Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Could AI transformation be exhausting humans rather than optimizing their performance?
As artificial intelligence transforms how we work, organizations face a new challenge: protecting brain health and ensuring employees have the skills to cope with the cognitive demands of technology.
On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Partners Erica Coe and Kana Enomoto and McKinsey Health Institute Senior Fellow Jacqueline Brassey explain what brain capital is and why it's becoming a key competitive advantage in the age of AI. Then, they break down how leaders can build healthier, more adaptable, and higher-performing organizations.
Plus: McKinsey Senior Partner Shubham Singhal answers audience questions on geopolitics, trade rewiring, and the China/US technological divide in the age of AI.
*In the full episode:*
- How mental health impacts the economy
- What is brain capital? And why is it important?
- Five levers to strengthen brain skills
- Three actions leaders can take
- "Brain-positive” leadership during an AI transformation
- Why leaders invest in brain capital
- Q&A: AI, geopolitics, and trade
- Are we in a period of deglobalization?
- How does AI affect geopolitical dynamics?
- Should leaders reconfigure manufacturing supply chains?
- How are imports affected by dependencies?
- Are these changes secular or cyclical?
Could AI transformation be exhausting humans rather than optimizing their performance?
As artificial intelligence transforms how we work, organizations face a new challenge: protecting brain health and ensuring employees have the skills to cope with the cognitive demands of technology.
On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Partners Erica Coe and Kana Enomoto and McKinsey Health Institute Senior Fellow Jacqueline Brassey explain what brain capital is and why it's becoming a key competitive advantage in the age of AI. Then, they break down how leaders can build healthier, more adaptable, and higher-performing organizations.
Plus: McKinsey Senior Partner Shubham Singhal answers audience questions on geopolitics, trade rewiring, and the China/US technological divide in the age of AI.
*In the full episode:*
- How mental health impacts the economy
- What is brain capital? And why is it important?
- Five levers to strengthen brain skills
- Three actions leaders can take
- "Brain-positive” leadership during an AI transformation
- Why leaders invest in brain capital
- Q&A: AI, geopolitics, and trade
- Are we in a period of deglobalization?
- How does AI affect geopolitical dynamics?
- Should leaders reconfigure manufacturing supply chains?
- How are imports affected by dependencies?
- Are these changes secular or cyclical?
