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AI Daily Podcast 01/02/2026
Welcome back to AI Daily. Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories:
10 Executives Shared Their 2026 AI Predictions With Us
Source: Original article
By Ana Altchek, Henry Chandonnet, Madeline Berg, and Katherine Li — January 1, 2026
From enterprise-wide adoption and ROI discipline to the rise of agentic AI and sharper cybersecurity threats, leaders forecast a year of pragmatic AI at scale. Predictions span automated workflows, tailored SMB tools, agent-driven payments, and even a possible cash crunch warning from a foundational model. Expect ad markets to reshape, data quality to become a board-level priority, and a few high-profile winners and wipeouts along the way.
Inside BCG’s AI product assembly line: ‘Every company has to become a tech company’
Source: Original article
By Lakshmi Varanasi — January 1, 2026
BCG has built a full-stack AI pipeline—R&D, forward-deployed consultants, and a firmwide marketplace—to turn frontline ideas into secure, reusable tools. With tens of thousands of custom GPTs, red teaming, and a UX center of excellence, the consultancy is operating like a product company. The message is clear: AI value now comes from orchestration of data, agents, and deployment at scale.
11 executives and researchers who left Google in 2025 — mostly for Microsoft
Source: Original article
By Katherine Li — January 1, 2026
Google saw a notable AI and cloud talent exodus in 2025, with many leaders heading to Microsoft and other rivals. The moves underscore intensifying competition between DeepMind and Microsoft’s AI group—now led by former DeepMind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman—and the premium on senior technical operators. Expect the talent wars to shape product velocity and strategic bets across Big Tech this year.
Lawmakers are beginning to grapple with how their staff use AI
Source: Original article
By Bryan Metzger — January 1, 2026
Congressional offices are split on AI use—some encourage it with verification and disclosure, others discourage or ban generative drafting altogether. Policies are coalescing around guardrails for accuracy, privacy, and constituent communications transparency. As AI permeates the workplace, expect formal rules to replace ad hoc practices on the Hill.
I’m 57, and I took a $3,000 AI strategy course to ensure I don’t get replaced by someone younger
Source: Original article
By Sarah E. Needleman — January 1, 2026
A veteran professional upskilled through a 12-week AI business strategy program to better advise clients and safeguard her career. The payoff was immediate: clearer conversations on data readiness, responsible deployment, and AI roadmapping led to new project wins. The takeaway for listeners: continuous learning remains a competitive advantage at any age.
Instagram’s head says the aesthetic that helped the app become popular is dead — and AI helped kill it
Source: Original article
By Tom Carter — January 1, 2026
Adam Mosseri says Instagram’s polished grid era is over as AI floods feeds with synthetic, highly produced visuals. The platform will emphasize a more “raw” aesthetic, clearer labels for AI content, and provenance tools to help real creators stand out. It’s a signal that authenticity and transparency will define the next phase of social media.
A gig work CEO explains the jobs most likely to survive automation in 2026 and beyond
Source: Original article
By Alex Bitter — January 1, 2026
Airtasker CEO Tim Fung expects AI to displace many digital gigs and even some knowledge roles, while hands-on trades will be last to automate. His marketplace model favors skilled, offline tasks where workers build a brand and negotiate value directly. For gig workers, specializing and signaling craftsmanship could be the safest path forward.
AIは名乗れ、履歴は消せ—中国｢ロボット三原則｣的AIルール案
Source: Original article
By Mike Pearl – Gizmodo US（翻訳：中川真知子） — January 1, 2026
China’s cyberspace regulator proposed rules for anthropomorphic AI that require bots to identify as AI, allow deletion of chat histories, and ban manipulative or harmful behaviors. The draft also targets addictive designs, prompts breaks after two hours, and mandates human handoff when users show distress. It’s a sweeping attempt to govern emotionally engaging AI under “core socialist values.”
Science in 2026: what to expect this year
Source: Original article
By Nick Petrić Howe & Miryam Naddaf — January 1, 2026
Nature previews a busy year in science: compact AI models that may out-reason larger systems, gene-editing trials for rare diseases, and a mission to collect samples from Phobos. The outlook also weighs potential shifts in US science policy and funding. For AI watchers, the key storyline is smarter, smaller models built for real-world reasoning.
