Explore every episode of the podcast This Week in Business

Social Security faces a looming funding shortfall that could force significant benefit cuts within the next decade. Can policymakers save the program before it's too late?

Kent Smetters, Faculty Director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, joins the conversation to explain the financial challenges facing Social Security and the reform proposals under consideration.

The discussion explores tax increases, benefit reductions, raising the retirement age, and the economic tradeoffs behind each approach. Smetters also explains why government accounting practices may be obscuring the true scale of the problem.

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AI is changing how companies operate, but adopting new technology is only the beginning. Businesses must rethink how work gets done to turn AI investments into meaningful results.

Prasanna (Sonny) Tambe, professor of operations, information and decisions at the Wharton School, joins us to discuss the latest research on AI adoption and workforce transformation.

The conversation explores AI agents, accountability, job growth, entry level hiring, the growing need to verify AI generated content, and why companies must redesign workflows to get the most from their AI investments.

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What happens when a superstar athlete joins a new team? The impact goes far beyond the basketball court.

Kenneth Shropshire, Professor Emeritus of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the Wharton School, examines the expectations surrounding LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers.

From ticket sales and team culture to community engagement and special treatment for star players, Shropshire explains the business opportunities and challenges that come with signing a superstar.

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Why are young people putting money meant for retirement into sports betting? The answer may lie in how our brains respond to risk, excitement, and the promise of a big win.

Michael Platt, Professor of Marketing, Psychology & Neuroscience at The Wharton School, explains the psychology behind the sports betting boom. He explores how dopamine, social influence, and the illusion of control draw people into betting, how mobile platforms make gambling harder to resist, and why the trend could threaten younger generations’ financial futures.

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What happens when a company’s social mission clashes with the priorities of its corporate owner? The legal battle involving Ben and Jerry’s raises important questions about who gets to control a brand’s values after a sale.

Maurice Schweitzer, Wharton Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions, joins the conversation to examine the dispute between Ben and Jerry’s and its parent companies. Schweitzer explains the challenges of maintaining an independent board, why founders can struggle to preserve their influence, and what businesses can learn about governance, competing priorities and the uncertainty of future conflicts.

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AI safety concerns are no longer just hypothetical. As AI systems become increasingly capable, the risks involving cybersecurity, biosecurity and unintended behavior are becoming harder to ignore.

Kevin Werbach, Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the Wharton School, explains the different categories of AI risk and why companies alone may not be able to manage them. Werbach argues that governments need to establish standards and safeguards for frontier AI, drawing comparisons to the way financial institutions are regulated to protect against systemic risks.

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Competition can bring out the best in individuals, but can it actually make an entire team worse? New research suggests that rivalry may come with an unexpected cost.

Henning Piezunka, Associate Professor of Management at the Wharton School, joins the show to discuss his research examining rivalry and performance through the lens of professional basketball.

Using examples like Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant versus Michael Jordan, Piezunka explains why players facing individual rivals may score more while making their teams less effective. He also explores what these findings mean for workplace competition, employee incentives, and managers trying to build successful teams.

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Prediction markets are exploding beyond elections into sports, geopolitics and major cultural events. But as these markets grow, so does the challenge of detecting insider trading and manipulation.

Daniel Taylor, Wharton Finance Professor and Director of the Forensic Analytics Lab, explains how prediction markets have evolved and why their different types of contracts require different approaches to surveillance. The conversation explores sports betting, geopolitical markets, insider information, market manipulation and the role regulators should play in making prediction markets work over the long term.

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The economy remains strong, but inflation and higher energy prices could keep the Federal Reserve on alert.

Jeremy Siegel, Wharton Emeritus Professor of Finance, discusses the Fed's latest rate increase and why additional hikes may still be ahead. He explores strong GDP and wage data, the effect of rising oil and diesel prices on inflation, and what the bond market is signaling about monetary policy.

Siegel also examines U.S.-China trade negotiations, the potential market impact of a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and why continued investment in AI could shape corporate earnings and market performance.

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Retailers face a fundamental problem: they often have to bet on what consumers will want before they actually buy it. Could changing who takes that risk transform the industry?

John Zhang, Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, explains why the traditional merchant model puts so much risk on retailers and how the store in store model changes that equation.

Zhang discusses how manufacturers can take ownership of inventory, why this model has been widely used in Asia, and how platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba have adapted similar approaches.

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 AI was supposed to eliminate huge numbers of jobs. So far, the reality looks much more complicated.

Peter Cappelli, Wharton Professor of Management, discusses new research on how AI is actually affecting the workplace and why the technology is changing tasks more than eliminating entire jobs.

The conversation explores AI agents, workplace management, programmers, organizational change, data management and why some of AI’s most valuable applications may involve work that companies simply could not afford to do before.

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Consumer bankruptcies are rising, but does that mean Americans are facing a worsening economy? The answer is more complicated than you might think.

Sasha Indarte, Wharton Associate Professor, joins the show to explain what is driving the increase in personal bankruptcies and why today's numbers may actually represent a return toward more normal levels.

She discusses the stigma and misconceptions surrounding bankruptcy, the impact on credit scores, what the filing process looks like, and why bankruptcy can ultimately serve as an important financial safety valve for people overwhelmed by debt.

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What happens when one of the world’s busiest fire departments faces a catastrophe unlike anything it has experienced before?

Gregory P. Shea, Wharton Adjunct Professor of Management, and Author of Rising from Ground Zero, examines how the FDNY responded to the unprecedented challenges of 9/11.

Shea explains how the department transformed its psychological support, leadership training, incident management, and collaboration with outside agencies. The conversation explores how the FDNY turned lessons from Ground Zero into lasting organizational change and became an all hazards department.

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Shared bikes and scooters have transformed how people move through cities, but can the business model actually work?

Gad Allon, Wharton Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions, explores the economics behind companies like Lime, including subscriptions, pay per trip models, utilization, and the challenges of operating across different cities.

Allon also explains why cities have embraced and restricted scooters, how Lime emerged as a dominant player, and why building a culture around shared transportation may be just as important as the technology itself.

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The AI boom could transform the economy, but who is financing it and where the risks are building may matter just as much as the technology itself.

Joao Gomes, Wharton Professor of Finance and Senior Vice Dean of Research, Centers, and Academic Initiatives, argues that the Federal Reserve is too focused on inflation and not focused enough on financial stability.

Gomes discusses the opaque role of private credit, lessons from the housing crisis and internet boom, the potential impact of AI investment on long term productivity, and why the Fed needs better models for understanding the financial risks surrounding AI.

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We often think of competition and collaboration as opposites. But in reality, we frequently do both at the same time.

Henning Piezunka, Wharton Associate Professor of Management, explains why competing with someone can fundamentally change how we view and work with them.

Piezunka uses World Cup soccer to examine what happens when teammates become opponents, finding that players collaborated less after competing against one another. The research offers surprising lessons for managers dealing with promotions, bonuses and other competitive workplace dynamics.

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What do rising bond yields, new tariffs and soaring AI investment mean for the U.S. economy and financial markets?

Wharton Emeritus Professor of Finance and WisdomTree Senior Economist Jeremy Siegel joins the conversation to assess the latest economic and market developments.

Siegel discusses the impact of higher tariffs on Canada and Mexico, why rising Treasury yields are signaling concern about U.S. deficits, and why he believes Washington may eventually be forced to take action on fiscal policy.

He also weighs in on the resilience of the stock market, the extraordinary performance of AI-related companies, and what could determine whether equities reach new highs in the months ahead.

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The bond market is sending a warning to the Federal Reserve. With long-term yields climbing to levels not seen in decades, questions are mounting about the Fed’s ability to control inflation while maintaining market confidence.

Wharton Finance Professor Nikolai Roussanov explains why Kevin Warsh’s recent messaging has unsettled investors and why the Fed’s reaction function may matter more than its guidance on the path of interest rates.

Roussanov also examines the tension between monetary and fiscal policy, including whether Treasury efforts to push down long-term yields could undermine the Fed’s strategy.

As inflation, energy prices and fiscal pressures evolve, the Fed faces a critical test: preserve its 2% inflation target—or risk losing credibility with the bond market.

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What happens when the systems designed to keep our food safe start to break down?

Corinne Low, Wharton Associate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, argues that food safety is a public good—one that individuals and families simply can't provide for themselves.

She explains how reduced staffing, weakened inspections and changes to disease surveillance can leave consumers more vulnerable to foodborne illness.

Low also examines what happens when that responsibility gets pushed onto parents, and why trusting companies to regulate themselves isn't enough.

The result is a larger question about government, business and the basic protections consumers should be able to count on.

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AI is advancing rapidly—but who is responsible when the risks become too big to ignore?

Peter Conti-Brown, Professor at the Wharton School, explores whether the banking system offers a useful model for supervising powerful AI companies.

Rather than relying solely on rules written years in advance, bank supervision involves ongoing conversations between public officials and private institutions to identify and manage emerging risks.

Conti-Brown discusses how AI stress tests could work, what might happen if powerful models are hijacked or misused, and why consumers could ultimately end up holding the bag when things go wrong.

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Why are more young Americans turning to entrepreneurship, and what role will AI play?

Lori Rosenkopf, Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship at the Wharton School, explores how Gen Z’s shifting expectations, a tougher entry-level job market, and the desire for flexibility are reshaping career paths. She also examines how AI tools are making it easier to turn ideas into products while intensifying competition, and what venture capital, failure, the creator economy, and programs like VentureLab can teach aspiring founders.

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As AI becomes more powerful, who should be responsible for governing it?

Kevin Werbach, Wharton Professor and Chair of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, explores the growing challenges of AI governance, from accountability and safety to the difficulty of creating effective regulations across countries. He explains why AI companies can't be expected to regulate themselves and why governments need to play a more constructive role in managing the risks of increasingly powerful AI.

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What happens to your 401(k) if the stock market drops 25%, and would the government step in to help?

Nikolai Roussanov, finance professor at the Wharton School, explains the real risks behind modern retirement investing and why volatility is built into the system.

From the 1987 crash to COVID-19, he breaks down how markets recover, why long term investors tend to win, and why bailouts are more likely to support companies, not individual portfolios. If you’re relying on a 401(k), this episode will reshape how you think about risk, recovery, and protection.

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Artificial intelligence is reshaping work, but human ideas remain essential.

Henning Piezunka, Associate Professor of Management at the Wharton School, explains how organizations can combine AI with collective intelligence to accelerate innovation, improve learning, and help employees turn ideas into action.

He also explores AI’s role as a substitute, collaborator, and training tool, along with the business case for adoption and the organizational changes leaders will need to make.

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Could rising oil prices, interest-rate uncertainty, and massive AI spending change the market outlook?

Jeremy Siegel, Wharton Emeritus Professor of Finance, examines how energy supply disruptions could affect inflation and growth, what the Federal Reserve may do next on interest rates, why Wall Street is scrutinizing AI infrastructure spending, and how tariffs and demographic change could shape the broader economy.

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Prediction markets are becoming an increasingly visible part of sports, politics, business, and culture. But what makes them different from traditional betting?

Abraham Wyner, Wharton Professor of Statistics and Data Science and Co-Director of the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative, explains the wisdom-of-crowds theory behind prediction markets, how these platforms make money, and why their structure creates a different relationship between bettors and the market. He also examines regulation, the risks of gambling, and whether prediction markets and sportsbooks can continue growing alongside one another.

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The chief revenue officer is no longer just a sales leader.

Raghu Iyengar, Wharton Marketing Professor and Academic Director of Wharton’s Chief Revenue Officer Program, explains why companies are turning to CROs to align sales, marketing, product, finance, and growth around a single revenue strategy.

He also discusses how AI is raising the stakes for revenue leaders, why a holistic view of the organization matters, and how the role will continue to evolve as new sources of revenue emerge.

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The biggest marketing wins at the World Cup did not always come from official sponsors.

Americus Reed, The Whitney M. Young Jr. Professor of Marketing at Wharton and co-host of Marketing Matters, examines how brands connected with fans during one of the world’s largest cultural events.

He discusses the power of iconic brands, social sharing, earned media, culturally relevant advertising, and creative ways companies can become part of the conversation beyond traditional sponsorship.

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Social Security’s main trust fund could be depleted by early 2033, leaving incoming payroll taxes sufficient to cover only about 86% of scheduled benefits.

Kent Smetters, Wharton Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy and Faculty Director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, explains why the program is approaching a critical funding deadline and what it could mean for current and future retirees.

He also discusses the impact of falling birth rates and longer lifespans, why delaying reform makes the eventual solution more difficult, and the policy options Congress could consider to strengthen Social Security.

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What happens when companies move AI from a promising experiment into everyday operations and the technology starts making costly mistakes?

Santiago Gallino, Associate Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions and Associate Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, examines why companies such as Starbucks and Ford have reconsidered AI-driven processes after accuracy and quality problems exposed the technology’s limitations.

Gallino explains how unreliable systems can erode employee trust, why human judgment remains essential, and how implementation failures can affect customers and brand reputation. He also discusses the risks of scaling AI too quickly and why companies must determine whether their technology investments deliver meaningful customer value and measurable returns.

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Big companies need innovation, while startups need capital, customers and opportunities to prove their ideas work.

Wharton Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions and Senior Vice Dean of Innovation Serguei Netessine explains how corporate venturing is evolving beyond traditional investment models. He explores the rise of venture building and venture clienting, why becoming a startup’s customer can be more valuable than simply investing in it, and how these partnerships can help established companies innovate faster while giving startups a path to scale.

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A new bipartisan housing bill promises to tackle America’s affordability crisis, but will it actually make housing more accessible?

Wharton Professor of Real Estate Ben Keys examines the Road to Housing bill and its potential to address the rising cost of buying and renting a home. He discusses proposals to streamline permitting and environmental reviews, expand manufactured housing and small dollar financing, and support home repairs and local innovation. Keys also explains why limits on corporate homebuyers could have unintended consequences and why funding constraints, tariffs, labor shortages, and high mortgage rates could limit the bill’s near term impact.  

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Innovation isn’t just about breakthrough technologies. It’s about building the institutions that allow those breakthroughs to scale.

David Hsu, Wharton Professor of Management, explores how the United States has repeatedly reinvented the way innovation works, from the patent system and Bell Labs to venture capital and today’s AI ecosystem. He explains why commercialization, institutional design, and effective regulation have been just as important as invention itself, and what lessons they offer for the future of artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship.  

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Dr. Americus Reed, II, Wharton Marketing Professor, discusses the principles of identity marketing, explaining how brands can navigate aspiration, authenticity, generational differences, and consumer self-expression in a culture increasingly influenced by social media, wearable technology, and evolving personal identities.

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Kevin Kaiser, Wharton Adjunct Full Professor of Finance, explores how cities like Philadelphia are preparing for the influx of global soccer fans during the World Cup, examining transportation, hospitality, public safety, sports culture, and the long-term branding impact for the United States and its host cities.

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Peter Cappelli, Wharton Professor of Management, discusses why artificial intelligence has yet to significantly replace jobs, how companies are navigating AI investments and organizational change, and what new graduates should understand about the evolving workforce and productivity landscape.

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Matthew Bidwell, Professor of Management at the Wharton School, explores the realities of job hopping, the importance of adaptability and skill-building early in a career, and how economic conditions and AI may shape career decisions for new graduates entering the workforce.

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Robert Inman, Wharton Professor Emeritus of Finance, discusses how land value taxation, inspired by economist Henry George and successfully implemented in cities like Pittsburgh, could provide New York City with a more sustainable way to raise revenue without discouraging investment, housing development, or business growth.

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