

Imagine This...
Boston Consulting Group BCG
Take a trip into the future that will challenge the way you think and act today. In each episode, BCG's Patricia Sabga and her AI co-host GENE delve into disruptive scenarios that could define the coming decades. BCG experts join the conversation, probing the possibilities and implications for leaders. Human and machine work together to explore the very real actions CEOs could take today to prepare.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 5, 2025 • 31min
When Indian Consumers Shape Global Trends
India has been experiencing a rapid transformation over the past decade. The government has made massive investments in physical and digital public infrastructure, and its share of affluent consumers has grown considerably. It’s also young – over half of India’s 1.4 billion people are under the age of 30. In this episode, BCG’s Kanika Sanghi imagines how India’s rising consumer class could change the global economy, from setting trends to pioneering new business models. Sanghi's advice is that business leaders across industries should start planning now to capitalize on India’s growth story. Learn More: Kanika Sanghi: https://on.bcg.com/3D2ZI8i BCG on Customer Insights: https://on.bcg.com/4h5FUPw The CEO’s Guide to India: https://on.bcg.com/3EZP9U0 The $2 Trillion Opportunity: How Gen Z is Shaping the New India: https://on.bcg.com/3QH83lg This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Feb 19, 2025 • 33min
When Traditional Advertising Is Dead
It’s no secret the media business, which has long relied on advertising revenue, is in crisis. It’s not a stretch to imagine that few if any of the major TV networks, newspapers and magazines - the old guard bedrocks of U.S. media - will survive into the next decade. BCG’s Neal Zuckerman imagines a world where every business has a Chief Content Officer. From health insurers to snack-food companies, companies are creating their own content to entertain and educate their customers. Zuckerman also explores the future of on-demand streaming and how the news business could survive and even thrive. Learn More: Neal Zuckerman: https://on.bcg.com/4k6uj5i BCG Media and Entertainment Industry: https://on.bcg.com/3QoGKfi Why Video Streamers Need to Rebundle: https://on.bcg.com/415I5fJ Content Creation Is Key to Marketing Success https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=475zs6pf8nIThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Feb 5, 2025 • 34min
Sustainable and Affordable: When Housing Is No Longer in Crisis (First Aired: October 30, 2024)
How will advances in sustainable materials and modular construction change how homes are designed and built? And how will these innovations address the urgent need for affordable housing? BCG’s Matthias Tauber suggests ways to solve the housing crisis through changes in design, manufacturing, materials, permitting, and financing. Homes of the future will provide more alternatives, often by reimagining shared spaces and resources in flexible ways that allow for custom designs. The one no-regret move? Tauber says: invest in technology. Learn More: Matthias Tauber: https://on.bcg.com/4fh2mo2 Building Materials Industry: https://on.bcg.com/3Ultz19 GenAI on GenAI: https://link.chtbl.com/bcg-genai-on-genai?sid=IT CEO Digest: https://link.chtbl.com/ceo-digest-bcg-show?sid=IT CEO Moments of Truth: https://on.bcg.com/ITMoT This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Jan 28, 2025 • 18min
Bonus Davos Episode: Highlights from BCG’s Global Chair & GENE
Rich Lesser, BCG's Global Chair, shares profound insights from the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos. He discusses the pivotal role of AI in business, emphasizing starting with manageable projects for success. The conversation delves into Europe's energy transition amid geopolitical tensions, underscoring the importance of actionable solutions. Lesser also highlights the need for standards in AI governance to prevent misuse, while reflecting on how leaders are navigating complex challenges and fostering optimism for future innovations.

Jan 8, 2025 • 32min
When AI Comes for Knowledge Workers (First Aired: May 28, 2024)
Matthew Sinclair, a BCG partner and vice president of engineering at BCGX, discusses the evolving relationship between AI and knowledge workers. He explores the possibility of AI bots surpassing human capabilities in generating ideas, emphasizing the risks of losing creativity and human touch. Sinclair highlights the importance of collaboration between humans and AI to enrich creativity, warns against the monotony of autonomous machines, and advocates for ethical frameworks in AI integration to safeguard against biases and repetitive outcomes.

Dec 25, 2024 • 34min
Seeing the World Through AI Glasses (First Aired: September 17, 2024)
What becomes possible when your AI-enabled headset is as light and comfortable as an ordinary pair of glasses? BCG’s Kristi Woolsey imagines a world with an AI third eye, where your glasses can instantly provide information, warnings or advice. This new generation of smart glasses could also help you learn new skills, whether cooking at home or mastering technical aspects of your job. But Woolsey also warns that we’ll need to put limits on the technology– these new glasses might also be able to reveal things about other people that are better left private. Learn More: Kristi Woolsey: https://on.bcg.com/4cWZxXK BCG on Augmented and Virtual Reality: https://on.bcg.com/4d3LFva GenAI on GenAI: https://link.chtbl.com/bcg-genai-on-genai?sid=IT CEO Digest: https://link.chtbl.com/ceo-digest-bcg-show?sid=IT This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Dec 11, 2024 • 33min
The Restaurant of the Future: Burgers with a Side of AI
BCG’s Mary Martin imagines a future where restaurants will harness advances in artificial intelligence, data management, and robotics to create a better experience for both customers and staff. This could involve using AI to personalize dining or deploying robots in the kitchen to help the chef with certain repetitive tasks. While these advances will usher in a unique customer experience, restaurants will still need a human touch. Learn More: Mary Martin: https://on.bcg.com/3Bo1mjM Menu for One: GenAI Lets Restaurants Get Personal: https://on.bcg.com/3BbO3mH Where’s the Value in AI?: https://on.bcg.com/3OV7lzD CEO Moments of Truth: https://on.bcg.com/ITMoT GenAI on GenAI: https://link.chtbl.com/bcg-genai-on-genai?sid=IT CEO Digest: https://link.chtbl.com/ceo-digest-bcg-show?sid=IT This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Nov 27, 2024 • 34min
Preparing for an Uncertain Future…in the Future
By the year 2035, we will likely be able to utilize AI to crunch complex data sets and produce far more accurate predictions of the future, for everything from stock market fluctuations to consumer trends. Already, meteorologists are using AI to improve weather forecasting—for instance, by more accurately predicting when a hurricane will make landfall. But BCG’s Alan Iny says this does not mean that business leaders will be able to dispense with planning for multiple scenarios. Predictions will never be perfect—and everyone will have access to the same tools—so strategic planning will remain critical even as it evolves in new ways. Learn More: Alan Iny: https://on.bcg.com/4fCNDo5 Are Leaders as Prepared for Strategic Risks as They Think They Are?: https://on.bcg.com/3AXqw8J BCG on Corporate Finance and Strategy: https://on.bcg.com/496c3Ek CEO Moments of Truth: https://on.bcg.com/ITMoT GenAI on GenAI: https://lnk.to/bcg-genai-on-genai-series-link04CEO Digest: https://lnk.to/ceo-digest-general-series-link04This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Nov 13, 2024 • 33min
When Quantum Computing Brings Breakthroughs ... or Chaos
Quantum computers harness the almost mystical properties of subatomic particles to solve problems that are beyond even the most powerful “classical” computers available today. Will these computers usher in a new generation of custom pharmaceuticals and sustainable materials—or will they be used to crack every password and create global chaos? BCG’s Antoine Gourévitch imagines the coming age of quantum computers and dives deep into ways they could supercharge the discovery of new materials. But the quantum age comes with huge risks as well; governments around the world are already racing to develop quantum-safe passwords that will keep our data secure. Learn More: Antoine Gourévitch: https://on.bcg.com/4hMrXaQBCG on Quantum Computing: https://on.bcg.com/3AGK415GenAI on GenAI: https://lnk.to/bcg-genai-on-genai-series-link04CEO Digest: https://lnk.to/ceo-digest-general-series-link04CEO Moments of Truth: https://on.bcg.com/ITMoT This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Oct 30, 2024 • 34min
Sustainable and Affordable: When Housing Is No Longer in Crisis
How will advances in sustainable materials and modular construction change how homes are designed and built? And how will these innovations address the urgent need for affordable housing? BCG’s Matthias Tauber suggests ways to solve the housing crisis through changes in design, manufacturing, materials, permitting, and financing. Homes of the future will provide more alternatives, often by reimagining shared spaces and resources in flexible ways that allow for custom designs. The one no-regret move? Tauber says: invest in technology. Learn More: Matthias Tauber: https://on.bcg.com/4fh2mo2 Building Materials Industry: https://on.bcg.com/3Ultz19 GenAI on GenAI: https://lnk.to/bcg-genai-on-genai-series-link04CEO Digest: https://lnk.to/ceo-digest-general-series-link04CEO Moments of Truth: https://on.bcg.com/ITMoT This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp