On April 24, I joined the Spotlight On podcast for a conversation about the future of private equity. Naturally, we talked about the game-changing promise of generative AI, but I also sounded a note of caution. While we’ve seen remarkable enthusiasm and activity in deal sourcing operations and portfolio management, what we haven’t yet seen is the kind of deep impact that many are talking about and predicting. There’s progress along many fronts but no silver bullet in sight just yet.

What you’re about to hear is a lightly edited excerpt of our conversation, in which I offer my latest thinking on how to navigate this experimental phase, including how we’re using generative AI here at Bain. I’d like to thank my host, Nick Barton of the Barton Partnership, for such a thought-provoking exchange.