmental sustainability, artificial intelligence, and human rights.

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  • 20 episodes
  • Avg 31 min
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • S4 · E15
    June 29 · 34 min

    Connecting the Unconnected: Doreen Bogdan-Martin

    Brad Smith sits down with Doreen Bogdan, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, to discuss what it will take to connect the 2.2 billion people still offline. They explore how connectivity, AI, and global partnerships can expand opportunity, strengthen resilience, and help ensure the next generation of technology benefits more people.

  • S4 · E14
    June 1 · 59 min

    AI's Mythos Moment: Rishi Sunak on preparing governments for AI

    Brad Smith sits down with former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss what some are calling the “Mythos Moment” for AI. They explore how leaders can respond as technology moves faster than the systems designed to govern it.

  • S4 · E13
    May 28 · 32 min

    Special Edition: Tracking AI diffusion in Q1 2026

    Juan Lavista Ferres, Microsoft Chief Data Scientist and Director of the AI for Good Lab, breaks down the latest AI diffusion data, revealing where adoption is accelerating, where gaps remain, and what it means for the global economy.

  • S4 · E7
    Oct 23, 2025 · 28 min

    Ted Sarandos: Netflix and how tech changed storytelling

    Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO, joins Brad Smith to discuss how technology is shaping the future of storytelling, balancing data with creative instinct, and building global stories that stay with you.

  • S4 · E6
    May 16, 2025 · 23 min

    Satya Nadella: Leading through the AI Revolution

    I often sit down with Satya Nadella, my boss, and Microsoft’s third CEO—but rarely with microphones. In the final segment of our Microsoft CEO trilogy, we talk about his journey from his early days playing cricket to leading Microsoft, the link between poetry and programming, and how the company is leading the next wave of technological transformation—redefining how we build and interact with technology.

  • S4 · E5
    Apr 3, 2025 · 25 min

    Steve Ballmer: Scaling the digital revolution

    Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO from 2000 to 2014, was instrumental in scaling the company from a small 30-person startup to one of the most valuable companies on the planet. Ahead of Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, I had the chance to catch up with my former boss. We talked about the early days of Microsoft and the pitch that convinced him to take a chance on a small company in a new industry. We also discussed how three traits—irrational confidence, realism, and persistence—have helped him succee

  • S4 · E4
    Mar 13, 2025 · 26 min

    Bill Gates: Starting the Digital Revolution

    As Microsoft celebrates its 50th birthday, I had the chance to sit down with my friend and the company’s cofounder, Bill Gates. We discuss his memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings, Microsoft’s impact over the past 50 years, and how the next phase of the digital revolution is the most exciting one yet.

  • S4 · E3
    Feb 12, 2025 · 33 min

    Jeffrey Ding: AI and the Rise of Great Powers

    What will it take for a great power today to remain one? Based on research from Jeffrey Ding, a professor at George Washington University, it’s probably not the flashy technology everyone is focused on. We discuss his recent book, Technology and the Rise of Great Powers, as he challenges conventional wisdom about how technology has shaped the rise of great powers like the United States.

  • S4 · E2
    Jan 21, 2025 · 34 min

    Fei-Fei Li: Staying curious at the forefront of AI

    Fei-Fei Li is a pioneering AI scientist breaking new ground in computer vision, a Stanford professor, and currently leading the innovative start-up World Labs. While her career is deeply rooted in technical expertise, Dr. Li's journey is driven by an insatiable curiosity. In this episode, Brad and Dr. Li reflect on poignant moments from her memoir, "The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI," highlighting the crucial role of keeping humanity at the center of AI de

  • S4 · E1
    Dec 9, 2024 · 33 min

    Norma Kamali: From canvas to code, redefining creativity with AI

    You may not know Norma Kamali by name, but you certainly know the designer’s fashions – from the iconic Sleeping Bag Coat, to dresses worn by celebrities like Jessica Biel. 57 years into her career, she’s added AI to her design toolbox and has never been more excited about what’s coming out of her studio. In this episode, Norma makes the case for AI as a valuable tool to enhance creativity for artists of all types, and walks Brad through her process for crafting a great AI prompt.

  • S3 · E11
    Oct 8, 2024 · 36 min

    Maria Ressa: Turning crisis into opportunity

    Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Maria Ressa, and her co-founders created Rappler to harness social media’s connecting power to bring journalists directly to audiences. But those same social networks were then used by others against her – as a weapon – to spread disinformation and to seek to silence her. Brad and Maria also discuss turning crisis to opportunities and how the golden rule she learned as a child influences her decisions today.

  • S3 · E10
    Aug 29, 2024 · 40 min

    From What Now? with Trevor Noah: Why AI Won't Destroy Us with Microsoft's Brad Smith

    Brad was recently a guest on What Now? with Trevor Noah, and we're excited to share their conversation with our listeners. Here's what the podcast had to say about this episode: Trevor puts on a suit (no, he’s not returning to The Daily Show) and heads to Microsoft. This week Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft talks AI, explains why he doesn’t believe it will be the end of humankind, and what we all have to do to keep it that way.

  • S3 · E9
    Jun 20, 2024 · 35 min

    Dr. Sultan Al Jaber: The connection between AI and energy

    Dr. Sultan Al Jaber is the President of COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference hosted by the UAE last year. He's also the CEO and Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), where he leads efforts to produce cleaner energy today and invests in sustainable energy solutions for the future. In this episode, Dr. Sultan shares how his leadership united diverse stakeholders to adopt the UAE Consensus. He also discusses the deep interconnectedness between AI and green energy, and

  • S3 · E8
    Apr 4, 2024 · 32 min

    Bill Anderson: Using AI to combat hunger

    Bayer CEO Bill Anderson considers himself a scientist at heart, a chemical engineer by training, and a lifelong student of biotechnology. Now at the helm of a 160-year-old German pharmaceutical and agriculture company, he's employing science and technology with a bold mission — Health for All, Hunger for none. In this episode, Bill discusses AI’s role in accelerating agricultural breakthroughs that are needed to feed a a growing population, including helping smallholder farmers become more resi

  • S3 · E7
    Mar 6, 2024 · 23 min

    The New AI Economy

    Gutenberg's invention of the printing press led to a new economy, which created a new sector of businesses, industries, and jobs. Generative AI is providing a similar opportunity today. In this episode, Brad Smith draws on the lessons from the printing press and supporting industries to illustrate how different technologies are coming together to create a new AI economy. He explains the critical partnerships between countries, government regulators, and tech companies - building the necessary i

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