In today's lineup:

Robots

• Top Bites: The lates on AI tech

• Is AI creating more work for you?

• 3 AI for people stories

• Google's AI mode breaks silos

People

• Linda A. Hill taught me what real leadership looks like

Love

• On the Brink with Dr. Andi Simon

• Transformative reads: Smart Brevity

Reading time: 5 min. 

Top Bites ⚡

• AI execs say US must increase exports, improve infrastructure to beat China

• IBM replaced hundreds of HR workers with AI, according to its CEO

• OpenAI launches global push for democratic AI

• Searches on Safari dipped for the first time in 22 years, Apple’s Eddy Cue admits

• Apple is developing specialized chips for smart glasses and AI servers

• Introducing Vulcan: Amazon's first robot with a sense of touch

Gen AI in Action 🌊

3 ways AI is creating human-centered value.

• Compass created an AI platform providing personalized property recommendations based on buyer preferences and behavior patterns, improving customer engagement and satisfaction.

• Air India developed AI.g, a generative AI virtual assistant on Azure OpenAI Service that automates 97% of customer queries, saving millions in support costs while improving customer satisfaction.

• Citigroup developed AI tools on Google's Vertex AI platform for document processing, coding, and employee support, expanding to 11 countries with 150,000+ users.

Study finds AI creates more work than it saves

A study of 25,000 workers across 11 occupations by economists from the University of Chicago and University of Copenhagen found AI chatbots had "no significant impact on earnings or hours" in automation-vulnerable jobs. Users reported minimal time savings of just 2.8% (about one hour weekly).

Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum projects AI will simultaneously create 11 million jobs while displacing 9 million others.

What this means for decision-makers:

• Talent pipeline risk: AI could replace over 50% of tasks for market research analysts and sales representatives versus just 9-21% for managers, threatening traditional career progression paths.

• ROI reality check: Where productivity gains exist, only 3-7% translate to higher worker earnings, challenging assumptions about AI's immediate economic impact.

• Implementation requirement: Firm-led investment in AI education and training significantly boosts adoption and effectiveness, suggesting strategic implementation matters more than the technology itself.

Are you strategically redesigning roles to capture AI's value, or merely shifting work patterns while missing opportunities for operational transformation?

Your 101st AI tool won't save you (but this will)

We both know there's an AI revolution happening. Your team could save 99% on key activities with the right approach. But I'm seeing so many companies just adding another shiny AI tool to their already bloated tech stack and wondering why nothing changes.

The truth about successful AI implementation? It's not about technology at all. After months of thinking about this problem, I've finally put together a video on LEAP.guide sharing what actually matters and it's much simpler than you might expect.

Tool Spotlight 🔧

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

Google's AI Mode transforms intelligence gathering across departments

Google’s AI Mode centers on enhancing user search experiences with more in-depth and intuitive interactions.

Connect hidden technology dots competitors miss, complete consumer research in hours not weeks, and streamline vendor evaluations to surface operational risks traditional search would miss.

Key advantages:

• Conversational depth that builds context

• Multi-factor analysis across parameters

• Temporal intelligence tracking how insights evolve

• Surfaces what you didn't know to ask

What intelligence gap is costing your department most? Advanced search tools like Google's AI mode close it. 

Top 3 productivity tools for Next-Gen DX

• n8n.io: Build automated workflows by connecting apps with drag-and-drop, code, self-host or cloud deployment for complete control.

• sema4.ai: Enterprise AI agent platform that builds, operates, and scales intelligent assistants to automate complex business tasks while maintaining security.

• arcwise.app: AI data analyst for spreadsheets. Analyze, visualize, and understand your data directly in Google Sheets.

Transformation Champion 🏆

Linda A. Hill taught me what real leadership looks like in the Age of AI

I recently spent a transformative week with Linda Hill at Harvard Business School. In her best-selling book Collective Genius, Linda debunks the myth that innovation comes from lone geniuses. It comes from teams, cultures, and the conditions leaders shape.

What she believes makes sustained innovation possible:

• Lead with humility, not certainty. Embrace being wrong as a path to breakthrough.

• Build communities of trust where dissent is welcomed and ideas are stress-tested.

• Shift from power-over to power-with. Enable others to do their best thinking together

When I gave her my book, The LEAP Guide, she didn’t just agree to read it. She stood up in front of 75+ executives and said, “There’s plenty I can learn from you too.” That moment will stick with me forever.

Linda reminded us that leadership in the 21st century is not about having all the answers. It’s about asking better questions and building systems where the answers can emerge from anywhere.

Beyond the AI hype to business value

I just wrapped an electric conversation with Dr. Andi Simon on her "On the Brink" podcast. I explored what it really takes to lead AI transformation that delivers results today. 

We unpacked key strategies for C-suite leaders:

• AI adoption without cultural change guarantees missed ROI. 90% of companies treating this as a tech project are failing

• My "Triune Business Brain Theory" reveals how to create layered intelligence systems where human creativity and AI capabilities amplify each other

• The LEAP framework provides a practical roadmap for reducing operational drag by aligning people, data, and systems 

If you're rethinking your operating model, this episode is a blueprint for turning AI into enterprise advantage, not chaos.

🎧 Listen to the full episode

Transformative Reads 📚

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

Smart Brevity shatters conventional communication wisdom by proving that "brevity is confidence, length is fear." Drawing from decades of media experience, the authors teach leaders to cut through noise, focus on what matters, and adapt messaging to how people actually consume information today.

Perfect for: Marketing and operations leaders facing information overload who need practical strategies to make communications more impactful and drive faster decisions.

In Culture 🤌

Here's something to laugh about this week.

THANK YOU!