"We are no longer waiting for the AI revolution. We are in it. And most people, companies, and institutions are still leading as if it’s 2019." – Geoffrey Hinton
Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the “Godfather of AI,” recently offered a sobering perspective in his conversation with Steven Bartlett.
After decades shaping the foundations of artificial intelligence, Hinton stepped away from Big Tech so he could speak freely about what’s coming, and perhaps more importantly, what we’re not prepared for.
His message is as clear as is it sobering:
We are no longer waiting for the AI revolution.
We are in it.
And most people, companies, and institutions are still leading as if it’s 2019.
Let’s start with the end. Bartlett shared the story of a CEO he interviewed recently.
A global company reduced its workforce from over 7,000 employees to 3,000, incrementally, in just a few years, largely due to the deployment of AI and AI agents as they evolved. These systems, for example, now handle 80% of their customer service needs. The work is faster. Cheaper. Scalable.
This is not automation at the edges. It’s a wholesale rewrite of how work gets done, and by whom, or should I say by what.
The hard truth?
AI doesn’t just eliminate roles. It rewrites the definition of value. But I argue that in an era of AI, value is defined by value creation, not just through cheaper, efficient work.
Yes, AI will replace millions of jobs. But it also creates an unprecedented opportunity to redesign how we learn, create, lead, and live.
AI is not destiny. It’s direction. And direction can be changed if we’re bold enough to question outdated mindsets, to challenge our conventions, to rethink our performance standards, and to reimagine what we’re capable of creating…together, with AI.
What we do now determines whether we become exponentially empowered humans or simply automated versions of ourselves, more efficient users of yesterday’s tools.
In this era of rapid AI acceleration, most advice is either fear-driven or hopelessly vague. But the leaders and professionals who are navigating this well aren’t doing magic, they’re focusing on five practical shifts:
Ask: “What value do I create beyond execution?”
AI will continue to automate routine and even creative tasks. The question isn’t “Will my job be automated?”
It’s:
What parts of my job are commoditized?
What parts are strategic, relational, or imaginative?
Start there. Redesign your role before someone redesigns it for you.
You don’t need to be a prompt engineer. But you do need to understand what AI can do and how to apply it in your field.
Focus on:
AI fluency: Use collaborate with AI to create new value, don’t just use it as a tool to deliver yesterday’s outcome. Start by rewiring your brain with AI (read this instruction guide I wrote for Harvard Business Review).
Human depth: Build muscle around creativity, curiosity, critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and storytelling. These are not “soft skills” anymore. They’re human skills, and they’re uniquely you and, irreplaceable.
Don’t just use AI, integrate it…compete with it.
Whether you’re in marketing, operations, product, sales, strategy, or HR, the future of your role includes an AI assistant, or many.
Start small:
Identify repetitive tasks you do weekly.
Replace or augment those tasks with AI and AI agents.
Build new workflows that increase your thinking time, not just your output. But while you’re at it, also rethink our output with AI, not just performing yesterday’s tasks, but new new capabilities as a result of AI collaboration.
This is where productivity compounds.
In a world of abundant information, perspective and vision is power.
AI will soon generate content, data, and ideas faster than humans can read them. Your differentiator isn’t speed, it’s signal over noise.
Ask:
What do I believe about the future of my industry?
What trends am I watching?
What patterns do I see that others might not?
This is a mindshift.
Executives don’t just want workers, they seeking creative and critical thinkers who can connect dots between today and tomorrow.
AI changes systems. But transformation still depends on trust, culture, and leadership.
Use this moment to reconnect with:
Your team (What are they afraid of? Excited about?)
Your customers (What will they need from you in 12 months, not just now?)
Your network (Who’s experimenting, and what can you learn from them?)
In a world of agentic technology, relationships become even more strategic.
👀 Please watch and share this article and the video! 🙏
Please read my new book, Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation, and Reshape the Future
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