AI technologies are some of the most sophisticated and powerful we’ve seen in our lifetimes. With data at the center, this transformative shift brings both the potential to solve complex problems and new challenges around managing sensitive information. Join us for a deep dive into innovative strategies that will reshape how you think about data governance in the age of AI. Stefaan Verhulst, PhD, Co-Founder, Chief Research and Development Officer, and Director of Data Program at GovLab, shares his expertise around the intricacies of data governance and the evolution of data stewardship. Susan and Stefaan discuss the importance of data commons, the concept of social license, examine the opportunities and risks of synthetic data, and explore the fourth wave of open data, where generative AI democratizes access to data.

⁠Watch this episode on YouTube >⁠⁠

Guest: ⁠⁠Stefaan Verhulst, PhD⁠⁠ | Co-Founder, Chief R&D Officer, Director of Data Program - GovLab

Related: ⁠⁠Inquiry as Infrastructure: Defining Good Questions in the Age of Data and AI⁠

Related: ⁠Why Responsible Data Access will determine the Future of AI: The Increased Importance of Data Commons⁠

Get more ⁠⁠innovation insights⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠Microsoft Azure⁠⁠.

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Host: ⁠⁠Susan Etlinger⁠⁠

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.

Scott Hanselman, VP of Developer Community at Microsoft, joins the pod to offer his unique perspective on the evolution of technology, share what he heard from developers at Microsoft Build 2025, and discuss the critical role of human agency in a world of AI agents. Scott and Susan explore some of the challenges and opportunities presented by AI-powered automation, emphasizing the importance of AI guided by human decision-making, creativity, and ethical judgement. They contemplate what happens when something breaks and reflect on why context and understanding the deep stack are key to being able to fix it. Watch this episode on YouTube for the full experience as Scott brings in artifacts for some “show and tell” moments.

Watch this episode on YouTube >⁠

Guest: ⁠Scott Hanselman⁠ | VP of Developer Community, Microsoft

Related: ⁠Scott and Mark Learn To... Podcast⁠ | ⁠Hanselman.com

Related: Redefining the Developer Experience with AI and DevOps

Get more ⁠innovation insights⁠ from ⁠Microsoft Azure⁠.

Discover and follow other ⁠Microsoft podcasts⁠.

Host: ⁠Susan Etlinger⁠

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.

Water is fundamental to our existence, but only a tiny fraction of fresh water on Earth is available to sustain life. How can we become better stewards of this precious resource? In this episode, Susan speaks with Jairo Trad, CEO & Co-Founder of Kilimo, a climate tech company based in Argentina, about how he and his team are using data, AI, and cloud technology to help farmers optimize water use to promote a sustainable future. They discuss what it looks like to earn the trust of and design for farmers working in harsh conditions and remote locations, the role of empathy in product and software development, and how a combination of data, AI and what Jairo calls “common people magic” is helping Kilimo and customers move the needle on one of the world’s most significant challenges.

⁠Watch this episode on YouTube >⁠⁠

Guest: ⁠Jairo Trad⁠ | ⁠⁠Kilimo⁠

Related: ⁠⁠See more with Kilimo in Cloud Cultures⁠: Chile⁠

Related: ⁠Learn how Kilimo uses Azure AI to help farmers lower water usage⁠

Get more ⁠⁠innovation insights⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠Microsoft Azure⁠⁠.

Discover and follow other ⁠⁠Microsoft podcasts⁠⁠.

Host: ⁠⁠Susan Etlinger⁠⁠

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.

From cave painters to digital creators, artists continually discover new ways to express themselves and connect. That connection is so important, because some people find art intimidating. And, let’s face it, a lot of people feel the same way about AI. In this episode, Alain Brusch, Global Head of Digital Platforms at Art Basel, shares how this premier international art fair is using cloud and AI technologies to create personalized and user-friendly experiences—like a companion that acts as a personal art concierge guiding people through the fair, and a computer vision feature that delivers detailed information about specific artworks, artists, and galleries in real time. Susan and Alain discuss how technology is making the art fair more accessible and fostering deeper connections between visitors and art, and Alain offers advice for getting started that applies to any industry.

Watch this episode on YouTube >⁠

Guest: Alain Brusch | ⁠Art Basel

Related: ⁠Learn more about the Art Basel Companion⁠

Get more ⁠innovation insights⁠ from ⁠Microsoft Azure⁠.

Discover and follow other ⁠Microsoft podcasts⁠.

Host: ⁠Susan Etlinger⁠

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.

Maribel Lopez, Founder of Lopez Research, is one of the people you most want in your corner as a technology leader. She’s a trusted advisor to senior executives from startups to the largest global businesses, and has deep expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and customer experience transformation. But beyond her bonafides, Maribel is clear-eyed and practical about technology change, what leaders need to do to be successful, and why. In this episode, Susan and Maribel discuss why she believes the AI platform shift is different, why the data challenge is more meaningful in an AI world, her advice on building a strong technology foundation, and the unprecedented ability we now have to explore the art of the possible.

Watch this episode on YouTube >⁠

Guest: ⁠Maribel Lopez⁠ | ⁠Lopez Research⁠

Related: ⁠The AI with Maribel Lopez Podcast⁠ | ⁠AI with Maribel on YouTube⁠

Get more ⁠innovation insights⁠ from ⁠Microsoft Azure⁠.

Discover and follow other ⁠Microsoft podcasts⁠.

Host: ⁠Susan Etlinger⁠

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.

Great minds think alike—or do they? In this episode, Susan speaks with Hiren Shukla, Global Neurodiversity and Inclusive Value Leader, Ernst & Young LLP, about how neurodiversity—the idea that there is no single “right” way for the brain to function—is a source of compressed innovation, especially as generative AI expands the ways we interact with technology. Hiren discusses the mission of the Neurodiversity Center of Excellence (NCoE) and how his work has intersected with his personal journey. He shares examples of recent projects, from designing more inclusive interview experiences to collaborating with neurodivergent developers on the user experience for Azure AI Foundry. Finally, Hiren shares advice for leaders: to learn about and embrace the innovation potential of neurodiversity: what he calls “the beautiful capacity of thinking differently.”

Guest: Hiren Shukla | Ernst & Young LLP, Neurodiversity Center of Excellence (NCoE)

Related: EY helps enhance the inclusivity of AI development with Azure AI

Get more innovation insights from Microsoft Azure.

Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts.

Host: Susan Etlinger

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.

Basketball is life. And like life, it’s fast, fluid, and hard to measure. It’s about movement, split-second decisions, team dynamics, fan engagement and running a great business. In this episode, Susan talks with Charlie Rohlf about how his early days as a student manager for the legendary “Coach K” and his background in computer vision prepared him for his current role as Vice President, Stats Technology Product Development of the National Basketball Association. Charlie traces the evolution of basketball analytics from a single metric—the box score—to today’s ability to capture player pose tracking data, which enables the NBA to offer unprecedented insights to its customers, teams, and fans. Finally, Charlie shares his advice for leaders: make sure everyone understands the “why” behind everything you do.

Guest: Charlie Rohlf | NBA

Learn more about the NBA app.

Related: How the NBA is innovating with cloud and AI

Get more innovation insights from Microsoft Azure.

Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts.

Host: Susan Etlinger

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.

Most of us think of generative AI in the context of text or image generation, but it’s also a powerful tool for scientific discovery. In this episode, Susan Etlinger speaks with Ade Famoti, a senior leader on the Microsoft Research Accelerator team, about what he calls “AI’s physics moment,” and why he believes generative AI feels fundamentally different from past platform shifts. Ade shares examples of the work Microsoft Research is doing to uncover the opportunities of generative AI for materials discovery—to improve energy efficiency and carbon capture, and for drug discovery, to fight disease. Ade also highlights the role of culture in building trust, informing priorities and driving adoption of emerging technologies.

Guest: ⁠Ade Famoti⁠ | ⁠Microsoft Research⁠

Learn more about ⁠AI and Materials Discovery⁠.

Learn more about ⁠AI for Science⁠.

Learn more about ⁠inorganic materials design⁠.

Host: ⁠⁠Susan Etlinger⁠⁠

Get more ⁠innovation insights⁠ from ⁠Microsoft Azure⁠.

Discover and follow other ⁠Microsoft podcasts⁠.

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.

Would it surprise you that some of the most impressive generative AI innovations are happening in older, larger, highly regulated industries such as financial services? Cristina Pieretti, GM of digital insights at Moody's, shares how her team-built Research Assistant, a first-of-its-kind search and analytical tool powered by generative AI. Since its launch in December 2023, Research Assistant is the product with the fastest adoption to date in Moody's history. Cristina shares how Moody’s considered the opportunities of generative AI, how they engaged deeply with customers during the development process, and how they centered trust from the start—all best practices for building innovative and trustworthy products.

Guest: Cristina Pieretti | Moody's

Learn more about Research Assistant: How GenAI is rewiring financial services

Get more innovation insights from Microsoft Azure.

Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts.

Host: Susan Etlinger

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.

“In many ways, the future of AI is how it’s going to empower people to be even more creative and even more expressive,” says Robby Ingebretsen, Founder and Creative Director of Pixel Lab. In this episode, Susan and Robby discuss the evolution of technology in the music industry—from Robby’s father’s early work in digital sound to the invention of the synthesizer—and how it parallels the AI platform shift. Robby shares a recent project they worked on with Coldplay, where they created an AI-powered fan remix experience that builds on the release of Coldplay’s new album, "MOON MUSiC," and its film compendium, "A Film For The Future." They discuss the process Pixel Lab used to map video content to user inputs, techniques to minimize energy consumption, and what Robby has learned by using generative AI to further his practice as a developer. This episode offers insights for any industry seeking to deepen engagement with its audiences.

Guest: ⁠Robby Ingebretsen⁠ | ⁠Pixel Lab⁠

Blog: ⁠Coldplay evolves the fan experience with Microsoft AI⁠

Related: Building AI Solutions That Drive Value

Get more ⁠innovation insights⁠ from ⁠Microsoft Azure⁠.

Discover and follow other ⁠Microsoft podcasts⁠.

Host: ⁠Susan Etlinger⁠

The Leading the Shift podcast is a place for experts to share their insights and opinions. As students of the future of technology, Microsoft values inputs from a diverse set of voices. That said, the opinions and findings of our guests are their own and they may not necessarily reflect Microsoft's own research or positions.