A few days ago, the first artwork made by an artificial intelligence (AI) program sold at Christie’s for €380,000. Judging from the auction price and media attention the blurry portrait of a man received, the first thought for many was that machines have mastered yet one more skill. Not only can they lift heavy loads, drill holes and beat humans at cerebral games like chess and Go – they have now made an incursion into the human realm of imagination and creation. It is true that machines will take over ever more tasks currently performed by humans, and they will fundamentally influence the way we think, work, and live. At this point, it appears we […]

We have just begun to acclimatize to the changes that our economies and societies have undergone due to digital technologies. Yet people, companies and governments must now ready themselves for the next big wave of technology; artificial intelligence (AI). This new leap into the unknown arouses many fears and fantasies. Yet the massive diffusion of AI will not just deepen and accelerate the economic and social transformations initiated by the digital era. It will also bring forth new business models, new organizational patterns and new social practices, which, in my opinion, possess the power to reverse some of the negative trends for which we tend to blame technological change.   AI: More than a new technology […]

There is no doubt: entrepreneurship has become ‘hip’ in almost all parts of the world. As a matter of fact, the ‘founding spirit’ went from Silicon Valley to Europe and Asia, grasping mature and emerging markets on its way. There are about 70 incubator structures in France today (10 in 2010) and nearly 50 in Germany (12 in 2010)[1]; startup funding has increased significantly in the last years (in the UK: from USD 2bn in 2013 to USD 5bn in 2015[2]). Governments and public organizations at all levels are heavily supporting the creation of new companies (from the French Tech initiative in France, to the Berlin Partner startup program in Germany, to the Creative Economy […]

When we try to define what a “digital organization” is, what first comes to mind are technological devices: employees toting laptops, permanently connected to a shared, real-time flow of information on virtual platforms, constantly communicating with customers or suppliers – people working from anywhere, with others they have never met in person.   Technological change isn’t just about technology: Insights from Mad Men   It is a fact: all major changes in the workplace happened through new technological devices. The American television series Mad Men illustrates some great examples. The show documents in an extremely precise way how office life evolved from the early 1960s through the mid-1970s. In season 2, a new device enters […]