When it comes to AI, it’s make or break time for companies seeking to compete with Big Tech
“No company competes today by its access to electricity, and no company will compete by its access to AI.” That’s the prediction of Daniel Hulme, AI expert, lecturer and CEO at AI firm Satalia.
For Daniel, today’s organisations are at a critical fork in the road. Successful companies will harness the power of AI and other emerging technologies to create more sustainable, purpose-driven companies. On the other hand, those who fail to use technology to adapt will exacerbate the “misery-inducing organisational design” that pushes skilled staff out the door.
Two peas in an AI pod
Daniel explains that there are “broadly two flavours of AI.” The first is “focused on fully automating tasks that were traditionally only in the realm of human capability.” It is this variety that leads many to worry about AI’s encroachment on traditional job roles and what this spells for those currently paid to perform them.
But this is an oversimplification of the problem. Arguably, automation serves to highlight where ‘traditional organisations’ operations are dysfunctional.” This is where the second flavour of AI comes into play. Yes, AI can be used for ‘linear’ automation, but more sophisticated AI systems are ‘complex and adaptive’, capable of delivering exponential and contextual automation. This begs the question: why can we not weaponise this capability to remedy existing organisational flaws?
A large portion of Daniel’s work is dedicated to “completely rethinking company structures” to enable organisations to be more adaptive. “The quicker you adapt to a changing environment,” he notes “the more intelligent you are.” Organisations must not only adapt to the disruptive impact of automation. In an age where tech giants have “seemingly infinite access to cheap capital,” companies need to “attract, retain and motivate talent in new ways.”