Christine Haskell, Ph.D.'s Blog, page 2

AI, Marriage, and the Systems We Build: Why We Shouldn’t Be Surprised By High Failure Rates

The Vegas Chapel Epiphany

While delivering a workshop in Las Vegas recently, I walked past several wedding chapels, each offering quick, convenient ceremonies. Every few feet, another sign advertised a fast, hassle-free wedding. There were even $40 wedding bouquet vending machines.

Yet, 56% of marriages end in divorce. Let’s break that down further. Assume at least 10% stay together primarily for the kids. Another 10%—if we’re being conservative—aren’t exactly living in wedded bliss. That means ro...

What If AI’s Mistakes Aren’t Bugs, But Features?

IMG SRC: Adobe Firefly

We often say AI’s mistakes are "by design," but they’re really not. AI wasn’t built to fail...

Breaking the AI Loop: From Static Thinking to Living Intelligence in Governance and Business

Take One: AI as the Fix for U.S.-Africa Relations

A student recently asked: “How can AI transform the relationships between the U.S. and African countries?” The premise is compelling—AI has the potential to drive transparency, trade, and governance reform, resetting relationships on healthier grounds.

But we’ve seen this movie before.

Foreign aid, trade agreements, governance reforms—each iteration promises a breakthrough. Yet, like many enterprises struggling to implement AI-first strategies, gove...

The Serviceberry Mindset: How Nature’s Gift Economy Can Reshape Data Governance

A Serviceberry-Inspired Perspective on Data Management

This piece is inspired by a blog post from my friend and colleague Kathy Allen, The Nature of Relationships, which explores the idea of adopting a gift economy mindset based on reciprocity, sharing, and relationships. Kathy’s reflections on the serviceberry tree—an emblem of mutual flourishing in nature—offer a powerful metaphor for how we should think about data management. Instead of treating data as a scarce resource to be hoarded, what if...

Generative AI vs. Predictive AI: Why the Investment Gap Doesn’t Reflect Real Value

The AI Investment Paradox

Generative AI is dominating headlines, while predictive AI quietly powers businesses behind the scenes. Despite delivering far greater returns in efficiency and cost savings, predictive AI receives nearly the same level of investment as its flashier counterpart. Why?

The answer lies in perception: generative AI dazzles with its creative outputs, while predictive AI quietly drives results. Yet for businesses seeking measurable ROI, predictive AI remains the unsung hero.

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Generative AI vs. Predictive AI: Comparing Apples and Oranges

The AI Gold Rush: Why the Investment Gap Doesn't Reflect Their Impact

The AI revolution is upon us, with businesses pouring billions of dollars into generative and predictive AI solutions. From crafting unique marketing campaigns to optimizing supply chains, these technologies promise to transform industries. Yet, there is a perplexing paradox: the savings and efficiencies promised by predictive AI far outstrip those of generative AI, yet both receive nearly equal investment and attention. What e...

AI’s Newest Employee: Who Bears the Burden of Your Digital Coworkers?

Digital coworkers are no longer hypothetical. AI-driven agents—agentics—are creeping into every function, every decision process, and every interaction within organizations. In some ways, they are the executive dream—they don’t need coffee breaks, demand raises, or call in sick. And yet, they’re reshaping work in ways few leaders are prepared to handle.

But here’s the real question: Who actually bears the burden of these AI-driven coworkers? Who trains them, maintains them, and—when they inevitab...

2024 Annual Letter

As we reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025, one truth stands out: in an era of unprecedented AI advancement, human capabilities become more crucial, not less. This pa...

The Merkel Mirror: Leadership Lessons for the Digital Age

When Good Management Becomes an Obstacle to Necessary Change

Angela Merkel’s recently published memoir Freedom arrives at a pivotal moment for organizational leadership. As Yascha Mounk notes in his recent Financial Times analysis, Merkel’s legacy reveals how competent management can coexist with systemic failure. This paradox resonates deeply in today’s digital transformation landscape.[1]

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The Great Responsibility Shift: From Corporate Stewardship to Individual Burden

In the 1950s, if you bought a Coca-Cola, you’d pay a deposit on the bottle. When you finished your drink, you’d return it to the store, and Coca-Cola would collect, wash, and reuse these bottles up to 50 times. This system worked efficiently for decades, with return rates often exceeding 95%. [1]

Today, that bottle is your problem.

This shift didn't happen by accident. Through carefully orchestrated campaigns and lobbying efforts, corporations like Coca-Cola helped create the narrative that recycl...