Is Knowing Enough in the Age of Artificial Intelligence?

Why will artificial intelligence change the world so profoundly? Why are white-collar workers worried?

Because many of the tasks considered valuable until now involved finding, analysing, reporting and presenting information. Artificial intelligence can perform a substantial part of this work much faster and at a lower cost.

So the issue is not simply that some professions may disappear. The same work being done by smaller teams, experience losing some of its bargaining power and greater output being expected from everyone are also on the agenda.

Yet there is a reality I have seen on the shop floor for years:

Having knowledge is not enough to bring about transformation.

Books, training courses and consultants on lean manufacturing have been available for decades. Even so, we still see high inventories, waiting, quality problems and disconnects between departments in factories.

Because between knowing a problem and solving it lie decisions, habits, priorities and relationships.

Artificial intelligence can prepare an inventory analysis, develop line-balancing options and draft an A3 problem-solving report.

But who will put the proposed change into practice? Who will earn the team’s trust? Who will reconcile conflicting goals? Who will ensure the new way of working continues?

These are also part of transformation.

I believe that in the years ahead, our ability to choose the right problem, question the information produced, develop people and deliver results will matter as much as our speed in producing information.

As we delegate certain tasks to artificial intelligence, we will need to define our own contribution more clearly.

Which contribution creates the most value in your work: preparing an analysis, making a decision or ensuring that the decision is implemented?