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Aloha AI enthusiasts! 👋
It's been a whirlwind few weeks, and I'm writing to you from 30,000 feet as I jet between continents, spreading the gospel of AI! 🌎✈️
Just wrapped up the Global AI Summit in Saudi Arabia (here are my takeaways), made a pit stop to speak at Slovenia's largest business festival HRM (more on why Slovenia is an AI powerhouse later), and now I'm gearing up to speak at South Summit Korea next week. If you're attending, let's connect!
In today's newsletter, we're diving into:
Will AI kill consulting? (Spoiler: It's complicated)
Amazon's shocking RTO mandate (and why AI should've played a bigger role)
Poland's genius showing at the International AI Olympiad
Enjoy! 🚀
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[EVENT TODAY] How AI-ready are you?
Please mark your calendars for today - I will be hosting a session on “How AI-ready are you” - my slot will start at around 2 PM ET.
I will share some preliminary insights from the AI Maturity Index, and help you assess your (organization's) AI maturity and readiness for the future of AI.
🔥 🔥 Save your seat here. 🔥 🔥
Will AI kill consulting? ⚰️
Yes, and no...
As I analyze data from the AI-Maturity Index (1,195 people joined so far), I keep uncovering very interesting insights. Today let's talk about AI's impact on consulting. AI is redefining the very nature of consultants' work and democratizing access to high-quality consulting services.
This is a fact.
Just as the knowledge economy reshaped industries in the late 20th century, we're now entering what we might call the "allocation economy" in consulting. In this new paradigm, success isn't just about what you know—it's about how effectively you can leverage AI to apply that knowledge at scale.
AI is becoming an abstraction layer over the foundational tasks of consulting. Tasks like data analysis, report writing, and even basic strategy formulation—once the exclusive domain of human consultants—are increasingly being handled by AI. This shift is allowing consultants to focus on higher-level thinking, creativity, and strategy.
In this new landscape, consultants are evolving into what we might call "model managers." Instead of just applying their own knowledge, they're learning to direct and refine the outputs of AI models. It requires a new set of skills: the ability to craft clear visions, evaluate AI outputs, and know when to dive deep into the details.
This transformation is already underway. Yet, AI Maturity Index data shows there's still a significant gap as there is a lack of expertise, which is a key barrier to AI adoption. As AI democratizes access to high-quality consulting services, we're seeing a leveling of the playing field. Smaller firms and independent consultants now have access to capabilities that were once the exclusive domain of industry giants.
In fact, AI Maturity Index results uncover the AI's potential to level the playing field between large and small firms. But with great power comes great responsibility—and great challenge. The consulting landscape is shifting beneath our feet. Roles are changing, and skills that were once prized are becoming commoditized. As one respondent put it, "Consultants with AI will accelerate their careers and those that don't use it will be left behind. That will include large firms."
PS Check your AI Maturity Index (no matter if you are a consultant or not) below.
Amazon killed remote work. Did AI play a role?
Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy just dropped a bombshell: starting January 2025, all employees must return to the office... five days a week. 😱
I wrote about this yesterday on LinkedIn, and it sparked quite a conversation on why did it happen…
This move has sparked intense debate, with some speculating it's a sneaky way to trim the workforce. But I see a missed opportunity.
What if, instead of reverting to pre-2020 norms, Amazon had leveraged AI to reimagine their operating model? To create an outcome-based culture where trust thrives and location is irrelevant?
AI has tremendous power to increase efficiency and foster healthy work environments. Yet it seems this potential was overlooked in favor of a retrograde policy.
The central question here: How was AI deployed to improve Amazon's work processes, rather than defaulting to an outdated office-centric model?
Here are 8 specific ways AI could have been used to improve Amazon's work processes.
Sentiment analysis for team health: AI could analyze communication patterns and employee feedback to identify potential issues in remote teams early, allowing for proactive interventions.
Personalized productivity measurement: AI could analyze individual work patterns to determine optimal working hours and environments for each employee, rather than enforcing a one-size-fits-all office policy.
Smart project management: AI-powered tools could automatically assign tasks, set deadlines, and allocate resources based on team members' skills and availability, regardless of their physical location.
Virtual collaboration enhancement: AI could create immersive virtual meeting spaces that simulate in-person interactions, complete with real-time language translation and automatic meeting summaries.
Predictive performance analysis: AI algorithms could forecast team and individual performance based on various work arrangements, helping leaders make data-driven decisions about work policies.
Automated knowledge sharing: AI-driven knowledge management systems could ensure seamless information flow across remote teams, reducing the need for in-person knowledge transfer.
AI-powered mentorship matching: An AI system could pair remote employees with mentors based on career goals, skills, and personality traits, fostering professional development without physical proximity.
Intelligent workflow automation: AI could identify and automate repetitive tasks across various departments, reducing the need for constant in-person supervision and freeing up time for higher-value work.
My take on this? This move might backfire. AI is decentralizing power from large corporations, empowering individuals to start their own ventures. Companies that fail to recognize this power shift may find themselves on the wrong side of history.
As per one of the comments under my LinkedIn post:
"The next world-changing idea won't come from a mandatory meeting—it'll emerge from a mind free to work when and where inspiration strikes. Smart leaders know: in the age of AI, your competitive edge isn't in your real estate—it's in your talent's freedom to excel and reinvent the world!"
In the AI era, betting against human ingenuity and flexibility is a trillion-dollar mistake. The next tech revolution won't be scheduled 9-to-5, and it certainly won't be confined to a cubicle.
Polish Geniuses Shine at International AI Olympiad
While at the Global AI Summit in Saudi Arabia (check out my 27 key takeaways here), I had the pleasure of witnessing something extraordinary: the International AI Olympiad (IAIO).
I'm bursting with pride to report that the Polish tech community absolutely crushed it! Our brilliant minds brought home 4 silver medals and 1 gold medal. 🥇🥈🥈🥈🥈
Meeting these young geniuses was a highlight of my trip. Their success is yet another testament to Poland's position as one of the strongest tech communities in the world. 🇵🇱💪
The next edition of IAIO will be held in Slovenia in 2024 - another country punching well above its weight in AI research and innovation. It's clear that the future of AI isn't just in Silicon Valley; it's being shaped by brilliant minds all around the globe.
That’s all for today! Until next time, keep innovating, keep questioning, and above all, keep working smarter with AI!
PS. If you found this newsletter valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague who might benefit. And don't forget to hit reply and let me know your thoughts - I read every response!
Mahalo,
Iwo
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