Brian Solis shared a cautionary tale in Forbes about what happens when executives replace people with AI vs. empowering them with AI. His article explores the stories of Ford and Klarna and what CEOs should do instead of replacing people with AI. Summary Ford initially replaced quality inspectors with AI, leading to significant quality issues and a realization that AI alone couldn’t replicate crucial human judgment. The company subsequently rehired 350 experienced technical specialists, or “gray beards,” to mentor staff…
Ford Values Human Expertise Over Machines
Via Bloomberg Ford rehired over 350 veteran engineers referred to internally as “gray beards” after an aggressive AI adoption strategy backfired. Ford had been increasingly relying on AI-driven inspection systems to streamline production and address quality control issues, however the firm acknowledged that AI lacked the nuanced judgement when it came to complex problems. “We had been relying more and more on automated quality systems and not getting the desired results,” said Kumar Galhotra, Ford’s chief operating officer. “We brought…
Level Up: An Introduction to the 5 Different Levels of Self-Driving Cars
With all of the talk about self-driving cars, you’d think that they were already on our streets. Well, technically in some states such as California, Nevada and Pennsylvania, automakers and technology vendors are already publicly testing autonomous vehicles¾with human drivers and engineers onboard. You might have also heard about the Tesla’s driving around town in “Autopilot” mode where drivers are doing everything but driving. Not all autonomous cars are the same. While engineers are striving for full self-driving mode one…
Where the Streets Have No Drivers: Mercedes-Benz and Its Autonomous Future
As part of my ongoing research on innovation, I’ve been on a quest to visit as many innovation centers in Silicon Valley and around the hen weorld as possible. Outside of my reports with Capgemini, I’m going to share those experiences with you as they happen. The list already includes Westfield, Levi’s, Target, Walmart, Sephora, among many others. So, there’s a backlog of experiences to publish. In this post, I wanted to share two recent experiences with Mercedes-Benz and my introduction to…
Tracking Our Next Digital Steps
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since the launch of X. In the last two weeks, I’ve hosted conversations about the promise of experience design in London, Düsseldorf, Oslo, Sydney and Geelong. Somewhere along the Atlantic, I was asked to answer a few questions ahead of my arrival in Geelong for the Pivot Summit by Courtney Crane of the Geelong Advertiser. Thanks to the magic (or curse) of inflight wifi, I was able to make her deadline. But it…
The 2014 State of Digital Transformation
Today, I’m proud to announce the release of Altimeter Group’s second report on Digital Transformation. This new report is aimed at executives and digital strategists to help them (you) further understand the state of digital transformation as you plan your next steps and investments. In our initial report, “Digital Transformation: Why and How Companies are Investing in New Business Models to Lead Digital Customer Experiences (DCX),” we learned that digital transformation was as much about technology as it was about…
The GM Facebook Advertising Saga Plays Out Like an Episode of Mad Men
Shortly before Facebook’s turbulent IP “uh oh”, GM announced that it was pulling its $10 million advertising budget from Facebook. Controversy erupted. Accusations ensued. Camps divided into three factions, those who support GM, those who support Facebook and those not yet ready to take a stance either way, but are paying attention. It will forever be known as “the meeting” between Facebook sales executives and General Motors Global CMO Joel Ewanick and other GM senior marketing executives. In the end,…
Meet the Mother of All Processes
Guest post by John M. Bernard, author of the new book, Business at the Speed of Now, and Chairman and Founder of Mass Ingenuity. Imagine going to work in one of Henry Ford’s factories a century ago, proud that management referred to you a “hand” or a “hammer” or maybe even a “wrench.” The labels reflected Ford’s emphasis on automation and management’s view of laborers as mere cogs in the machine. Screw this nut onto that bolt; weld this strap…
Ford’s Jim Farley on the importance of putting your brand in the hands of customers
During Blogworld Expo in Los Angeles, I was given the opportunity to interview Jim Farley, Ford’s Group Vice President, Global Marketing, Sales and Service live on stage. The discussion was focused on a powerful theme, putting your brand in the hands of customers. Certainly for any business, large and small, the idea of empowering customers to shape and steer your brand can be perceived as both frightening and dangerous. But here, Farley brings a refreshing perspective on why businesses, including…
How to Make Customer Service Matter Again Part 1
Part 12 in a series introducing my new book, The End of Business as Usual…this series serves as the book’s prequel. Over the years, customer service has been something of a paradox within the organization. The name itself inspires dedication to helping people. And while that is the intention of customer service professionals worldwide, customer service as a line item in business accounting has often placed it in the hands of outsourced organizations, under-qualified personnel, or in the hands of…