Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella uses AI to catch up on podcasts: Here’s how

Satya Nadella

Listening to podcasts might be a casual pastime for most of us, but for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, it’s a different experience powered by AI.

Instead of playing episodes the usual way, Nadella takes a different route. He uploads podcast transcripts into Microsoft’s Copilot app on his iPhone and then uses the AI voice assistant to break down the content, all while driving to work. This clever method helps him absorb information more efficiently during his commute to Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters, as revealed in a Bloomberg report.

“I’m an email typist,” Nadella joked, referring to how he leans on Copilot not just for podcasts but for managing everyday tasks like summarizing emails and chats from Outlook and Teams. According to the report, Nadella also uses at least 10 custom AI agents from Copilot Studio, calling them his “AI chiefs of staff”, to help run his day more smoothly.

The report also sheds light on how open Microsoft has become toward embracing innovation from outside. When DeepSeek R1, an AI model, was released, instead of seeing it as competition, Nadella encouraged his team to integrate it with Microsoft’s cloud services. “Get it out,” he reportedly told staffers, to offer customers a mix of tools — including Microsoft’s own AI, OpenAI’s models, and now, DeepSeek R1.

All this buzz around Copilot and AI isn’t just talk. Microsoft is gearing up for its big developer conference, Build 2025, where Nadella is expected to unveil more AI-driven features and updates.

Just last month, Nadella also shared at Meta’s LlamaCon that 20–30% of Microsoft’s code is now AI-generated — a sign of how quickly AI is changing the way the company operates. But it’s not all smooth sailing: Microsoft recently laid off around 6,000 employees, marking its biggest round of job cuts since 2023.

Still, one thing is clear, whether it’s managing email, decoding podcasts, or rewriting code, Nadella sees AI as central to Microsoft’s future.