AI for strategic decisions
One of the points Greg Petroff and I have made repeatedly is that AI isn’t just a means to increase productivity, it’s also a means to explore new possibilities. But what does that look like, exactly? This HBR article explains how organizations are using AI to expand their strategic scope for competitive advantage. Key insight: strategists need to move beyond analysis to architecture.
Beware too-good-to-be-true tech
In the late 19th century, Mark Twain became obsessed with a new technological marvel: a promising yet overwrought automated typesetting device. He sunk most of his family’s fortune into the eventual boondoggle. There are lessons here for those of us exploring new technologies. As Paul Saffo has said, “Never mistake a clear view for a short distance.”
Move 37
Understanding recent AI math breakthroughs by analogy with how AlphaGo beat Go: by uncovering new moves humans never thought of, with positive and negative consequences. The implications for business: AI isn’t just a means to do conventional things faster or cheaper; it can also unleash creative breakthroughs that redefine how humans engage with systems. (WSJ gift link)
Theory of intelligence
New inventions often push us to think more deeply about things. AI pushes us to reconsider how intelligence works. Kevin Kelly argues that developing a theory of intelligence won’t just help us design better AI systems, but also understand ourselves better. My take: it’s still early days; things will change over the next few years. Don’t overcommit to particular solutions yet.
Incorruptible
My friend and podcast co-host Harry Max nudged me to read Eric Ries’s new book on how to build organizations that support human flourishing over the long term. I’m glad he did: it’s the best business book I’ve read this year. This short post shares my notes. If you’re a founder, know this: your organization won’t resist financial gravity by default. But you can architect it to avoid corruption — and you must start now.