About “On Second Thought”
On Second Thought is a video series that digs into the questions everyone is asking about AI. Each episode pairs futurist Sinead Bovell with experts across Microsoft to unpack the tension, promise, and real-world impact of this rapidly evolving technology.
From how AI is reshaping work, health, and scientific discovery, to how it can become more inclusive and globally representative, we move past hot takes and into honest conversations with the people building what comes next.
“The future of AI deserves more than a first impression; it deserves a second thought.”
– Sinead Bovell, Founder, WAYE
Get a sneak peek
Be on the lookout as we release new episodes and resources biweekly with the technologists shaping AI.
In each episode, Sinead and her guest discuss the next frontiers of AI and the implications for everyday applications across health, science, work and more.
About Sinead
Sinead Bovell is a futurist and founder of WAYE (opens in new tab), known for making emerging technologies understandable and accessible. She advises CEOs, governments, startups, and global institutions on AI, national security, and long-term strategy. An eleven-time UN speaker, Sinead is helping shape global conversations on the future of work and exponential technologies
In each episode, Sinead brings her curiosity to the table by probing assumptions, translating complexity, and exploring what AI means for everyday life.
Episode guide
Explore previews of upcoming episodes. Full conversations release biweekly—watch the first one January 15.
AI for Health: How is AI reshaping care?
Are you curious about what changes when AI joins you in the healthcare journey? In this conversation, Sinead talks with Jonathan Carlson, head of Microsoft Research Health Futures, about the accelerating pace of AI adoption in medicine, the promise of personalized treatment, and the shifting relationship between clinicians, patients, and the technology that supports them.
Featured guest
Jonathan Carlson
Health Futures | Managing Director, Microsoft Research
As a computational biologist, Jonathan Carlson has collaborated with dozens of labs around the world, publishing more than a hundred papers at the intersection of machine learning, immunology, and virology. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Dartmouth College. Carlson led the Antigen Map Project, a partnership with Adaptive Biotechnologies that resulted in multiple clinical diagnostics and scientific discoveries through ML-based decoding of immune system genetics.
AI for All: How do we make AI truly inclusive?
Have you ever wondered whose perspectives actually shape the AI we all use? This episode looks at how language, culture, and lived experience shape the way AI understands the world around us. Sinead grabs coffee with Hiwot Tesfaye from Microsoft’s Office of Responsible AI to chat about what it takes to build systems that reflect everyone, not just the loudest or most represented communities.
Featured guest
Hiwot Tesfaye (opens in new tab)
Office of Responsible AI | Technical Advisor
As a technical advisor in the Office of Responsible AI, Hiwot blends her data science and AI policy backgrounds to support the development and adoption of practices across Microsoft that foster trust in AI solutions. She believes that earning trust in AI is a global imperative and founded the Global Perspectives on Responsible AI Fellowship program to bring global perspectives into key AI deliberations, informing how AI products and systems are developed and deployed and shaping the policy debates that govern them.
AI for Scientific Discovery: Can AI help scientists think better, not just faster?
What if the next Nobel-scale breakthrough begins with AI? Sinead visits a quantum lab with John Link from the Microsoft Discovery team to explore how AI is transforming the scientific process. From running millions of virtual experiments to uncovering insights across chemistry, biology, and physics, they discuss how AI might help scientists think differently, not just faster.
Featured guest
John Link (opens in new tab)
Microsoft Discovery & Quantum | Partner Product Manager
John Link has spent his career bringing disruptive technologies to market. He began his career in implantable medical devices and has since delivered innovation across industries including gaming, mixed reality, quantum computing, and advanced AI for science. John holds a Master of Science in Software Engineering from EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University and lives in the Redmond area with his family.
AI and the Future of Work: Learn how AI is rewriting the rules of work
What if your job in the future is less about doing and more about directing? Sinead sits down with Colette Stallbaumer, General Manager of M365 Copilot, about how AI is reshaping roles, skills, and leadership. They explore why curiosity is becoming a competitive edge, what it means to work alongside AI agents, and how every employee, not just executives, can shape what comes next.
Featured guest
Collette Stallbaumer (opens in new tab)
M365 Copilot & Future of Work | General Manager
Colette Stallbaumer works at the intersection of research and productivity, helping organizations navigate and thrive in the era of AI. She leads Copilot for Microsoft 365 and oversees the teams behind the Microsoft Work Trend Index and Microsoft WorkLab, translating insights into tools that are shaping the future of work.