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ince time immemorial, mankind has been searching for ways to enhance lives through scientific and technological innovation. That approach to human development has more lately been labelled ‘transhumanism’, which, as J Huxley remarked, is about “man remaining man but transcending himself by realising new possibilities”. AI-based algorithms, also known as
Non-organic intelligence is pushing us towards new forms of being, both individually and socially it is all becoming rather alarming and we must face up to a number of facts: NOI is more ecient than the human approach in many respects; our knowledge and skills are growing outdated in many sectors, including leadership; and NOI will eectively put out of work many people whose positions are sadly becoming obsolete. It is both intriguing and challenging to hear somebody like Elon Musk say that there is “no need to have any regulations around AI”. We certainly need to manage the growing role of NOI, so it doesn’t go haywire. Many leadership experts claim that we are not yet fully dependent on NOI and that we still can control its influence. In essence, they state that up to now we can use both means for problem-solving, ie we can apply the solution suggested by the algorithm or the one found by using our own IQ. But is that a smart thing to do? Think about the cost – economic, social and psychological – of ignoring what NOI is claiming and oering. It seems that we have reached the point of no return, a point where the damage of neglecting what NOI can bring to the leadership table would be quite high. The challenges of AI Interestingly enough, the challenges leaders are facing nowadays are entirely dierent from those at the time of the agricultural, industrial and digital revolutions. Apart from being at the centre of global change, we are challenged with a disruptive transformation in many aspects of our daily lives. No wonder we are experiencing subtle and unconscious resistance to accepting these latest changes. It is obvious that non-organic intelligence is in the process of altering our way of seeing ourselves and our position in the world. We are getting pushed out of our comfort zone – not for the first time and, hopefully, not for the last either. In a way, NOI has become a major leadership challenge given that leaders in most organisations must reinvent their existing business models and reformulate the nature of work. This includes the redistribution of the work done by people and that carried
non-organic-intelligence, or NOI, have rapidly developed over the past decade and they can collect and process data much faster and much more eectively than any human being. Perhaps we should ask ourselves: are we losing control of our unique abilities? ChatGPT is alive – and kicking Have you watched the news recently? ChatGPT is alive and demonstrating that AI is already smart enough to pass MBA exams. Previously, we had doubts as to whether AI could replace human beings at work, then we admitted its ability to step in and replace humans in some jobs, but not yet in leadership roles. But now it appears that it can do all that and more. There are several questions leaders cannot aord to ignore. Is it correct to call the algorithms we have invented ‘intelligence’? Aren’t we just falling into the old trap of anthropomorphism? Can we survive without the assistance of NOI? How far can the algorithms that we have invented and attributed with intelligence go? What are the human qualities that NOI does not have – and may never develop – that will give us the power to steer the evolution of humanity in the right direction? The answers to those questions could determine how we are going to ensure our biological and mental survival and development as living beings. It seems that Alan Turing’s prophecy is becoming a reality: “I believe that at the end of the century, the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines without expecting to be contradicted.” NOI & leadership It is amazing to see that so many leaders are not yet facing up to the fact that non-organic intelligence is taking over in numerous economic and social sectors, as well as in many other dimensions of our collective life, including the sciences. It is happening fast and in very subtle ways. We could almost say that NOI is assuming control of some key human activities, with or without our blessing, or even our awareness. It seems that we have granted NOI the power to actively participate in making a diagnosis in various social and economic situations, as well as to contribute to some of our key decisions and activities in the fields of medicine, transportation, science, finance and defence. There are countless consequences of the growing involvement of these algorithms in our daily life, including the identification and analysis of the new challenges we are facing today. In a way,
16 | Ambition APRIL 2023
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