Autonomous Transformation: Creating a More Human Future in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

by Brian Evergreen

From technologist and strategist Brian Evergreen, a bold new agenda for the role of organizational leaders in creating a more human future with technology.

We are in the midst of an unprecedented degree of technology-driven change at the same time that society faces challenges more complex than our organizations and we as individuals have been prepared to handle.

We have all borne witness to the changes, for better and for worse, that technology has had on society, our nations, cities, the nature of work, and the human experience—but technology is neither the hero nor the villain of this story.

Autonomous Transformation: Creating a More Human Future in the Era of Artificial Intelligence is for leaders who want to create a better future within this context of change and supplies a balance of historical and theoretical context with practical frameworks for beginning to create a more human future today.

Autonomous Transformation provides a blueprint for leaders and managers who have aspired or attempted to harness artificial intelligence and its adjacent technologies for the betterment of their organization and the world, weaving strategy, management thinking, economics, systemic design, and philosophy into actionable steps with accompanying frameworks to create and sustain Profitable Good.

1. Envision Your Future
2. Discover & Rediscover
3. Clear the Digital Fog
4. Design for Inevitability
5. Create a More Human Future

Perfect for executives, directors, managers, and other business leaders, Autonomous Transformation will also earn a place for anyone who finds themselves doing their best to navigate an increasingly complex and nuanced digital and economic landscape.

240 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2023

About the author

Brian Evergreen is best known for his work advising FORTUNE 500 executives on artificial intelligence strategy. Building on his experiences working at Accenture, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft, Brian guest lectures at Purdue University and the Kellogg School of Management and is a Senior Fellow in the Economy, Strategy, and Finance Center of The Conference Board, sharing the unconventional and innovative methods and frameworks he developed leading and advising Digital Transformation initiatives at many of the world's most valuable companies.

Brian is the founder of The Profitable Good Company, a leadership advisory company that partners with and equips leaders to harness the economic and societal of technology by creating a more human future in the era of artificial intelligence.

Reviews

[Steve Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Stevo’s Novel Ideas, I am a long-time book reviewer, member of the media, an Influencer, and a content provider. I received this book as a review copy from either the author, the publisher, or a publicist. I have not been compensated for this recommendation. I have selected it as Stevo's Business Book of the Week for the week of 8/13, as it stands heads above other recently published books on this topic.

[Kimberly Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for work, not expecting much from it but was pleasantly surprised. It's quite agnostic. Given its title, not at all what I expected. Some good points and a broad approach makes it worth the read (or in my case listen)

[Frank Calberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takeaways from reading the book:

What is your purpose?
- Page 2: A more human future is a future in which people have the capability to be safe and healthy, have access to rich educational experiences, connect meaningfully with other people from all over the world, make and purchase ethically sourced goods, be compensated fairly, look forward to the future with hope, be empowered to create a better future for next generations and harness their uniquely human potential to do, be or create something that is meaningful for them.
- Page 59: The problem with solving problems is that you focus on what you do not want - not at what you want.
- Page 65: It is better to do the right thing wrong than doing the wrong thing right?

What is analytics?
- Page 192: Descriptive analytics tells us what happened or what is happening.
- Page 193: Diagnostic analytics tells us why something happened or is happening.
- Page 193: Predictive analytics. What does data tell us is likely to happen, for example based on high number of use by users.
- Page 193: Prescriptive analytics. What do data as well as our thinking tell us about what to do next?

What can we do to create the future?
- Page 67: Envisioning begins with a recognition that the future is unknowable and therefore cannot be controlled. Envisioning is vulnerable.
- Page 67: Envisioning includes feedback loops.

Other research from the book:
- Page 147: Empiricism means that all knowledge originates in experience. Reasoning means thinking and understanding. Replacing organizational empiricism with organizational reasoning adds humans back into decision-making.
- Page 156: Leaders and organizations are measured on actions they took - not on actions they did not take. An example: When a manager at Blockbuster stopped the innovation initiative "Blockbuster on Demand", it had no negative impact for the manager. Why? Because in the short term, the new offering, which would be somewhat similar to Netflix, would eliminate late fees, which accounted for 12% of Blockbuster's revenue.
- Page 175: If you frame change as an experiment, people are much more willing to adapt.
- Page 175: Silence from leaders generates uncertainty.
- Page 183: Autonomous transformation is comprised of 5 technologies: AI, the Internet of things, digital things / simulations, robotics, and virtual and augmented reality.