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Debate about whether artificial intelligence can replicate the intellectual labor of doctors, lawyers, or PhDs forgoes a deeper concern thats looming: Entire companiesnot just individual jobsmay be rendered obsolete by the accelerating pace of AI adoption. Reports suggesting OpenAI will charge $20,000 per month for agents trained at a PhD level spun up the ongoing debate about whose job is safe from AI and whose job is not. Ive not seen it be that impressive yet, but its likely not far off, James Villarrubia, head of digital innovation and AI at NASA CAS, told me. Sean McGregor, the founder of Responsible AI Collaborative who earned a PhD in computer science, pointed out how many jobs are about more than just a set of skills: Current AI technology is not sufficiently robust to allow unsupervised control of hazardous chemistry equipment, human experimentation, or other domains where human PhDs are currently required. The big reason I polled the audience on this one was because I wanted to broaden my perspective on what jobs would be eliminated. Instead, it changed my perspective. AI needs to outperform the system, not the role Suzanne Rabicoff, founder of the human agency think tank and fractional practice, The Pie Grower, gave me some reading assignments from her work, instead of a quote. Her work showed me that these times are unprecedented. But something clicked in my brain when she said in her writing that she liked the angle of more efficient companies rising instead of jobs being replaced at companies with a lot of tech and human capital debt. Her response to that statement? Exactly my bet. Sure, this is the first time that a robot is doing the homework for some college students. However, there is more precedent for robots moving market share than for replacing the same job function across a sector. Fortune 500 companiesespecially those bloated with legacy processes and redundant laborare always vulnerable to decline as newer, more nimble competitors rise. And not because any single job is replaced, but because the foundational economics of their business models no longer hold. AI doesnt need to outperform every employee to render an enterprise obsolete. It only needs to outperform the system. Case study: The auto industry Take, for example, the decline of American car manufacturers in the late 20th century. In the 1950s, American automakers had a stranglehold on the car industry, not unlike todays tech giants. In 1950, the U.S. produced about 75% of the world’s cars. But in the 1970s, Japanese automakers pioneered the use of robotics in auto manufacturing. These companies produced higher-quality vehicles at great value thanks to leaner operations that were also more precise. Firms like GM struggled to keep up, burdened by outdated factories and excessive human capital costsincluding bloated pensions. The seismic shift in the decades to follow paints a picture of what could be in store for large companies now. In 1960, the U.S. produced about 48% of the worlds cars, while Japan accounted for just 5%. By 1980, Japan had captured around 29% of the market, while the U.S. had fallen to 23%. Todays AI shakeup could look similar. Decades from now, we could look at Apple similarly to how we look at Ford now. AI startups with more agile structures are poised to eat market share. On top of that, startups can focus on solving specialized problems, sharpening their competitive edge. Will your company shrivel and die? The fallout has already begun. Gartner surveyed organizations in late 2023, finding that about half were developing their own AI tools. By the end of 2024, that dropped to 20%. As hype around generative AI cools, Gartner notes that many chief information officers are instead using outside vendorseither large language model providers or traditional software sellers with AI-enhanced offerings. In 2024, AI startups received nearly half of the $209 billion in global venture funding. If only 20% of legacy organizations currently feel confident competing with these upstarts, how many will feel that confidence as these startups mature? While headlines continue to fixate on whether AI can match PhD-level expertise, the deeper risk remains largely unspoken: Giant companies will shrivel and some may die. And when they do, your job is at risk whether you greet customers at the front desk or hold a PhD in an engineering discipline. But there are ways to stay afloat. One of the most impactful pieces of advice I ever received came from Jonathan Rosenberg, former SVP of products at Google and current advisor to Alphabet, when I visited the companys campus in college. You can’t just be great at what you do, you have to catch a great wave. Early people think it’s about the company, then the job, then the industry. It’s actually industry, company, job… So, how do you catch the AI wave? Ankur Patel, CEO of Multimodal, advises workers to learn how to do their current jobs using AI tools that enhance productivity. He also notes that soft skillsmobilizing people, building relationships, leading teamswill become increasingly valuable as AI takes over more technical or routine tasks. You cant have AI be a group leader or team leader, right? I just dont see that happening, even in the next generation forward, Patel said. So I think thats a huge opportunityto grow and learn from. The bottom line is this: Even if the AI wave doesnt replace you, it may replace the place you work. Will you get hit by the AI waveor will you catch it? George Kailas is CEO of Prospero.ai.
Category:
E-Commerce
Congratulations! Youve just closed a funding round or hit a major milestone in your companys journey. Now, its time to share this exciting moment with the world. As a founder or company leader, you know how important it is to communicate major news to investors, partners, customers, and other stakeholders. But the steps you take when developing your communications strategy can make or break its true impact. Here is your communications playbook for developing a well-planned strategy that ensures your next milestone attracts the attention of media, employees, partners, and those who matter most. 1. Establish your North Star. As a first order of business, you need to align internally on your goals for this announcement as they relate to your broader business priorities. Determining what success looks like from the beginning is the baseline for developing a strategy that will actually get you there. Theres often an inherent, unintentional disconnect in communications priorities and planning across teams no matter how big or small the company. Its important to ensure there is internal alignment, so everyone is working toward the same goalor often, goals (plural). 2. Tap your agency (or agencies) for help. Planning and timing are everything. The sooner you tap your communications agency to support you on this journey, the better. Remember: Most agencies have NDAs, so any confidential information pre-announcement should be secureand if you have doubts, its probably time to revisit that partnership. Best practice would be to update your agency as soon as possible to ensure proper planning, prep and media outreach. Realistically speaking, though, the right partner is there to support you, evenand especially!in a crunch. This is one of the many reasons why having the right agency partner is so important. You want to feel confident and secure in the choice youve made in an agency partner when youre heading into big moments. Remember, they do this often across multiple clients, and have the war stories to inform their suggested approach. 3. Nail down your narrative. Milestones are perfect opportunities to evaluate your current messaging and ensure it aligns with your evolving business and priorities. Take a moment to update any outdated messaging as part of your broader corporate narrative, and be sure to develop key talking points around this specific announcement. Leverage this moment to share how youve progressed as a company and tip your proverbial hat to the future. Also be mindful of the varied audiences youre trying to reach and tailor your talking points to those specific personas. “Funding announcements, in particular, validate everything you’ve told external audiencesaffirming the strength of your business model, the potential for future growth, and the unique value you bring to your industry, explains Dinh Lai, chief marketing officer at bolt[DA1] , a leading distribution platform for property and casualty insurance. They’re proof from a third party that has done the due diligence and, most importantly, backed you with their capital. 4. Develop your media strategy. A strong media strategy is the backbone of your announcement. Its important to work with your agency to determine which outlets and journalists are going to be most interested in this story and to develop a proper execution plan. Media relations, like much in life, is about balancing urgency with strategy. The more time you allow for proper outreach, the betterparticularly as newsrooms evolve and breaking news happens seemingly every second. If you have a compelling story to tell, aim for an exclusive. Exclusives give journalists a reason to prioritize your story by providing early access before the news is shared more broadly. However, you need to ensure youre giving reporters ample time to do their job. As part of your media strategy, dont forget to consider ways to get more mileage out of this moment. Leverage the announcement as an opportunity to nurture media relationships for the future and tie back to this milestone in future announcements. 5. Equip your spokespeople. Determine your spokespeople for the announcement and ensure they are aligned on key messaging, so everyone is telling a cohesive story. While consistency is important, it can also be powerful to include a variety of voices and incorporate unique experiences whenever possible. For example, funding announcements and major milestones are an opportunity for the founder or cofounders to share the journey that brought the company to where it is today, while the broader leadership team can speak to how they’re helping to shape its future. Similarly, enlisting partners, investors, or outside experts for third-party validation also can be a powerful addition to your narrative and help attract the attention of the mediaparticularly if youre aiming for an exclusive. 6. Leverage your teams network. Ensure you have a strategy for rolling out this news internally. While building excitement with your team can deepen the impact of your external communications, its important to take a balanced approach and avoid oversharing to safeguard against any confidential information being shared before your announcement. After the announcement is live, encourage your team and your broader network to help amplify the news and any resulting media coverage on social media. LinkedIn, for example, is a good connector and a cost-effective way to increase reach and engagement around big moments. Milestones are not only powerful externally, but they are also a source of pride and confidence internally. Maximize reach by bringing to bear your entire network, including investors and agency partners, Lai says. 7. Dont forget to celebrate. And finally, take the time to appreciate this milestone. Its easy to immediately shift your focus to whats next or how this announcement could have gone in a different direction. Save that for laterhindsight is 20/20. Acknowledge your wins and celebrate your progress as a team. After all, youve come so far! Grace Keith Rodriguez is CEO of Caliber Corporate Advisers.
Category:
E-Commerce
The ability to stay connected through technology plays a pivotal role in our everyday lives, but in some areas of our lives we are only beginning to realize the life-saving potential of smart technology. This is particularly true in the world of fire and carbon monoxide (CO) safety, where timing can be the difference between life and death. We know that having working smoke alarms in the home can double the likelihood of safely escaping a house fire. Due to modern synthetic materials and open floor plans, fires today are burning hotter and faster. In an emergency, every second counts. Smart technology that provides real-time notifications and remote monitoring capabilities is emerging as a crucial tool for protecting both lives and property. This is especially vital when we have elderly parents who might not respond quickly to alarms, or beloved pets who can’t communicate their distress when smoke or CO threatens their safety and were not at home. Building these smart capabilities into both smoke and CO alarms could help save lives. Stay informed from anywhere with smart tech According to a 2023 survey, 85% of Americans own at least one smart home device. With smart and connected technology becoming a household staple, it is our goal to make sure that safety is prioritized at the same rate as convenience. Families who invest in connected safety devices are not merely adopting the latest trendy gadgets, but are in fact investing in the most efficient way to help protect what matters mostour loved ones and the home we create memories in. The most effective smart safety solutions operate seamlessly in the background of our busy lives, providing peace of mind without requiring constant attention. These systems can alert us to potential dangers whether we’re at home cooking dinner, sleeping upstairs, or traveling around the world. At Kidde, we leaned into this idea when collaborating with Ring to introduce a collection of smart smoke alarms and smoke and CO combination alarms. With built-in Ring technology and an optional monitoring service to help protect homes from anywhere, this connected technology can be used to help save lives and property. But this is just the tip of the iceberg for how connected tech can transform the home safety landscape. Smoke and CO alarms can communicate with other smart devices The integration of smart technology into home fire safety and CO devices is in the process of revolutionizing how we protect our homes. Strategic collaborations present massive opportunities for brands that are willing to combine their expertise and identify avenues for innovation that will put smarter safety solutions into the hands of consumers. Remote alerts and monitoring: Today’s connected smoke and CO alarms can send immediate notifications to smartphones regardless of location, allowing for faster emergency responses even when no one is home. Many systems now offer the option of professional monitoring services that can dispatch emergency services if needed. Interconnected systems: Modern smoke and CO alarms can communicate with each other, ensuring that when one alarm sounds, all alarms in the home activate. This is crucial for multi-story homes where occupants might not hear an alarm on a different floor. The most advanced safety technology doesn’t operate in isolation. Smoke and CO alarms can now communicate and act in conjunction with other smart tech in the home. Regulations help keep consumers safe Despite the many benefits that smarter technology can provide for the fire safety industry, its only one piece of the puzzle. Common sense standards and regulations are also necessary to ensure the public health is consistently and equitably protected. Regulations covering fire and life safety technology are key to our safety given that Americans spend roughly 90% of their time indoors. Voluntary standards, which are often adopted into code or incorporated by reference in legislation, are developed in a consensus-driven method by industry experts, firefighters, academia, consumers, and other stakeholders to help set minimum performance requirements for products and services. Our input into this process, alongside key partners, helps us innovate to meet the demands of present and future customers and help keep more people safe. However, consumers are often unaware of safety codes and standards. Recently, Miller Gardner, son of former Yankee Brett Gardner, died from exposure to carbon monoxide, while vacationing in Costa Rica. The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica underscored these travel safety concerns, noting that most countries in Latin America, including Costa Rica, do not have widespread laws mandating carbon monoxide detectors. However, some businesses (like hotels) or embassies may voluntarily install them due to safety concerns. To avoid tragic situations like this, Kidde suggests all travelers take a battery powered CO alarm that fits in their luggage. Ultimately, knowledge of standards and emergency preparedness is perhaps the most important tool anyone can have at their disposal. Because of that simple truth, weve made fire and CO safety education one of our core missions to help keep consumers informed. And now, smarter technology is helping consumers have more knowledge than ever about the state of their home. Connected, smart technology can save lives Humans are flawed. We forget things, we mess up, and we assume a home fire will never happen to us. Technology can function like another version of ourselves, always keeping an eye out for our safety. Our partnership with Ring demonstrates how essential and transformative collaboration can be to developing solutions that meet this type of need and make home safety an integral and seamless part of your everyday life. When it comes to the safety of our families and homes, theres no such thing as being over-prepared. Isis Wu is president of Residential Fire & Safety at Kidde.
Category:
E-Commerce
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