The Turbulent AI Era
Bill Gates argues we’re not prepared for the changes AI will bring. Why? Because we underestimate its impact. The upshot for you: explore the possibilities AI opens up, but don’t ignore its (very real) risks. (Near-term, I’m especially concerned about social and cybersecurity risks.) Although it’s hard to plan in times of turbulence, don’t leave your org’s future up to chance. As Gates put it, “This unprecedented technology demands an unprecedented global response.”
Orchestrating Agents Across Silos
Many individual employees are using AI. But the real potential for orgs is in applying it to the most consequential decisions and workflows, which usually span multiple departments. How do we connect the dots? It’s early days, but this article explores an emerging approach: agent orchestration. This isn’t merely about implementing a new technology; you must redesign workflows around its capabilities and ensure agents have the context necessary to make the right calls. (HBR gift link)
Autonomy and Innovation
Ben Thompson on the incipient AI cybersecurity arms race. The only way to respond to bad actors with powerful AI models is to use powerful AI models for defense. I see AI budgets going into three buckets: optimization, disruption, and resilience. These are three legs in a stool: you can’t ignore any of them. The risk for incumbents is that they’ll invest in optimization and resilience at the expense of self-disruption.
Small Models Have Arrived
Much of our attention focuses on the amazing things frontier models can do. Progress seems to be happening weekly. But less powerful models have also advanced a lot: they’re as capable as frontier models used to be not so long ago and — critically — much cheaper. Their lower cost makes feasible new kinds of products and systems and changes your range of possibilities as a leader.
When Meta-work Becomes the Work
Meta-work is the work that supports the “real” work you want to do. Think organizing your office and sharpening your pencils before you get to writing. As a PKM aficionado, I’ve long been wary of the potential of meta-work to overtake work. But AI agents change that balance. In this post, I share three lessons I’ve learned as I reinvent my consulting practice using agents. The upshot: expect to be codifying more of your tacit knowledge.