Stanford GSB

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Management

Management

Updated 18 June
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Business

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18 June

An AI@GSB Special: Demis Hassabis Thinks We’re in the ‘Foothills of the Singularity’

When Demis Hassabis pitched DeepMind to a few venture capitalists back in 2010, the business plan was almost comically audacious. “Step one: Solve intelligence. Step two: Use it to solve everything else,” he recalls in a conversation at Stanford Graduate School of Business with Stanford University President Jonathan Levin. “And people were quite confused. But we really meant it.” Sixteen years later, the “broad arcs” of that plan have gone “unbelievably well,” says Hassabis, a chess prodigy turned video game developer turned neuroscientist turned Nobel Prize-winning AI pioneer. Today he’s on a mission to create “the ultimate tool for science,” building on his decision to give away AlphaFold, the groundbreaking AI system that predicts the structures of proteins. The future, Hassabis says, is just around the corner: “Ten years from now, I think we’ll realize that we were standing in the foothills of the singularity now.” AI@GSB, the Dean's Applied AI initiative at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), and Stanford Medical School hosted a conversation with Demis Hassabis, Co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, on the frontier of artificial intelligence and what it means for how we live, work, and flourish. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

18 June

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55 min
2 days ago

What AI Can’t Do — And Why

“Humans manage to do so much with surprisingly little,” says Douglas Guilbeault, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “Whereas AI, by comparison, is doing relatively little, but with so much power, so much compute, so many resources, and by comparison, relatively fewer constraints.” On a bonus episode of the If/Then podcast, Guilbeault describes the implications of his recent work. Although he readily acknowledges that AI is “increasingly able to do quite a lot,” Guilbeault and his colleagues believe they have identified a key principle that distinguishes human intelligence from machine intelligence — and one which illuminates the limitations of machine thinking. Although some researchers and AI boosters believe both humans and AI learn via optimization, Guilbeault and his colleagues have shown that another process more accurately captures how people distill the seemingly infinite complexity of the world and act based on limited information. “You encounter a lot of noise, a lot of chaos, a lot of randomness,” Guilbeault says. “We somehow figure out how to make meaning and establish strong understandings from within that.” What limitations have you encountered in your work with AI? Share your story with us at ifthenpod@stanford.edu. Related Content: Douglas Guilbeault faculty profileRead "A Simple Threshold Captures the Social Learning of Conventions" here Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:40 Why human learning matters for AI 00:05:03 Satisficing and the limits of optimization 00:06:41 Why LLMs learn differently from humans 00:09:58 The stakes of AI hype 00:13:11 “Humanity has had a good run” 00:15:19 Intuition, insight, & conceptual leaps 00:17:38 Beyond statistics: metaphor, vibes, & reasoning 00:19:39 A simple rule for social learning 00:21:18 Is there a ceiling for AI? 00:23:00 Randomness, disorder, & the path to insight 00:25:00 What an optimization mindset leaves out 00:27:54 Conclusion If/Then, from Stanford GSB, features conversations with faculty that explore how their research deepens our understanding of business and leadership. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 days ago

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29 min
10 June

Our AI Future: From Abundance to Apocalypse

Chad Jones, a professor of economics at Stanford Graduate School of Business, recently published a paper, “AI and Our Economic Future.” Using more than 100 years of economic data, he modelled several potential AI-infused economic futures we may experience. These include the good (abundance, we never work again), the not-so-bad (business more or less as usual), and the ugly (a superintelligence that turns on us, among other catastrophic options). Cheery stuff, Jones acknowledges, but essential to face. “I think the ability for an AI to do everything on a computer that the best software engineer can do, that seems like it’s either here now or will be here within five years easily,” Jones says. “Hacking the electric grid, hacking the financial system, these kinds of scenarios are things that we definitely have to worry about. The good news is, I think if we get through that, the ability of AI to transform the economy for good, it is really there and present. And, that would be a very great and bright future.” Related Content: Chad Jones faculty profileWhat’s the Price Tag for Preventing an AI Apocalypse?At What Point Do We Decide AI’s Risks Outweigh Its Promise? Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:32 The difference between now & previous periods of innovation 00:02:29 Two scenarios for AI-driven growth 00:06:18 The case for business-as-usual 00:11:06 Weak links and the limits of automation 00:17:53 What the models are showing about growth 00:19:58 The economics of abundance 00:25:29 The weak-link model’s timing & possible adaptations 00:27:51 Who gains in an AI economy? 00:29:55 Catastrophic risk and the downside of acceleration 00:34:31 The downsides of the weak link model 00:36:38 Meaning, identity, and human value 00:39:55 Leisure in a post-work world 00:41:43 What the next generation may inherit 00:44:07 Conclusion If/Then, from Stanford GSB, features conversations with faculty that explore how their research deepens our understanding of business and leadership. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

10 June

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45 min
20 Mar

Joe Tsai Says Start Local, Then Go Global

Alibaba, known as the “Amazon of China,” is one of the world’s most valuable companies. In a wide-ranging conversation on View From The Top: The Podcast, co-founder and chairman Joe Tsai recalls how it became the company it is today — and looks ahead to the company it may become. Having access to AI, Tsai says, is like “having access to water and air.” He rejects the suggestion that the United States and China must compete to develop this resource. “AI is a race among companies, but AI shouldn’t be a race between countries,” he says. Asked for his advice on building a global company, Tsai suggests focusing on winning locally first. “You have to win the market where you started,” he says. “And then you can think about going overseas, going global, because with winning local battles, you’re training your team, you’re developing talent that enables you to be a global player. So you’ve got to start somewhere.” This conversation was recorded on January 29, 2026. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 Mar

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1hr 2min
27 May

Jane Fraser Says Think About the Skills, Not the Title

Citi is one of the most important financial institutions in the world, moving $5 trillion a day across more than 100 countries. Jane Fraser has run it since 2021, when she became the first woman to lead one of America’s “Big Four” banks. In a conversation with Sanil Rajput, MBA ‘26, on View From The Top: The Podcast, Fraser opens up about prioritizing her personal life, pursuing skills and relationships over job titles, and what she learned from the former CEO who tore up her career development plan. “Go the unorthodox path,” she says. “Because — surprise, surprise — you will get the job if you have the skills to be successful in it.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

27 May

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1hr 7min
13 May

David Baszucki Says Roblox Is the Future of Communication

Roblox founder and CEO David Baszucki was building a 3D, multiplayer, cloud-based world before almost anybody had thought about the metaverse. In a wide-ranging conversation with Jeremy Tepper, MBA ’26, on View From The Top: The Podcast, Baszucki describes how he created a company that’s become a household name. “My job is a constant re-architecture of myself,” he says. From outlasting competitors like Minecraft and Fortnite to prioritizing the safety of Roblox users, Baszucki says he sees challenges as opportunities. “We really are, arguably… the future of how you stay in touch with someone else.” This conversation was recorded on November 18, 2025. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

13 May

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57 min
11 Mar

How Dating and Sports Explain the Job Market

Seemingly unrelated activities — like taking a soccer penalty kick or crafting an online dating profile — involve an embedded economics. “Understanding and applying economic logic can be valuable in pretty much any job or any other endeavor in your life,” says Paul Oyer, a professor of economics at Stanford Graduate School of Business. On this episode, Oyer digs into the shared economic logic of online dating and the labor market, explains why pro athletes and sports fans think like economists, and explores how AI has reduced the beneficial friction that was once a part of job searches. Got a question about the economics of dating, sports, or the job market? Ask us at ifthenpod@stanford.edu. Related Content: Paul Oyer faculty profileUtility Player: Paul Oyer Explains How Economics Can Make Sports More Fun Chapters: 00:00 Strategic decision-making in air traffic control 03:06 Introduction 03:27 Why sports are a useful lens for understanding economics 09:53 Why economics matters far beyond money 10:54 Economics & online 14:36 Applications of game theory 16:54 How AI is reshaping hiring and the labor market 22:25 The labor market challenge economists still have not solved 24:18 Conclusion If/Then, from Stanford GSB, features conversations with faculty that explore how their research deepens our understanding of business and leadership. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Mar

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25 min
22 Apr

Why Who You Are Affects How You Think

“When people come to view attitudes and opinions towards, say, political policies or issues as relevant to their identities, they become more extreme in their attitudes,” says Christian Wheeler, the StrataCom Professor of Management and Professor of Marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “I become more positive or negative towards an issue the moment it becomes relevant to who I view myself as being.” Wheeler’s research offers insight into our increasingly polarized politics. However, his work has also yielded ideas for bridging divisions — beginning with how we listen to each other and how we see the people we disagree with. The moment we see someone as an individual rather than a category, we become more likely to find common ground. “Instead of viewing you as a Democrat or a Republican, I can view you as an individual,” Wheeler recommends. “Anything that humanizes you and moves you away from this simple category will help me to view you as an individual and less as just an interchangeable member of a category.” How much do your opinions define who you are? Tell us more at ifthenpod@stanford.edu. Related Content: Christian Wheeler faculty profile In a Polarized World, an Open Mind Can Hurt Your ReputationYou May Not Be Who You Think You AreClass Takeaways — How to Build Connection Through Better Listening Chapters: 00:00:02 Tattoos, identity, & personal evolution 00:03:26 Introduction 00:03:59 Why identity matters 00:04:56 Identity relevance & its implications 00:08:03 Why openness to the other side gets punished 00:10:57 Identities vs. opinions 00:13:53 The power of individuation 00:15:53 How to break the cycle of polarization 00:19:41 Organizational applications 00:23:26 Conclusion If/Then, from Stanford GSB, features conversations with faculty that explore how their research deepens our understanding of business and leadership. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

22 Apr

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25 min
30/11/2018

Sara Blakely: Share Your Failures

Almost every entrepreneur in the U.S. knows the story of how Spanx started: Sara Blakely, then 27, was prepping for a party when she realized she didn’t have the right undergarment to wear under white pants. To solve the issue she pulled out a pair of scissors and cut the feet off her pantyhose. Thus, Spanx was born. In April of 2018, Blakely visited Stanford GSB and was interviewed by Sarah AlBanna, MBA '18. Listen to their conversation on this podcast: Stanford GSB’s View From the Top is the Dean’s premier speaker series. It launched in 1978 and is supported in part by the F. Kirk Brennan Speaker Series Fund. During student-led interviews and before a live audience, leaders from around the world share insights on effective leadership, their personal core values, and lessons learned throughout their career. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

30/11/2018

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46 min
20 May

The Art of Friction

“Friction for us has to do with obstacles,” says Hayagreeva “Huggy” Rao, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “Obstacles can disable you. Obstacles can enable you.” Rao compares friction to cholesterol: Some is good, but some is bad. “Good friction actually slows you down, gets you to pause, and most of all, gets you to reflect,” he explains. “But there’s also friction that overwhelms you, exhausts you, confuses you.” On this episode of If/Then, Rao explores how to cultivate the productive kind of friction, reduce the unhelpful kind, and manage your team’s most precious resource. “Great leaders are people who think of themselves as trustees of other people's time,” he says. Do you have any favorite examples of good or bad friction? Share one with us at ifthenpod@stanford.edu. Related Content: Huggy Rao faculty profile The Friction ProjectHow to become a friction fixer Chapters: 00:00:00 Airport baggage claim, waiting, & good friction 00:03:20 Introduction 00:03:48 What friction means in organizations 00:05:42 Where friction comes from 00:07:52 Scaling through smart subtraction 00:08:24 DropBox’s approach to meetings 00:10:45 The problem with meetings 00:13:53 What good friction looks like 00:16:56 Friction, trust, & institutional legitimacy 00:19:31 Why Huggy Rao started studying friction 00:22:20 Conclusion See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 May

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24 min

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