Innovation Snapshot

“In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy.”
_{— J. Paul Getty, Industrialist.}

In today's lineup

Robots

• Top Bites: The latest AI developments

• Could Trump's tariffs accelerate AI adoption?

• 3 ways AI is creating human-centered value

• Voice AI that hears between the lines

People

• Henry Chesbrough's Open Innovation revolution

Love

• How to avoid the AI mistake costing companies millions

• Transformative reads: Endurance

Reading time: 5 min

Top Bites ⚡

After months of user complaints, Anthropic debuts new $200/month AI plan.
Musk’s DOGE reportedly deploys AI to monitor federal workers for anti-Trump sentiment.
Meta defends Llama 4 release against ‘reports of mixed quality,’ blames bugs.
Microsoft employee disrupts 50th anniversary and calls AI boss ‘war profiteer’.
Shopify is saying the quiet part out loud: AI will replace new hiring.

Gen AI in action 🌊

3 ways AI is creating human-centered value:

• Bank of America is investing $4 billion in AI for 2025, with their AI assistant already reducing IT support calls by 50% and boosting developer efficiency by 20%.

• City of Buenos Aires created "Boti" with Azure OpenAI Service to automatically handle ~2 million monthly queries, enhancing municipal services for millions of residents.

• Airbus employs machine learning in its Predictive Maintenance System to analyze aircraft sensor data, predicting failures before they occur to enhance reliability and safety.

Could Trump's tariffs accelerate AI adoption?

Trump's tariffs triggered a market bloodbath—Nvidia down 20%, Alphabet 17%, Salesforce 14%. Many predict AI's demise as IT budgets shrink. History suggests the opposite.

Past recessions have accelerated technology adoption, especially automation systems like these BMW 3D-printed robot grippers. 

25% steel tariffs threaten transformer deliveries with 18-24 month delays, crippling data center power infrastructure.

Mexico manufacturing emerges as AI's salvation—most Nvidia servers assembled there escape tariffs under trade agreements. "A silver lining" for worried investors. 

Recessions historically accelerate tech adoption:

• Great Depression saw unprecedented automation post-1933

• 2008 crisis drove massive shift to digital processes

• COVID-19 pushed even tech laggards to digitize overnight

US companies likely to double down on AI while cutting other costs. The cost of using AI models still dropping 40× yearly despite infrastructure challenges. Stanford's 2025 AI Index shows inference costs have plummeted an astonishing 280-fold in just two years.

Market turbulence separates hype from reality—but intensifies the rush toward genuine AI transformation. Learn more in my new book "100x: An Executive Brief for AI-Driven Business Results" — get it now for just $0.99. (only 40 pre-sale copies left at this price!)

Tool Spotlight 🔧

Your weekly dose of AI-powered tools delivering real results.

Voice AI that finally understands how you say it, not just what

Amazon just released Nova Sonic, a unified voice model that captures tone, inflection, and pacing, not just words. Part of their Nova AI family alongside the browser-controlling Nova Act agent launched last month.

Business impact

• Real Estate: Systems that hear urgency in tenant requests

• Aerospace: Support that detects stress during maintenance

• Energy: Solutions that work in noisy environments

• Banking: Interfaces that read between the lines

Nova Sonic connects to your enterprise data and APIs while maintaining natural conversation flow. Available through Amazon Bedrock with English support. Try it here (Currently available in US regions only).

Top 3 Voice AI tools transforming business

• CallFluent AI: creates intelligent voice agents that automate business calls and streamline customer interactions.

• Adobe Speech Enhancer: professional-grade AI audio cleanup that removes background noise from any recording or live communication.

• Thinkbuddy: voice-operated MacOS software that automates tasks, processes language, and streamlines workflows through voice commands.

Transformation Champion 🏆

Henry Chesbrough's Open innovation revolution

Coined the term "Open Innovation" in 2003 and transformed how industries collaborate, Henry Chesbrough will receive an honorary doctorate from TU Eindhoven this June.

"Strategic knowledge-sharing accelerates R&D while reducing costs," says Chesbrough, whose framework has become essential for sectors facing rapid technological disruption.

According to research building on Chesbrough's work, organizations implementing open innovation consistently report 30% faster market entry and 40% higher project success rates – creating competitive moats through ecosystem partnerships rather than siloed development efforts. Learn more about his work here.

100x Insights 🐸

Weekly actionable strategies to transform your business with AI that actually delivers results.

How to avoid the AI mistake costing companies millions

Most digital transformation initiatives are wired backward. Companies focus on replacing human intelligence rather than amplifying it—leaving billions in potential value unrealized.

Your path to immediate ROI:

1. Start with business outcomes, not AI capabilities

2. Build bridges between existing systems and new intelligence layers

3. Focus on augmenting human decision-making

4. Create feedback loops that improve over time

Organizations that view AI as an extension of human intelligence rather than a replacement consistently outperform their competitors. Want the competitive edge? Dive deeper with my new book "100x: An Executive Brief for AI-Driven Business Results" - your roadmap to transformative ROI.

Transformative Reads 📚

One book, handpicked from my conversations with friends, industry leaders, and tech innovators…

Lansing's "Endurance" chronicles how Shackleton led 27 men to safety after their Antarctic expedition ship was crushed by ice. His legendary 20-month survival story demonstrates exceptional crisis leadership—maintaining team cohesion when all hope seemed lost.

"For scientific leadership, give me Scott; for efficient travel, Amundsen; but when disaster strikes, pray for Shackleton." — Sir Raymond Priestley, Antarctic explorer

Perfect for: Executives who must inspire confidence during crises and make critical decisions with limited information.

In Culture 🤌

Here's something to laugh about this week.

THANK YOU!