Image credit: Center for Generational Kinetics
If you’re finding article after article and news story after news story referencing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and algorithms – you’re not alone! Sources tell us that AI is changing the landscape of how people do business, how markets shift, how we travel, purchase, sell, and how organizations map out the future. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Forbes columnist Bernard Marr shared five of his top predictions for 2019 in an insightful article that spells out how it can potentially affect politics, transparency, automation, jobs, and more. “AI points towards a future where machines not only do all of the physical work, as they have done since the industrial revolution but also the ‘thinking’ work – planning, strategizing and making decisions.” For some, that sounds scary, but for others, embracing change (always a good idea) and getting a handle on how AI is being integrated in almost every part of our lives and economy is just smart business.
Another recent article in Medium Magazine shared, “A recent McKinsey study estimates that the most advanced AI techniques may create between $3.5 trillion and $5.8 trillion in new value annually in 19 industries — from agriculture and automotive to banking and basic materials to travel and telecommunications. AI is defined as the ability of a machine to perform cognitive functions we associate with human minds. And as human learning grows, so does AI. Scientists continually push the boundaries of what is possible with new techniques. As a result, it’s critical for leaders to understand not only the vision but also the reality of AI.”
With so much buzz – it’s no surprise that futurist and thought leader Mike Walsh made AI the focus of his new book, The Algorithmic Leader: How to Be Smart When Machines are Smarter than You. In it, Mike brings together years of research and interviews with some of the world’s top business leaders, AI pioneers, and data scientists to share a set of 10 principles about what it takes to succeed in the algorithmic age. The Algorithmic Leader offers a hopeful and practical guide for leaders of all types, and organizations of all sizes, to survive and thrive in this era of unprecedented change.
What is an algorithmic leader? Someone who has successfully adapted their decision making, management style, and creative output to the complexities of the machine age. The world is changing, to be sure, and with it, our ability to communicate, adapt, and understand how technology will lead us into the future. To be successful, as a leader, a business professional, or even consumer – we must learn new ideas, new skill sets, and new ways of thinking.
They say the only constant in life is change. The keeping up with it part is up to us!
