Analytics and Forecasting, Branding and Reputation, Competitiveness and Innovation, Knowledge Strategy, Metrics and Measurement, Organization and Management, Security and Privacy
On digital risks
AI’s promises are offset by its costs and uncertainties. As with any investment or business decision, we should evaluate these factors before committing significant resources — there’s no ‘AI FDA’ to do it for us. We should ask the usual tough questions (1) What specific benefits does it potentially provide? (2) Are there other, more direct, ways to achieve these same benefits? (3) What are its true costs — both current and future?
Knowledge Strategy, Security and Privacy
On data vulnerability
Recently I saw an item noting the 50th anniversary of the commercial success of the analog videotape cassette. It’s ironic that this technology, relatively new in the ‘long view’ scheme of things, is now decades obsolete — replaced in turn by the digital tape cassette, the digital disk (DVD) with all its higher-definition variants (Blu-Ray, […]
Analytics and Forecasting, Branding and Reputation, Knowledge Strategy, Security and Privacy
What’s wrong with fakes, anyway?
LISTEN (about ten minutes): Artificial. Simulated. Copied. Ersatz. Imitation. Phony. Bogus. False. Faux. Counterfeit. Knock-off. Synthetic. Sham. Illusory. Pseudo. Dummy. “As if.” Fake. Make-believe. We have many ways to describe a thing that is not what it seems to be. I’ve long been fascinated by our collective fascination with the artificial. At one point, I […]
Knowledge Strategy, Organization and Management, Security and Privacy
Building Positive Digital Futures
My weird dream Lately I’ve been having weird dreams about the slow but insistent erosion of institutions, authorities, and knowledge — ‘a slow, slippery slide toward slop and sloven.’ One recent dream unfolds around the year 2073 — after the abolishment of the Food and Drug Administration. I’m having some pain on my left side, […]
Competitiveness and Innovation, Knowledge Strategy, Security and Privacy
Generative AI: Toward a balanced view
If you’re in a position of authority and/or responsibility over digital technologies in an organization, there are several things worth considering before adopting generative AI (genAI) at scale. In this executive-level flyover, I’ll steer clear of the technical weeds — but would be happy to refer you to my sources — mostly academic studies — […]
Branding and Reputation, Competitiveness and Innovation, Knowledge Strategy, Organization and Management, Security and Privacy
Knowledge governance in the age of AI
Governance: what is it good for? I’ve recently had the good fortune to observe a lot of the enlightening programming by Paul Washington and his team at The Conference Board’s ESG Center. It’s clear to me that, while “E” environmental and “S” social goals are ones that most of us can understand and relate to, […]
Who Am I?
The promises of technology are vast. I recall the first time, decades ago, that I was impressed with “artificial intelligence” — which I continue to call “machine intelligence,” since there’s nothing artificial about it. At that time, I became aware that a major credit card company was (and probably still is) using neural networks to […]
“Knowledge” is a National Security Issue
The headline in today’s Wall Street Journal caught my attention: “Bringing Jobs Back to the U.S. Is Bruising Task.” The article describes the Reshoring Initiative, a nonprofit group that helps companies return production to the US. 80% of these companies are relatively small, with revenues of $200 million or less. The article describes that a key […]
You can call me “Don”
One recent Tuesday (June 29th) first thing I got a very excited e-mail from my marketing colleague and friend Professor Plum. “Did you see the thing in the [NY] Times about the Russian spies who were arrested?” (Indeed, I had read it earlier with great interest.) “I know one of those guys, Don Heathfield…he works […]
Counterfeits: the golden age
Recently I met with a team of senior research scientists from a major US corporation. Known for its innovativeness, its products are used by most of us. I thanked them for their creativity, perseverance, and hard work. Then I told them the bad news (which was actually why I’d been invited)…that other people had figured […]