When I first used ChatGPT, in December 2022, I felt the way I did in December 1994 when I first used a web browser. I had tingles down my spine and my eyes were like dinner plates as I played and played with it for hours.
On both those days, I had a glimpse into the future.
No, that’s not me, but it’s what ChatGPT thinks I should look like.
So, yes, the future has accelerated faster than anyone foresaw 18 months ago. In today’s 5MSM I offer three reflections on what the rise of AI means for strategic leaders like us.
A true partner, not just a toy
How do you use AI?
Right now, if I want to use AI I have to open an app, or a ChatGPT or Google Gemini page in a browser. I have to think about how to phrase my query, for instance, “Write 300 words in the voice of a senior government executive about the rise of Social Return on Investment and its potential and limitations”.
But, what if AI worked more like this?
Amazing, right? (If you didn’t click the link, do, and invest 2 really high ROI minutes!)
What I find fascinating is that this processing power has the potential to create two parallel revolutions:
The illusion of wisdom: AI's ability to analyse vast amounts of data will create the impression of near-omniscience, even though it may simply be highly efficient pattern recognition.
The illusion of ubiquity: AI will become seamlessly integrated into our lives, offering assistance and insights without explicit instruction, becoming a constant, "always-on" presence.
So here are my Top 6 predictions about how we will harness this "always-on" AI for strategic advantage:
Actionable Meetings: Eliminate post-meeting amnesia or inaction – AI will summarise key points, assign and track action items, ensuring accountability and efficient follow-through.
Intelligent Scheduling: AI assistants, analysing communication patterns and deadlines, will suggest optimal scheduling for individuals and teams.
Real-Time Language Translation: AI will translate written and spoken communication in real-time, bridging language gaps.
Predictive Resource Allocation: AI will analyse past performance data to forecast future resource needs, allowing you to optimise allocation and proactively address potential shortages.
Talent Identification: AI will identify subject-matter experts within your organisation, facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration across internal boundaries.
Competitive Edge: AI will offer you real-time insights into market trends, customer sentiment, and competitor activity, informing continuous strategic decision-making.
Question: How can AI graduate from being a ‘toy’ to being a true ‘strategic partner’?
The silent teacher
My son, Jasper, is being taught in Year 9 at school how to be an ‘active learner’.
But, what if his future, and ours, is mostly passive learning? The rise of AI is ushering in an era of incidental learning. Go and rewatch this video I mentioned above. With its vast processing power, AI can now:
Perceive details we miss: Subtly highlighting relevant objects in your field of vision, like the lost glasses next to the apple.
Decipher complex information: Instantly analysing and translating massive datasets, like software code, or dense text into insights we could never grasp alone.
Make sense of our surroundings: Leveraging location data and contextual clues to identify landmarks or navigate unfamiliar areas, like recognising you're currently in Kings Cross.
We formerly had to wrestle with these issues with greater and lesser levels of frustration and even pain: “Where did I leave my glasses?”, or “What on earth does that actually mean?” or “I wonder where I am?”.
We are potentially creating a version of humanity that never is lost, never loses anything, and never is ignorant. I was asked in Year 9, “What caused the French Revolution?". I spent night after night on the intellectual journey of researching causes, analysing historical documents, and formulating my own understanding.
And, I still can’t tell you what caused it.
But, if I want it, AI instantly presents a concise explanation. And, it shows me how to construct my argument. And, what pitfalls and myths to expose and avoid. Easy. And passive.
I’m curious to see how a generation only accustomed to passive learning might struggle with complex problems or lack the intellectual curiosity to explore new ideas. The mental and emotional effort of innovation, problem-solving, and critical thinking are, I think, what business, social and environmental problems demand of us.
Question: How do you use AI tools to augment and expand human curiosity, not replace it?
80% good enough
I use AI every day.
To write a commencement email to a new client at the start of a project. To work out labels on a value chain for a client’s strategic plan. To get a concise summary of a 15 page policy document. The list goes on.
Except.
It’s not perfect. It’s about 80% good enough.
But the way I see it is this. Instead of taking, say, an hour to do something from scratch, I ask AI to do it. That takes 3 - 5 minutes (one minute to work out my query, and a couple of minutes to read and consider the product I get).
Then, my work begins. I take 15 minutes, perhaps, to toy with it. Toss it around. Insert my voice. Remove the blandness. Reorganise for greater conceptual clarity. Eliminate repetition.
I’ve tracked my time and I think the 80:20 rule is about right. What I used to spend 80 minutes on, I can now do in 20. Or what was 8 is now 2.
And, this particular 80:20 rule seems to work across different uses:
I ask Spotify to make a playlist using its new AI playlist builder. It’s about 80% good enough, but I still need to remove inappropriate things, and add in some essentials.
I make a Loom video for my designer, explaining a client’s wishes for their laid out strategic plan. Loom’s 'AI Action Plan’ delivers up a list for her to work to, but it misses things (sometimes the most important ones).
I ask Google Gemini to ‘re-voice’ something (e.g., Turn the following paragraph into language a finance professional would use). Again, 80% good enough, but sometime inauthentic and clunky. So I give it 20%.
Question: What can AI do for you that’s 80% ‘good enough’ at first pass?
I’m super interested to know how you use AI. In a practical sense. And, also for strategic purposes. Let me know - let’s start a conversation on this. I honestly believe we’re in for a wild ride.
And, let the bots know you’re paying attention by clicking the ‘heart’. I honestly do appreciate it!
See you next Friday,
Andrew
Nic and I both have moved over to using Motion (AI calendering). She’s over the moon with it, actually as good as if not better than a reasonable EA.