Working It

Generative AI models have improved rapidly over the past few months – and that has spooked some people in the creative industries. Many worry that models such as Midjourney and ChatGPT could take work off the plates of artists, designers and musicians. In this episode, we hear some more optimistic views. First, Dan Sherratt, VP of creative and innovation at the design agency Poppins, explains how he uses AI to speed up some of his less interesting tasks, and why there will always be a place for high-effort, human-made products. Next, Oxford professor Marcus du Sautoy explains how AI models can be genuinely creative – and might even help humans think less like machines.Want to get in touch? Write to Isabel at isabel.berwick@ft.comWant more? Free links:Can AI make brainstorming less mind-numbing? Academics express confidence that they and AI can work togetherThe real quandary of AI isn’t what people thinkAI is an opportunity for creative industries, says Bertelsmann bossFT subscriber? Sign up to get Isabel’s free Working It newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday: ft.com/newslettersPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

All managers want to hire the best people, but the recruitment process can be a slog. Busy managers don’t want to spend their time sifting through hundreds of applications, and candidates don’t want to be ignored. Could AI help streamline this process? Host Isabel Berwick hears from micro1 founder Ali Ansari. Ansari says his AI interviewer is already being used to perform thousands of job interviews. Later, Isabel speaks to Chano Fernandez, co-CEO of Eightfold, to learn how the company uses AI not only to recruit candidates, but also to better match staff to potential career paths.Want to get in touch? Write to Isabel at isabel.berwick@ft.comWant more? Free links:Graduate jobseekers navigate AI effect on gender equalitySuperfluous people vs AI: what the jobs revolution might look likeQuiet hiring: why managers are recruiting from their own ranksTech and generational changes increase urgency of upskillingFT subscriber? Sign up to get Isabel’s free Working It newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday: ft.com/newslettersPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

There’s been a lot of talk about artificial intelligence in the workplace – but not much in the way of specifics. Isabel Berwick wants to change that. In this episode, she speaks to Iliana Oris Valiente, managing director and Innovation lead at Accenture Canada. Iliana has a ‘digital twin’ who attends meetings in her stead. But will it catch on? Later, Isabel speaks to the FT’s AI editor, Madhumita Murgia, to find out how far off digital twins (or even digital assistants) are.Want to get in touch? Write to Isabel at isabel.berwick@ft.comWant more? Free links:The race for an AI-powered personal assistantCan AI make brainstorming less mind-numbing?Artificial intelligence: A virtual assistant for lifeFT subscriber? Sign up to get Isabel’s free Working It newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday: ft.com/newslettersPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval and Tamara Komornick, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Introducing Power for Sale, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. In Untold: Power for Sale, host Valentina Pop and a team of FT correspondents from all over Europe investigate what happened in the Qatargate scandal, where EU lawmakers were accused of accepting payments from Qatar to whitewash its image.Subscribe and listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

The UK has a well-reported productivity problem, with mediocre managers, poor communication and chronic underinvestment all hampering growth. What can Britain glean from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, all of which have more productive economies? And what lessons can be learned from Japan, the only major developed economy that is less productive than the UK? Host Isabel Berwick speaks to FT senior business writer Andrew Hill to find out what ails Britain. Later, she chats to Leo Lewis, the FT’s Asia business editor, and Richard Milne, Nordic and Baltic bureau chief, to learn how the UK could perform better (or worse…) This is a repeat of an episode published at the end of October, 2023.Want more? Free links:Why productivity is so weak at UK companies The UK is doing a shoddy job of keeping up with the neighbours Sweden is navigating an international identity crisisLessons from Japan: High-income countries have common problems FT subscriber? Sign up to get Isabel’s Working It newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday: ft.com/newslettersPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.

TikTok and Instagram are awash with videos about so-called personality hires – young, fun-loving employees whose main contribution to work seems to be… well, ‘vibes’. These videos are tongue-in-cheek, but they raise interesting questions about the role our personalities play at work: how big a factor should personality be in hiring decisions? Can we put a value on being a good colleague? And can being known for your bubbly personality give the impression you don’t know what you’re doing? To find out Isabel speaks to NYU professor Tessa West, who explains why understanding status is crucial to success at work. Isabel also speaks to Bella Rose Mortel, a social media strategist and self-proclaimed personality hire, who explains that charisma alone is no substitute for competence.Want more? Free links:Psychological tests can help firms hire better — but accuracy is not guaranteedCompetent jerks have a shelf life in the officeNo passion please, we are BritishIs Myers-Briggs up to the job?Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

The modern employee is overloaded. Alongside various projects, the average office worker has to deal with a huge administrative burden, responding to emails and instant messages, attending meetings, and trying to figure out which of their seemingly endless tasks is the most urgent. Academic, author and productivity expert Cal Newport thinks there’s a better way. In this episode, he explains how white-collar jobs put an emphasis on looking busy, rather than getting stuff done – and how to fight back. Cal also gives practical tips for better managing your workflow, how to tell your boss your work will take twice as long, and why you should go to the cinema – on a workday.Want more? Free links:Slow Productivity by Cal Newport — when less means moreHow Cal Newport rewrote the productivity gospelTrain yourself to concentrate with ‘pull-ups for the brain’Credits:Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Isabel Berwick has spent the last year writing The Future-Proof Career, a book about how to thrive at work, now and in the future. Last month, she held a launch event at Daunt Books, where she spoke to her friend and colleague Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, about what she learned in the process.Want more? Free links:Five secrets of workplace successCan AI make brainstorming less mind-numbing?Credits:Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com