"Reinventing Organizations" by Frederic Laloux has been featured in my newsletters before. Laloux's vision on the development of leadership and people's autonomy in organisations is at least interesting for anyone in a leadership position. However, this book was written before we had any notion of AI.
Enclosed is a recent article from the Financial Times by Rana Foroohar: "AI is taking the US into a strange new direction". My primary focus is not her comparison of the macroeconomic development of the US relative to other economic blocs.
Rather, it's about the growing impact of AI on the labour market, where attitudes are shifting from initial scepticism to recognition of its transformative potential. Foroohar writes about both the economic opportunities and societal challenges of AI adoption.
She mentions three interesting anecdotes:
A psychiatrist in New York using AI to track patients' word choices across sessions for better diagnosis and treatment of mental health
Axon's Draft One product helping police in Lafayette, Indiana automate incident reports, reducing paperwork time by 40%
A school dropout in Anchorage, Alaska using ChatGPT as a co-author for a high-quality memoir/book proposal
Foroohar carefully draws three conclusions from this:
The US will likely maintain or expand its technological lead over Europe and other countries during this AI revolution, similar to the technology boom of the'90s, but potentially even more dramatic
Technological change creates uneven effects between countries, companies and individuals, with disruption likely particularly in software development and middle management positions
There is widespread concern about AI's impact on jobs across all socioeconomic levels, as up to 85% of organisational roles could be affected
She references two academics in this article: Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu (MIT),who predicts that the benefits of AI will be unequally distributed in the short to medium term, with capital benefiting more than labour, and Jim Clark (founder of the Future of Employment and Income Institute), who warns that economic uncertainty can lead to major political shifts. He draws parallels with historical technological disruptions and the global rise of right-wing radical political movements.
The article concludes that while AI will likely stimulate economic growth, without adequate policy measures to guide the transition, it could lead to significant social and political unrest, including at the level of individual organisations.
It appears that no organisation can afford to ignore what AI can contribute to making organisational processes more enjoyable and efficient. Laloux argues that people involved in processes and organisations benefit from complete transparency, enabling them to contribute in ways that suit them best. AI could represent a breakthrough.
You are welcome to exchange thoughts on how AI can contribute to recruitment &selection projects, assessments and coaching, ensuring that those who carry your governance and leadership are not caught off guard by AI.
Warm regards,
Aegeus
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