In the news. Rising global uncertainty is reshaping executive education, prompting business schools to incorporate geopolitics into their executive programs, the Financial Times reports. Growing demand across executive ranks for practical guidance on managing supply chains, investments, risks, and operational resilience in a fragmented global environment indicates that geopolitics is no longer a niche topic for specialists but a core leadership capability. In response, some business schools are expanding their program offerings to include subjects such as geopolitics and corporate decision-making, as well as geopolitics for board directors. This shift reflects a growing recognition that geopolitical changes directly influence business decisions, talent mobility, and market access. [FT]

Building the capabilities to spot risks and opportunities requires the recognition that there is no crystal ball—only disciplined preparation.

On McKinsey.com. As geopolitics plays a bigger role in corporate and board-level decision-making, strategic foresight has become an essential leadership function and not just a specialized risk management exercise, say McKinsey Partners Ezra Greenberg and Ziad Haider and their coauthors. Although executives recognize the value of geopolitical foresight, McKinsey research shows that fewer than one-third of respondents report that their organizations use effective tools to navigate geopolitical uncertainty. Five complementary methods—including horizon scanning, scenario planning, and tabletop exercises—can improve foresight by helping organizations prepare for multiple futures rather than predicting just one. Organizations that embed these tools into their strategy will be better equipped to reduce risk, respond decisively, and seize opportunities amid geopolitical disruption.

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In the news. The next generation of AI-powered household robots is moving beyond single-purpose devices to mobile companions designed to interact with people, The Wall Street Journal reports. These machines combine mobility, conversational AI, and emotionally engaging designs, raising new questions about cybersecurity, privacy, and consumer trust. Researchers note that even simple robots can inspire surprisingly strong emotional bonds: Some consumers name their household cleaning robots and take them on vacations, while others mourn the loss of discontinued robotic pets. As more sophisticated AI-enabled anthropomorphic robots enter homes, hospitals, and clinics, success in consumer robotics may increasingly depend on responsible design and governance as much as advances in AI capabilities. [WSJ]

On McKinsey.com. General-purpose robots are moving beyond factories and into workplaces, hospitals, and homes. With advances in AI, sensing, and computing expanding what machines can do beyond repetitive industrial tasks, today’s challenge has shifted from technical feasibility to achieving human–machine collaboration, explain McKinsey Partners Ani Kelkar, Christian Jansen, and Zina Cole. McKinsey projects the market for general-purpose robotics could grow from less than $1 billion today to about $370 billion by 2040, assuming continued progress in mobility, safety, battery performance, and cost. That growth could propel general-purpose robots from small-scale pilots to large-scale deployment. As robotics capabilities evolve, leaders can prepare their organizations for broader adoption by identifying high-value use cases and assessing where robots can augment human work.

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Human advantage in the AI era

In the news. As AI transforms organizations, employees’ greatest value may increasingly lie in abilities that machines still struggle to replicate, according to AP News. “The skills that are most resistant to displacement by AI are the ones that are the most distinctly human,” says the CEO of a workforce development nonprofit. These include empathy, relationship building, and decision-making in ambiguous situations. Using AI to automate routine tasks such as paperwork can free workers to focus on higher-value interactions—for example, allowing nurses to spend more time delivering patient care. Pairing AI with these uniquely human strengths rather than treating them as competing priorities could give workplaces a competitive edge. [AP News]

On McKinsey.com. The human resources function is facing a pivotal point as human–AI collaboration takes center stage. Yet while AI-enabled HR operating models are emerging, widespread adoption remains limited, according to McKinsey’s latest HR Monitor report. Progress in strategic capability planning and employee development is also lagging. Drawing on a survey of about 1,300 HR professionals and 5,500 employees, the report finds that only 11% of organizations take a long-term approach to workforce planning, and 24% of employees report they didn’t participate in any training in the past year. McKinsey’s Julian Kirchherr, Karel Eloot, Sandra Durth, Ulf Schrader, Vincent Bérubé, and their coauthors identify five priorities organizations can adopt to help HR redefine its operating model and lead effective collaboration between employees and AI.

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