July 02, 2025

#80 The Future of Work: Frontier Firms, Agent Bosses, and AI from Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index with Alexia Cambon (Microsoft, Senior Director of Research)

48 minutes

"AI needs humans as much as we need AI" - Alexia Cambon

In this episode of The Curious Advantage podcast, Simon Brown, Paul Ashcroft, and Garrick Jones are joined by Alexia Cambon, Senior Director of Research at Microsoft, to explore how AI is reshaping the workplace and what it means to be a Frontier Firm.

The discussion dives into key trends from Microsoft’s Work Trend Index, including the emergence of Agent Bosses, digital labor, and the idea of Intelligence on Tap, where AI enables instant access to expert insight. Together, they unpack how curiosity drives innovation, the critical role of HR, and how new organizational structures are forming in response to AI adoption.

From collaboration between humans and AI, to rethinking leadership and productivity, this episode explores the changing nature of work—and how forward-thinking organizations are learning, experimenting, and adapting in real time.

Topics include:

What defines a Frontier Firm in today’s AI-powered economy

How “Agent Bosses” are changing leadership and team dynamics

The role of AI in enhancing human productivity

Why curiosity is essential in navigating transformation

The future of HR and organizational design in the AI era

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Curious Advantage Podcast

01:02 Curiosity in Research and AI Integration

02:14 Defining the Frontier Firm

04:39 Intelligence on Tap: Redefining Expertise Access

06:29 The Rise of Human-Agent Teams

11:49 The Concept of the Agent Boss

19:32 Empowering Employees in the AI Era

25:32 The Nature of Digital Labor

30:36 AI as a New Workforce

36:08 The Future of Work and AI Integration

44:31 Becoming a Frontier Firm

Discover Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index: The Year the Frontier Firm Is Born

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/2025-the-year-the-frontier-firm-is-born

About The Curious Advantage Podcast

Join the authors of The Curious Advantage in an exploration of how individuals and organizations can harness the power of curiosity to drive success in our new digital reality. In each episode, they engage in enlightening conversations with world-leading experts from a diversity of disciplines to bring to life the latest understanding of curiosity in a way that’s useful to anyone looking to embark on a journey of discovery, navigate challenges, and unlock opportunities.

About The Curious Advantage Book

The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused. At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com

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The Curious Advantage Podcast is executive produced by Jessica Wickham and Aliki Paolinelis. Audio editing is done by Danny Cross and video editing by Jessica Wickham.

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#AI #FrontierFirm #AgentBoss #DigitalLabor #Curiosity #HumanAgentCollaboration

#OrganizationalChange #Microsoft #SmartLab #TheCuriousAdvantage

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