McKinsey & Company

Rewiring for AI: From ambition to advantage

In this episode of the McKinsey Podcast, host Lucia Raheli speaks with McKinsey partners Rob Levin and Kate Smage about their updated book, "Rewired: Protecting Value, Generating Value, and Leading Through the AI Revolution." The conversation centers on how companies can achieve success in the age of AI, emphasizing the shift from isolated pilot projects to company-wide, end-to-end workflow transformations. Rob Levin highlights that the second edition of "Rewired" was prompted by the rapid evolution of AI, particularly generative AI and agentic AI, which have fundamentally changed capabilities like software development. The core thesis of the book remains relevant: companies that have built foundational AI capabilities are better positioned to succeed in this new AI landscape. He uses Freeport-McMoRan as an example, a company that achieved success with its initial AI investments in digital twins and then leveraged generative AI for further improvements in its leaching process. This illustrates the need for continuous adaptation and developing a "second muscle" for flexibility in the face of technological change.