Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith
Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith hosts candid conversations with leaders in government, business, and culture to explore critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society. Topics include cybersecurity, privacy, digital inclusion, environmental sustainability, artificial intelligence, and human rights. The podcast examines and reframes digital issues shaping our world today.
Episodes
AI's Mythos Moment: Rishi Sunak on preparing governments for AI
At a moment some are calling the “Mythos Moment” for artificial intelligence, the conversation around technology is shifting in real time. In this episode of Tools and Weapons, Brad Smith sits down with former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, now working at the center of global AI policy and innovation, to explore what happens when breakthroughs move faster than the systems built to govern them.
The
Special Edition: Tracking AI diffusion in Q1 2026
Juan Lavista Ferres, Microsoft Chief Data Scientist and Director of the AI for Good Lab, joins Brad Smith to unpack the latest AI diffusion report and what it reveals about how artificial intelligence is spreading around the world.
In this quarterly update, Juan shares new data on where adoption is accelerating, how AI is reshaping software development, and why emerging divides between regions and
Ryan Roslansky: Turning AI Anxiety into Skills for the Future of Work
A lot of people are asking the same question right now: Will I be left behind?
In this episode, Brad Smith sits down with Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn and Executive Vice President at Microsoft, for a practical conversation about AI, the future of work, and what people can do now to stay ahead. Drawing on ideas from his new book, "Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI," Ryan shares a
Everybody Goes Home: How technology is helping prevent wildfires from spreading
Wildfires devastate communities, ecosystems, and lives, and they are becoming harder to stop. But what if firefighters could spot a blaze in its earliest moments, before anyone even calls 911?
In this episode of Tools and Weapons, Brad Smith travels to California to meet Deputy Fire Chief Zachary Wells and Dr. Neal Driscoll, a professor at the University of California, San Diego and one of the lea
His Excellency Khaldoon Al Mubarak: Investing in an AI-Driven World
From the collapse of the pearl trade to becoming a global powerhouse in oil and gas, the UAE has repeatedly reinvented itself through resilience and long-term thinking. In this episode, His Excellency Khaldoon Al Mubarak, CEO of sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, joins Brad to explore how Mubadala thinks about long-term capital investment, why the UAE is positioned as an early leader in AI adoption,
Special Edition: Key findings from the Microsoft AI Diffusion Report
Generative AI is spreading fast, but not evenly. In this special edition of Tools and Weapons, I sit down with Juan Lavista Ferres, Director of Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, to unpack the latest AI Diffusion Report and what it reveals about who benefits most from this new technology.We explore why diffusion, not just invention, determines long-term impact, examine the widening gap between the Globa
Ed Policy: How tech is changing the game in Green Bay
From chalkboards to tablets, technology has transformed the NFL. In this episode, Ed Policy, president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, joins Brad to explore how digital tools on the sidelines and innovation hubs like TitletownTech are reshaping the game and driving economic growth beyond Lambeau Field. From growing up in an Ohio football family to steering a uniquely community-owned franchise in
Ted Sarandos: Netflix and how tech changed storytelling
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos joins Brad Smith for a conversation about the constant reinvention behind one of the world’s most influential entertainment platforms. They explore how bold leadership and a culture of innovation keep Netflix ahead—not just as a media company, but as a force shaping industries and audiences alike. Ted shares how intuition and data combine to turn daring ideas into pract
Satya Nadella: Leading through the AI Revolution
I often sit down with Satya Nadella, my boss, and Microsoft’s third CEO—but rarely with microphones. In the final segment of our Microsoft CEO trilogy, we talk about his journey from his early days playing cricket to leading Microsoft, the link between poetry and programming, and how the company is leading the next wave of technological transformation—redefining how we build and interact with tech
Steve Ballmer: Scaling the digital revolution
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO from 2000 to 2014, was instrumental in scaling the company from a small 30-person startup to one of the most valuable companies on the planet. Ahead of Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, I had the chance to catch up with my former boss. We talked about the early days of Microsoft and the pitch that convinced him to take a chance on a small company in a new industry. We al
Bill Gates: Starting the Digital Revolution
As Microsoft celebrates its 50th birthday, I had the chance to sit down with my friend and the company’s cofounder, Bill Gates. We discuss his memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings, Microsoft’s impact over the past 50 years, and how the next phase of the digital revolution is the most exciting one yet.Click here for the episode transcript.
Jeffrey Ding: AI and the Rise of Great Powers
What will it take for a great power today to remain one? Based on research from Jeffrey Ding, a professor at George Washington University, it’s probably not the flashy technology everyone is focused on. We discuss his recent book, Technology and the Rise of Great Powers, as he challenges conventional wisdom about how technology has shaped the rise of great powers like the United States.Click here
Fei-Fei Li: Staying curious at the forefront of AI
Fei-Fei Li is a pioneering AI scientist breaking new ground in computer vision, a Stanford professor, and currently leading the innovative start-up World Labs. While her career is deeply rooted in technical expertise, Dr. Li's journey is driven by an insatiable curiosity. In this episode, Brad and Dr. Li reflect on poignant moments from her memoir, "The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Di
Norma Kamali: From canvas to code, redefining creativity with AI
You may not know Norma Kamali by name, but you certainly know the designer’s fashions – from the iconic Sleeping Bag Coat, to dresses worn by celebrities like Jessica Biel. 57 years into her career, she’s added AI to her design toolbox and has never been more excited about what’s coming out of her studio. In this episode, Norma makes the case for AI as a valuable tool to enhance creativity for art
Maria Ressa: Turning crisis into opportunity
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Maria Ressa, and her co-founders created Rappler to harness social media’s connecting power to bring journalists directly to audiences. But those same social networks were then used by others against her – as a weapon – to spread disinformation and to seek to silence her. Brad and Maria also discuss turning crisis to opportunities and how the golden rule she learned as
From What Now? with Trevor Noah: Why AI Won't Destroy Us with Microsoft's Brad Smith
Brad was recently a guest on What Now? with Trevor Noah, and we're excited to share their conversation with our listeners. Here's what the podcast had to say about this episode:Trevor puts on a suit (no, he’s not returning to The Daily Show) and heads to Microsoft. This week Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft talks AI, explains why he doesn’t believe it will be the end of humankind,
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber: The connection between AI and energy
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber is the President of COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference hosted by the UAE last year. He's also the CEO and Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), where he leads efforts to produce cleaner energy today and invests in sustainable energy solutions for the future. In this episode, Dr. Sultan shares how his leadership united diverse stakeholders to adop
Bill Anderson: Using AI to combat hunger
Bayer CEO Bill Anderson considers himself a scientist at heart, a chemical engineer by training, and a lifelong student of biotechnology. Now at the helm of a 160-year-old German pharmaceutical and agriculture company, he's employing science and technology with a bold mission — Health for All, Hunger for none.In this episode, Bill discusses AI’s role in accelerating agricultural breakthroughs that
The New AI Economy
Gutenberg's invention of the printing press led to a new economy, which created a new sector of businesses, industries, and jobs. Generative AI is providing a similar opportunity today.In this episode, Brad Smith draws on the lessons from the printing press and supporting industries to illustrate how different technologies are coming together to create a new AI economy. He explains the critical pa
Yves Ubelmann: Saving our heritage, one digital twin at a time
Yves Ubelmann is a technologist, artist, and architect who is on a mission to digitally preserve the world’s cultural and natural heritage. He is the founder and CEO of Iconem, a company that creates stunning 3D models of endangered sites and environments. In this episode, Brad and Yves take a boat trip through Venice, touring the subject of his most ambitious project: an AI-generated digital twin
U.S. Ambassador Nate Fick: Choosing a radio over a rifle in combat
As the United States’ first Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, Nathaniel Fick is leading a tech-centered global diplomatic mission. Nate brings extraordinary depth to this important role in contemporary foreign policy – not as a career diplomat, but from a wide range of experiences: a Classics graduate from Dartmouth, a Marine leader in Afghanistan and Iraq, a venture capitalis
Ben Rhodes: The enduring power of language in the era of AI
Ben Rhodes had a front-row seat to one of the great transformations of our time - how people consume and react to information on social media. From his post as Deputy National Security Advisor and speechwriter serving under Barack Obama, Ben watched, as this technology evolved from a democratizing force of the Arab Spring to a weapon used to spread disinformation and divide societies.In this episo
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama: The journey from gaming to government
As a young child, His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama developed his confidence and leadership skills through video games, which sparked his passion for history, strategy, and problem-solving.Today, he’s putting these skills to use as the first in the world to hold a cabinet level position on AI as the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications in t
U.S. Ambassador Meg Whitman: Leading with the right questions
Throughout her impressive career leading businesses, nonprofits, and now as the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman has been driven by a simple question: "What are we going to do about it?" This relentless focus on action propelled her as she transformed eBay from a fledgling startup into a global e-commerce powerhouse and guided her as CEO navigating HP through a high-stakes corporate split. In
Kevin Scott: Putting AI into the hands of people everywhere
Microsoft’s Chief Technology Officer, Kevin Scott, believes that for AI to benefit everyone, humans must be at the center of its development. His philosophy was shaped by his rural Virginia roots, where he belonged to a hardworking community that used creativity, perseverance, and curiosity to support each other and tackle practical challenges. In this episode, we talk about how a culture grounded
First Vice President Nadia Calviño: Architecting Spain’s AI future
Nadia Calviño is a world leader who has earned a reputation for getting things done. As Spain’s First Vice President and Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, she created the first national agency for regulating AI. In this episode, she explains how she rearchitected Spain’s economy to embrace AI in every sector while protecting citizens’ digital privacy and safety. They discuss
Governing AI: A blueprint for our future
AI may be the most consequential technology advance of our lifetime. Rapid advances are creating new opportunities, challenges, and questions that require the public and private sectors to come together to ensure that this technology serves the public good. In this special episode, recorded as part of an event hosted by Microsoft in Washington D.C., I share how AI is leading to new breakthroughs i
Strive Masiyiwa: A vision to connect Africa’s greatest asset — its youth — to the world
At a time when most Africans had not yet heard the sound of a ringing telephone, Strive Masiyiwa, an impatient young engineer, successfully challenged Zimbabwe’s state-run telecoms monopoly to get the licenses he needed to launch Econet Wireless. The court’s decision reverberated across Africa, clearing the way for private sector operators to enter this new mobile technology industry and connect p
Carol Ann Browne: Turning the tables on Brad Smith
Brad and Carol Ann discovered that riding in an autonomous vehicle as it learns to navigate the streets of London can be a bit nerve-wracking. But these hands-on experiences are crucial to understanding the impact that AI's sudden surge has on everyday life at the intersection of technology and society. In this episode, Brad's co-author, chief of staff, and long-time colleague Carol Ann Browne put
Father Paolo Benanti: Finding the heart and soul of AI
As a young engineer, a simple question about life’s meaning directed Paulo Benanti’s journey to an unexpected destination – living in a monastery next to the Vatican. Now known as Father Benanti, he’s a Franciscan monk, but he’s also a technology and bioethics professor who advises Pope Francis on the ethics of artificial intelligence. In this episode, we discuss how the Rome Call for AI Ethics pu
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece: Digital transformation for the people, by the people
As Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis has put digital technology to work to drive economic resurgence, develop a vibrant tech sector, and transform the way everyday citizens interact with the government. In this episode, we cover Greece's ambition to be an energy hub for Europe, its efforts to digitally preserve ancient cultural sites, and what it takes to protect one of the oldest and b
Satya Nadella: Earning the skeptics’ trust
Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, says a multinational company’s license to do business is earned by creating “local surplus” wherever it operates. In this episode, Brad and Satya unpack what this means, how it connects to the company’s mission, the responsibility that companies have to create inclusive growth, and how software is one of the biggest deflationary forces during inflation
Kara Swisher: It’s time for tech to mature
When it comes to reporting on the tech industry, nothing escapes Kara Swisher. For four decades, the influential journalist has used the power of her pen and microphone to not only report the news, but influence the events of the day. Sharing insights from her career, they explore patterns that help her see what’s coming in tech before others, the attributes of tech leaders that succeed, the adap
Mathias Döpfner: Can democracy survive without independent journalism?
Why does the head of a global media powerhouse still give his occupation as “journalist?” Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer SE, is driven by deep convictions about journalism’s role in safeguarding democracy – a perspective forged in his youth after viewing the American miniseries Holocaust.In this episode, Brad and Mathias dive into the worrying trends developing in democracies around the wor
Kai-Fu Lee: How AI teaches us what it means to be human
In 2017, leading AI expert Kai-Fu Lee shared a dire prediction: half of all jobs – both blue collar and white collar – could be automated within ten years, replacing the workforce with solutions built on artificial intelligence. Brad and Kai-Fu discuss what this coming change means for national economies and for people who care about their work. Kai-Fu lays out practical steps policy makers can ta
Thomas Friedman: It's not what we know, but how well we listen
Thomas Friedman believes if you want to understand human nature, live with people in extreme situations. And if you want to know the future, hang around people inventing it. As a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Thomas Friedman has spent a career reporting from a civil war in Beirut, observing some of the world’s leading companies from the inside, and discovering that the key to understanding g
Trevor Noah: Who do you trust (when you don’t trust the news)?
Since his first night anchoring The Daily Show in 2015, Trevor Noah has used comedy to connect the dots between local events and global issues. In this episode, Brad and Trevor discuss the intersection of the news of the day and technology. Focusing on the rise of disinformation, they explore how we become susceptible to it, the threat of ”cybertribes” that dehumanize and pit groups of people ag
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern: Can we work together to end violent extremism online?
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is determined to stop the spread of extremism and radicalization online. In the aftermath of the 2019 terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, she saw the livestream of the tragedy go viral across social media feeds, including her own. In response, she led the creation of the Christchurch Call, a commitment by governments and tech companies to elim
Coming Soon: Tools and Weapons
With things heating up around the world—environmentally, socially, and politically, now is the time to discuss the role technology plays – for good and bad – as we work together to solve our biggest challenges. Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith speaks with leaders in government, business, and culture to explore the world’s most critical issues at the intersection of technology and soc
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