NOW Ep118: AI | From hype cycle to hard choices

Loading player...
AI has moved beyond experimentation. It now sits at the centre of decision-making. At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, the conversation is clear - how can leaders use AI to drive growth, manage risk and reshape work.

In episode 2 of our Davos Debrief series, Jeremy Maggs speaks to Lyndon Subroyen, Investec’s Global Head of Digital & Technology, on why AI is a platform shift, not a passing trend, and what that means for strategy, talent and long-term competitiveness.

Key podcast moments:
00:00: Introduction
01:30: Inside Davos: the spirit of dialogue
02:10: AI’s economic promise and the platform shift
03:05: Balancing AI opportunity and disruption
04:22: Innovating fast without crashing: managing AI risk
05:12: From builders to users: how AI diffuses into society
06:06: Investing in people for an AI-augmented economy
07:16: The skills that matter most in an AI world
08:17: Keeping humans in step with rapid technological change
09:23: Rethinking operating models for the future of work
11:44: Cybersecurity, geopolitics and the dark side of innovation
12:58: Governance, ethics and guardrails for AI at scale
14:01: AI as a growth engine for the global economy
15:11: Sector winners and the universal impact of AI
15:36: Emerging markets and the opportunity to leapfrog
17:04: The one question leaders must ask after Davos

Read more on www.investec.com/now

Hosted by seasoned broadcaster, Jeremy Maggs, the No Ordinary Wednesday podcast unpacks the latest economic, business, and political news in South Africa, with an all-star cast of investment and wealth managers, economists and financial planners from Investec. Listen in every second Wednesday for an in-depth look at what's moving markets, shaping the economy, and changing the game for your wallet and your business.
Chapters
  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:30 Inside Davos: the spirit of dialogue
  • 02:10 AI’s economic promise and the platform shift
  • 03:05 Balancing AI opportunity and disruption
  • 04:22 Innovating fast without crashing: managing AI risk
  • 05:12 From builders to users: how AI diffuses into society
  • 06:06 Investing in people for an AI-augmented economy
  • 07:16 The skills that matter most in an AI world
  • 08:17 Keeping humans in step with rapid technological change
  • 09:23 Rethinking operating models for the future of work
  • 11:44 Cybersecurity, geopolitics and the dark side of innovation
  • 12:58 Governance, ethics and guardrails for AI at scale
  • 14:01 AI as a growth engine for the global economy
  • 15:11 Sector winners and the universal impact of AI
  • 15:36 Emerging markets and the opportunity to leapfrog
  • 17:04 The one question leaders must ask after Davos
20 Jan English South Africa Business · Investing

Other recent episodes

Macro Monday Ep104: When AI becomes a risk

While US earnings have been strong, more and more companies are seeing artificial intelligence (AI) as a risk, rather than an opportunity, notes Chris Holdsworth, Chief Investment Strategist, at Investec Wealth & Investment International, that while there’s been a selloff in sectors likely to be disrupted by increased AI deployment.
16 Feb 12 min

NOW Ep121: Budget Speech 2026| What’s at stake?

South Africa’s 2026 Budget arrives at a pivotal moment. Debt is hovering near 78% of GDP. Growth is forecast at just 1.5%. Debt-servicing costs absorb around 5% of GDP. And yet, bond yields have fallen, sentiment has improved and S&P maintains a positive outlook. Is this genuine fiscal stabilisation or…
14 Feb 23 min

What next? | Young divided and under pressure

For years, we’ve comforted ourselves with the idea that young people will “save the world.” But is that hope realistic - or an unfair projection? Many young people care deeply about climate, justice and inequality, yet face economic precarity, political disillusionment and shrinking civic space. How can youth today find…
5 Feb 1 hour

Art in Focus series 2 | Ep 4: Art in nurturing identity and heritage

From stitched fabrics and beaded surfaces to gel capsules and monumental sculptures, this episode of Art in Focus explores how personal memory becomes cultural narrative. Mary Sibande, Sahlah Davids and Leila Abrahams join Tristanne Farrell to talk identity, heritage, healing and how artists transform lived experience into work that resonates…
11 Feb 31 min

Everything Counts | Episode 41: Global Shopping for South Africans

Earning, spending, investing and shopping overseas has never been easier, but it has never been more complex either. If your money is constantly moving between currencies, countries, and platforms, it can feel like you’re doing everything right on paper while still losing value through fees, exchange rates and timing. In…
9 Feb 20 min