MIT Sloan CIO Symposium Online Series

Agentic AI: Revolutionizing Work or a Path to Dystopia? | Ep. 12

MIT Sloan CIO Symposium – Online SeriesEpisode #12Recording Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2025
🎙️ Title: Agentic AI: Revolutionizing Work or a Path to Dystopia?
In this episode, hosts Allan Tate and Irving Wladawsky-Berger sit down with Tom Davenport, President’s Distinguished Professor at Babson College and co-author of Agentic Artificial Intelligence: Harnessing AI Agents to Reinvent Business, Work and Life. Together, they explore the rise of agentic AI—autonomous systems designed to perform digital tasks—and their potential to reshape the workplace.
Davenport shares insights from real-world deployments, such as AI-driven compliance in banking and automated warranty claims in automotive, while weighing the promises and perils of AI-human collaboration. The discussion ranges from productivity gains and job augmentation to the risks of over-reliance on flawed AI models, hallucinations in critical fields like medicine, and even the societal implications of AI companionship.
The conversation challenges CIOs and executives to move beyond fear and hype—focusing instead on augmentation, re-engineering, and human-centric design to ensure that AI agents become trusted partners rather than dystopian replacements.
🔗 References & Further Reading:
The Potential of AI Agents: Three Stories Drawn from Real-World Experiences
The Long Term Evolution of Agentic AI
The Roles of Humans in an Agent-Driven World (Tom Davenport)
We’re Screwed If We Don’t Stay in the Agentic AI Loop (Tom Davenport)
Agentic Artificial Intelligence (Book)
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Save the Date: May 19, 2026 for the 23nd Annual MIT Sloan CIO Symposium 

Beyond Automation: Human Strengths in the Age of AI | Ep. 11

Episode 11: Beyond Automation: Human Strengths in the Age of AI
In this episode, Allan Tate and Irving Wladawsky-Berger are joined by Isabella Loaiza, postdoctoral associate at MIT Sloan, to discuss her EPOCH framework and the enduring human capabilities that remain vital in an AI-powered world. Isabella unpacks the roles of empathy, presence, originality, creativity, and hope in the evolving workplace and challenges the idea of AI as a mere cost-cutting tool. Instead, she offers a vision where technology amplifies human potential. This conversation is packed with insights for technology leaders seeking to redesign work and leadership strategies that prioritize and preserve what makes us uniquely human.
 
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📄 Related reading:
The EPOCH of AI: Human-Machine Complementarities at Workhttps://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5028371
How Humans and AI Can Complement Each Other in the Workplacehttps://mitcio.com/posts/79784742
The Impact of AI on Jobs and Skillshttps://mitcio.com/posts/86701768

Philosophy Eats AI: Exploring the Role of Critical Thinking in AI Adoption | Ep. 10

In Episode 10 of the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium’s Online Series, hosts Allan Tate and Irving Wladawsky-Berger talk with Michael Schrage, Fellow at MIT Sloan School’s Initiative on the Digital Economy.
 
The conversation explores the critical role of philosophy in shaping AI adoption, challenging the overemphasis on ethical and responsible AI by examining teleological, ontological, and epistemological dimensions.
 
Schrage argues that AI built on large language models (LLMs) is not just a statistical tool but a medium shaped by philosophical principles. The discussion also tackles whether AI is a "normal" technology, comparing its cognitive augmentation to historical tools like telescopes and calculators, and debates its potential to redefine human intelligence and critical thinking.
 
We invite you to join in on the conversation in our online community. Visit here: https://mitcio.info/welcome
 
Save the Date: 2026 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium, May 19th
 
MIT Sloan CIO Symposium – Online Series, Episode 10
Philosophy Eats AI: Exploring the Role of Critical Thinking in AI Adoption
 

Agentic AI: The Next Frontier in Enterprise Innovation | Ep. 9

In this engaging episode, Allan Tate moderates a lively discussion with Irving Wladawsky-Berger and Michael Grandinetti, exploring the transformative potential of Agentic AI. Michael Grandinetti, fresh from both MIT’s NANDA (Network of Agents and Decentralized AI Conference and the Imaginaton in Action AI Conference , distinguishes Agentic AI from generative AI, highlighting its autonomy, persistent memory, and ability to execute complex workflows with minimal human input. He shares real-world examples, such as Klarna’s customer support automation and John Hancock’s 40 production use cases, illustrating Agentic AI’s early enterprise impact. Irving Wladawsky-Berger frames Agentic AI as the “action phase” of AI, emphasizing its role in building sophisticated applications through human-agent collaboration, likening it to assembling teams of specialized “servlets” for tasks like travel planning. The trio debates the technology’s maturity, with Irving advocating for cautious, incremental adoption in low-stakes workflows, while Michael predicts rapid scaling, citing AI native startups in the Link Ventures venture studio generating millions of code lines dailymand a “livig lab:” where an ever increasing number of startups are reaching $100M in ARR (annual recurring)  at unprecedented speed with hyper-lean teams. They address challenges like testing, transparency, and cultural change management, underscoring the need for human oversight and robust engineering. The conversation also touches on preparing future leaders for an AI-driven world, with Michael noting curriculum shifts at Harvard and Wharton. This episode offers a balanced, insightful look at Agentic AI’s promise and pitfalls for CIOs and enterprises.
 
Save the Date:The next MIT Sloan CIO Symposium will take place on May 20, 2025, with a special VIP pre-event on May 19, 2025. Reserve your spot now by visiting our registration page and secure your access to this premier event focused on CIO Leadership in an AI-Driven World.
 
Join Our Online Community:Dive deeper into these topics by joining the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium online community. Access exclusive content, live events, and discussions with IT practitioners and innovators shaping the future of technology.
 

The Impact of AI on Work and Innovation: Machines are from Mars, Humans are from Venus | Ep. 8

In this episode, Allan Tate and Irving Wladawsky-Berger discuss AI’s evolving role in workplaces and innovation, drawing on research by Isabella Loaiza and Aidan Toner-Rogers. Wladawsky-Berger highlights how AI augments human capabilities rather than replacing jobs, transforming tasks by automating data-driven predictions while leaving judgment and creativity to humans. Loaiza’s work identifies AI’s limitations—such as handling small data, extrapolation, and emotional intelligence—emphasizing the need for human-AI collaboration. Toner-Rogers’ research shows AI shifting scientists’ focus from ideation to evaluating AI-generated ideas, raising concerns about diminished human creativity, though Wladawsky-Berger argues judgment remains a creative act. They explore infrastructure needs, like accessible healthcare data, to maximize AI’s potential, and stress education and trial-and-error to adapt to AI’s integration. Looking to 2050, they envision a refined human-AI partnership shaped by empirical progress, with Wladawsky-Berger advising young professionals to prioritize education and market experimentation.
 
Want to join the conversation with Allan & Irving? Their next exclusive Innovator Only: Open Q&A is happening on Tuesday, March 18th 2025. https://mitcio.info/exclusiveevents
 
Save the Date:
The next MIT Sloan CIO Symposium will take place on May 20, 2025, with a special VIP pre-event on May 19, 2025. Reserve your spot now by visiting our registration page and secure your access to this premier event focused on CIO Leadership in an AI-Driven World. https://mitcio.info/register
 

The Longer-Term Evolution of AI and Robotics Technologies | Ep. 7

In this episode, Irving Wladawsky-Berger joins Allan Tate to explore the long-term trajectory of AI and robotics. They revisit Rodney Brooks’ Seven Deadly Sins of AI Predictions, highlighting why AI forecasts often overestimate short-term progress but underestimate long-term transformation.
The discussion turns to self-driving cars, where Irving explains how the definition of "autonomy" has shifted—most deployed systems still require remote human oversight. He argues that smart infrastructure could have accelerated progress, but Allan counters with failed government projects like EV charging networks and high-speed rail, questioning whether government-led smart roads would have succeeded.
They also examine AI’s persistent challenges, including data quality, governance, computing power, and scaling AI beyond pilots. The conversation then shifts to AI’s future, referencing James Manyika’s 2050 Thought Experiment and key milestones for AI to become safe, beneficial, and trusted.
Irving emphasizes that while AI is advancing, governance, trust, and human-AI collaboration remain unresolved. The episode closes with reflections on AI’s economic impact on jobs, wages, and productivity.
Save the Date:The next MIT Sloan CIO Symposium will take place on May 20, 2025, with a special VIP pre-event on May 19, 2025. Reserve your spot now by visiting our registration page and secure your access to this premier event focused on CIO Leadership in an AI-Driven World. 
 
Join Our Online Community:Dive deeper into these topics by joining the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium online community. Access exclusive content, live events, and discussions with IT practitioners and innovators shaping the future of technology. 
 
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work | Ep. 6

In this episode, Allan Tate and Irving Wladawsky-Berger explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the future of work. They discuss how AI is reshaping jobs through automation, augmenting human capabilities, and driving the need for re-skilling and hybrid skills. The conversation covers real-world applications across industries, ethical challenges, and the evolving role of leaders in navigating AI's opportunities and risks. Tune in for insights on how organizations can embrace AI thoughtfully while fostering innovation and maintaining a human-centric focus.
Save the Date:The next MIT Sloan CIO Symposium will take place on May 20, 2025, with a special VIP pre-event on May 19, 2025. Reserve your spot now by visiting our registration page and secure your access to this premier event focused on CIO Leadership in an AI-Driven World.
Join Our Online Community:Dive deeper into these topics by joining the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium online community. Access exclusive content, live events, and discussions with IT practitioners and innovators shaping the future of technology. 
 

How is AI Likely to Evolve in the Future, and Why is it so Difficult to Predict? | Ep. 5

Allan Tate and Irving Wladawsky-Berger discuss the evolution of AI and its unpredictable future. They reflect on AI's roots with pioneers like Turing and Minsky, the shift from rule-based programming to machine learning, and the societal and ethical dilemmas AI poses today. Key topics include why AI breakthroughs often surprise even experts, how historical biases shaped its development, and the balance between embracing innovation and managing risks. This episode offers rich insights into the forces shaping AI and the challenges of predicting its impact.
 
Save the Date:The next MIT Sloan CIO Symposium will take place on May 20, 2025, with a special VIP pre-event on May 19, 2025. Reserve your spot now by visiting our registration page and secure your access to this premier event focused on CIO Leadership in an AI-Driven World.
 
Reference Post(s):
From Public Square:
AI Advances Aren’t Likely to Occur Nearly as Quickly as Many Believe
https://mitcio.com/posts/69786931?utm_source=manual
Who Will Be Proved Right? The Bullish or the Skeptic AI Camp?
https://mitcio.com/posts/71533799?utm_source=manual
Artificial Intelligence: Realistic Expectations vs. Irrational Exuberance
https://mitcio.com/posts/60832964?utm_source=manual
Machine Learning Has an AI Problem
https://mitcio.com/posts/60832812?utm_source=manual
From Irving’s Blog:
Data-Centric AI: the Systematic Engineering of Data to Build AI Systems
https://blog.irvingwb.com/blog/2023/07/the-emerging-concept-of-data-centric-ai.html
The Puzzling Economic Impact of Transformative Technologies
https://blog.irvingwb.com/blog/2019/12/the-economic-impact-of-historically-transformative-technologies.html
The Future of AI: a Ubiquitous, Invisible, Smart Utility
https://blog.irvingwb.com/blog/2014/11/ai-an-invisible-ubiquitous-industrial-grade-digital-smartness.html