Innovation and Technology

AI Revolution Without a Blueprint

Published

2 days ago

May 28, 2025

Introduction to AI and Humanity

As someone who spends most of my waking hours exploring how emerging technologies transform business and society, I occasionally encounter perspectives that fundamentally shift how I view our technological future. My recent conversation with Richard Susskind, leading AI expert and author of "How to Think About AI: A Guide for the Perplexed," provided exactly that kind of paradigm-shifting insight. His latest book offers a comprehensive framework for understanding AI’s potential and pitfalls, going well beyond the superficial analyses that dominate today’s conversation.

Saving Humanity With And From AI

When I asked Susskind to unpack his view that AI represents "the defining challenge of our age," he explained that we must simultaneously embrace two seemingly contradictory mindsets. "On the one hand, this technology offers remarkable, perhaps even unprecedented promise for humans and civilization. On the other hand, in bad hands or misused, it could pose some very elemental threats to us," Susskind told me. This duality requires us to move beyond polarized thinking about AI as either salvation or destruction.

Understanding AI: Process vs. Outcome Thinkers

What makes Susskind’s analysis particularly valuable is his ability to distinguish between different ways of thinking about AI. He separates "process thinkers" focused on how AI works from "outcome thinkers" concerned with what AI achieves. "When people say machines can’t be creative or they can’t exercise judgment, I think that’s process thinking," Susskind explained. "What they’re thinking about is that machines cannot think, cannot reason, cannot empathize, cannot create in the way that humans do." But the real story, according to Susskind, lies elsewhere: "Machines that most AI people are working on are not seeking to replicate the way humans work. They’re seeking to provide outcomes that match or even are better than those of human beings, but using their own distinctive capabilities."

Inadequate Conceptual Frameworks

Perhaps the most thought-provoking aspect of our conversation centered on how our existing language and conceptual frameworks fail to capture what AI is becoming. Susskind compared our current situation to the pre-industrial era, when concepts like "capitalism" and "factory" didn’t yet exist. "I don’t think it is accurate to say that a machine is creative because I think creativity is a distinctively human process," Susskind said. "But do machines create novel output? Can they configure ideas or concepts or drawings or words in ways that have never been done before? Yes, they certainly can." This gap in our vocabulary extends to how we relate to AI systems. "I find myself saying please and thank you to these machines. When I use them, I find myself wanting to apologize for wasting its time," Susskind admitted. While this behavior might seem strange, it points to the emergence of relationships with machines "for which we have no words today."

The Problem With Automation Thinking

One of Susskind’s most important insights is that simply grafting AI onto existing institutions like courts, hospitals, or schools won’t deliver transformative benefits. He distinguishes between three approaches to technology: automation, innovation, and elimination. "Automating is when we computerize, we systematize, we streamline, we optimize what we already do today," Susskind explained. "Innovation [is] using technology to allow us to do things that previously weren’t possible. And elimination [is] elimination of the tasks for which the human service used to exist." This distinction is crucial because most organizations are stuck in automation thinking. "I think the mindset is still very much about AI as a tool to improve what they currently do," Susskind observed. This approach misses the bigger opportunity.

Transforming Industries

To illustrate, Susskind shared a story about addressing 2,000 neurosurgeons: "I started off by saying patients don’t want neurosurgeons [gasp in audience]. I said, patients want health. And I said, for a particular type of health problem, you are the best answer we have today. And thank goodness for you." But the future might look very different. "What AI will provide us with is preventative medicine," Susskind continued. Instead of simply automating surgery or medical diagnoses, AI could fundamentally transform how we approach healthcare altogether. "Increasingly, AI systems, in all walks of life, will be able to provide early warnings of difficulty," he explained. Susskind envisions nano-scale monitoring systems that could detect health problems before they manifest as symptoms, eliminating the need for many medical interventions entirely. "Everyone wants a fence at the top of the cliff rather than an ambulance at the bottom," he noted, highlighting how AI might eliminate problems rather than just automate solutions.

The Mountain Range Of Threats

Despite his generally optimistic outlook, Susskind doesn’t minimize AI’s risks. He categorizes them into a "mountain range of threats," including existential risks (threats to humanity’s survival), catastrophic risks (massive but non-extinction level harms), socioeconomic risks (like technological unemployment), and what he calls the risk of "failing to use these technologies." On technological unemployment, Susskind raises profound questions: "If machines can indeed perform all tasks that humans can perform, what will we do in life, but economically, how will people earn a living? How will people have any income security?" Even more concerning is the concentration of AI power: "Currently, the data, the processing, the chips, the capability is in the hands of a very small number of non-state-based organizations," Susskind noted. "This is a fundamental risk and a fundamental question of political philosophy. How is it that we can or should redistribute the wealth created by these AI systems in circumstances where the wealth is created and simultaneously the old wealth creators are no longer needed?"

The Need for Interdisciplinary Approach

The challenges AI presents require expertise far beyond technical knowledge. "We need to call up an army of our very best, our best economists, our best sociologists, our best lawyers, our best business people, our best policy makers," Susskind urged. "This is our Apollo mission. It’s of that scale." While acknowledging the brilliance of many technologists, Susskind believes they shouldn’t dominate these conversations alone: "First of all, we need diversity of thinking. But secondly, technologists may be wonderful in technology, but their experience of ethical reasoning, their experience of lawmaking and regulation formulation, their experience of policymaking is likely to be minimal."

The Pace Of Change Is Accelerating

Perhaps most sobering is Susskind’s assessment of how quickly AI will advance. "In the early days of AI, say in the fifties, sixties and seventies, we had breakthroughs every five to 10 years. We’re now seeing breakthroughs, not necessarily technological breakthroughs, but breakthroughs in usage, and ideas, probably every six to 12 months." He points to an astonishing trajectory: "We know that the computing resource, compute people call it, available to train AI systems, is doubling every six months. That means we’ll see 20 doublings in the next decade. That will be two to the power of 20, a 1-billion-fold increase in the power available to train these systems." Susskind believes we should plan for artificial general intelligence arriving between 2030 and 2035. While he’s not certain it will arrive in that timeframe, he believes the possibility is significant enough to warrant serious preparation.

A Cosmic Perspective

In the most thought-provoking moment of our conversation, Susskind shared what he calls the "AI evolution hypothesis" from cosmologists like Lord Martin Rees: "The universe is 13.8 billion years old. Humanity’s been around for a couple of hundred thousand years. In cosmic terms, we’re simply a blink of the eye. It may well be that the only contribution that humanity makes to the cosmos is to create this much greater intelligence that will in due course pervade the universe and replace us." While many will dismiss this as science fiction, it highlights the profound transformation AI might represent, a shift potentially greater than the move from oral to written communication or the invention of the printing press.

Conclusion

As we navigate this uncharted territory, Susskind’s balanced approach, acknowledging both immense promise and peril, provides a valuable guide. The question isn’t whether AI will transform our world, but how thoughtfully we’ll manage that transformation. The answer may determine not just our future prosperity, but our very existence.

FAQs

What is the main challenge of our age, according to Richard Susskind?
- The main challenge of our age, according to Richard Susskind, is AI, which represents both unprecedented promise for humans and civilization and elemental threats if misused.
What are the three approaches to technology identified by Susskind?
- The three approaches are automation (computerizing, systematizing, streamlining, and optimizing what we already do), innovation (using technology to do things previously not possible), and elimination (eliminating tasks for which human services used to exist).
What does Susskind mean by "process thinkers" and "outcome thinkers"?
- Susskind distinguishes between "process thinkers" who focus on how AI works and "outcome thinkers" who are concerned with what AI achieves, emphasizing that the real story lies in AI providing outcomes that match or exceed human capabilities using its own distinctive methods.
How does Susskind categorize the risks associated with AI?
- Susskind categorizes AI risks into a "mountain range of threats," including existential risks, catastrophic risks, socioeconomic risks, and the risk of failing to use these technologies effectively.
What is the "AI evolution hypothesis" mentioned by Susskind?
- The "AI evolution hypothesis" suggests that humanity’s contribution to the cosmos might be creating a greater

Diversity and Inclusion (DEIA)

Digital Solutions for Building Inclusive Workplaces

Published

6 hours ago

May 29, 2025

WORxK Global News Team

Digital Solutions for Building Inclusive Workplaces

Are you leveraging the latest software and platforms for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) to drive business success? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the world of miscellaneous tools and technologies that can help you achieve your DEIA goals. From innovative software solutions to cutting-edge platforms, we’ll explore the latest trends and best practices for creating a more inclusive and diverse work environment.

Understanding the Importance of DEIA

DEIA is no longer a buzzword, but a business imperative. Companies that prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are better equipped to attract and retain top talent, drive innovation, and improve customer satisfaction. By embracing DEIA, organizations can tap into the unique perspectives and experiences of their employees, customers, and stakeholders, leading to increased creativity, productivity, and competitiveness.

The Business Case for DEIA

Research has shown that diverse and inclusive companies outperform their less diverse peers. A study by McKinsey found that companies with diverse workforces are 35% more likely to outperform their industry median. Moreover, inclusive companies are better positioned to attract and retain top talent, with 67% of job seekers considering diversity and inclusion when evaluating potential employers.

Software and Platforms for DEIA

The good news is that there are numerous software and platforms available to support DEIA initiatives. These tools can help organizations track diversity metrics, facilitate inclusive hiring practices, and provide training and development programs to promote cultural competence.

Diversity and Inclusion Analytics

Diversity and inclusion analytics software provides organizations with the insights they need to track their DEIA progress. These tools can help companies analyze their workforce demographics, identify diversity gaps, and measure the effectiveness of their DEIA initiatives. Some popular diversity and inclusion analytics software includes DiversityInc, HRsoft, and Synergy.

Inclusive Hiring Platforms

Inclusive hiring platforms are designed to promote fairness and equity in the hiring process. These platforms use AI-powered algorithms to reduce bias and ensure that all candidates are evaluated based on their qualifications and potential. Some popular inclusive hiring platforms include Blendoor, HireVue, and Textio.

Cultural Competence Training

Cultural competence training is essential for creating an inclusive work environment. These training programs help employees develop the skills and knowledge they need to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. Some popular cultural competence training platforms include CultureWizard, DiversityEdu, and Udemy.

Best Practices for Implementing DEIA Software and Platforms

Implementing DEIA software and platforms requires careful planning and execution. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Conduct a Needs Assessment

Before selecting a DEIA software or platform, it’s essential to conduct a needs assessment to identify your organization’s specific DEIA challenges and goals. This will help you determine which tools and technologies are best suited to your needs.

Develop a DEIA Strategy

A DEIA strategy should be aligned with your organization’s overall mission and goals. This strategy should outline your DEIA objectives, tactics, and metrics for success.

Provide Ongoing Training and Support

DEIA software and platforms are only effective if employees are trained to use them. Provide ongoing training and support to ensure that employees are equipped to use these tools to drive business success.

Overcoming Common Challenges

Implementing DEIA software and platforms can be challenging, especially for organizations with limited resources or expertise. Here are some common challenges and strategies for overcoming them:

Resistance to Change

Resistance to change is a common challenge when implementing new software and platforms. To overcome this challenge, communicate the benefits of DEIA software and platforms to employees, and provide training and support to help them adapt to new tools and technologies.

Limited Resources

Limited resources can be a significant challenge for organizations implementing DEIA software and platforms. To overcome this challenge, prioritize your DEIA initiatives, and focus on the tools and technologies that will have the greatest impact on your business.

Conclusion

In conclusion, software and platforms for DEIA are essential tools for creating a more inclusive and diverse work environment. By leveraging these tools and technologies, organizations can drive business success, improve customer satisfaction, and attract and retain top talent. Remember to conduct a needs assessment, develop a DEIA strategy, and provide ongoing training and support to ensure the effective implementation of DEIA software and platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is DEIA, and why is it important?

DEIA stands for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. It’s essential for creating a work environment that values and respects the unique perspectives and experiences of all employees, customers, and stakeholders.

What are some common DEIA software and platforms?

Some common DEIA software and platforms include diversity and inclusion analytics software, inclusive hiring platforms, and cultural competence training programs.

How can I implement DEIA software and platforms in my organization?

To implement DEIA software and platforms, conduct a needs assessment, develop a DEIA strategy, and provide ongoing training and support to employees.

What are some common challenges when implementing DEIA software and platforms?

Common challenges include resistance to change, limited resources, and difficulty in measuring the effectiveness of DEIA initiatives.

How can I measure the effectiveness of DEIA software and platforms?

To measure the effectiveness of DEIA software and platforms, track diversity metrics, conduct regular surveys and focus groups, and evaluate the impact of DEIA initiatives on business outcomes.

Innovation and Technology

Cybersecurity’s Talent Pipeline Problem—and the Intern-Led Solution

Published

10 hours ago

May 29, 2025

WORxK Global News Team

Cybersecurity’s Talent Pipeline Problem—and the Intern-Led Solution

Cybersecurity is a discipline built on trust, precision, and adaptability. As threats evolve, so must the people tasked with defending our systems and data. Yet for all the investment in tools and platforms, one area often remains underdeveloped: the human side of security.

Developing strong, skilled professionals isn’t just a workforce issue—it’s a business imperative. Effective cybersecurity depends on people who understand your environment, your priorities, and your risk tolerance. But growing that kind of talent doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes strategy, patience, and often, a shift in mindset.

Rethinking Internships as Strategic Assets

Traditional internship programs follow a predictable, often inefficient format: a few weeks in the summer, a steep learning curve, and a handshake goodbye just when the intern is hitting their stride. What innovators in the space are pushing for is a fundamental shift—treat interns as part-time employees throughout the year. This allows students to grow with the company and hit the ground running during peak periods.

As Den Jones, founder and CEO of 909Cyber, puts it, “When you onboard an employee, it’s a couple of months ramp-up. I’d rather pay 35 bucks an hour to ramp them up than 200 bucks an hour.” It’s a model born out of necessity and refined through experience. At Adobe, where Jones once led a robust internship program, he saw firsthand how effective this approach could be. Rather than saying goodbye at the end of summer, he’d invite standout interns to stay on part-time during the school year. That continuity paid off.

Intern Connect: The Infrastructure Behind the Idea

Jones is now putting that philosophy into practice with Intern Connect, a platform from 909Cyber designed to connect employers with valuable cybersecurity interns across the U.S. It’s built to make internships easier, more flexible, and more aligned with the real-world needs of both students and businesses.

Students benefit by gaining meaningful, paid experience in their field—often with better pay and more flexibility than typical part-time jobs. For employers, it’s a cost-effective way to build a pipeline of junior talent who can evolve into full-time contributors. This isn’t hypothetical. At a previous startup, Jones had interns conduct research and draft an article on AI and security. “These are projects you might not have time for,” he said, “but the interns did the legwork, and the content had real impact.” In other cases, he leveraged interns to cover overnight SOC shifts that full-time analysts didn’t want.

Lower Risk, Greater Return

Hiring is expensive—and risky. Recruiters screen hundreds of candidates. Teams run through multiple rounds of interviews. Onboarding eats up weeks. And after all that, the new hire might still be a poor fit. Intern Connect flips that dynamic. With students working part-time and being paid less during onboarding, the stakes are lower—and the upside is higher.

Plus, companies can evaluate talent in real time, with real projects, and decide whether to extend full-time offers based on actual performance—not just résumés and interviews. That makes internships a powerful filtering mechanism in a high-stakes hiring market.

A Vision for Scale

Jones isn’t stopping at matching employers and students. He envisions a future where Intern Connect becomes a talent ecosystem—integrated with bootcamps, colleges, student chapters, and corporate partners. Discussions are already underway with recruiters, universities, and training platforms to build out this vision. There are even plans to offer short bootcamps to accelerate onboarding and help students ramp up faster.

For employers, the cost to join the platform is minimal—$10 a month per user or $100 per year. That low price point reflects a key belief: building the next generation of cybersecurity professionals shouldn’t break the budget.

Conclusion

The cybersecurity industry doesn’t have the luxury of waiting for perfect candidates. It needs to build them. And platforms like Intern Connect provide the tools to do just that. Instead of throwing money at job boards and crossing fingers, companies can nurture talent in-house, grow loyalty, and reduce hiring risk. As the demand for cyber skills continues to surge, the most resilient organizations will be those that learn to invest in the future—one intern at a time.

FAQs

Q: What is Intern Connect?
A: Intern Connect is a platform desig

Innovation and Technology

Human-Like AI Scaling

Published

21 hours ago

May 29, 2025

WORxK Global News Team

Introduction to Agentic AI

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been participating in discussions about the promise and limits of agentic AI, which is generally defined as a system that enables AI to make independent analyses and decisions without much human input. It has created a second wave of public interest in AI, following the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, which introduced much of the world to GenAI.

The Promise of Agentic AI

Why all the attention? Agentic AI is a big leap forward in realizing our dreams of a world where AI can not only do things faster and better, but, with our guidance, reason independently on our behalf. If GenAI is about productivity, agentic AI is about agency, a power we typically attribute to humans.

Human-Like Agency in AI

But if AI has human-like agency, should we expect it to reason like humans?

Abstract: A Pioneer in Agentic AI

Last week, I spoke with two founders of Abstract, an AI startup that provides “real-time, contextualized policy intelligence.” They’re looking to tackle a longstanding problem for businesses: making sense of the accelerating volume of policy changes resulting from the plethora legislation at the federal, state, and local levels.

The Challenge of Policy Changes

What sets them apart is that the agents apply context for interpreting and predicting the impact of these changes, the way a human policy analyst might do, but at scale. The end user — a human being — needs context, so agents need to be capable of providing it.

The Volume of Policy Changes

Here Comes The Flood

Over the past five decades, the task of monitoring and responding to policy changes has become nearly impossible. The volume of federal restrictions alone has grown from 400,000 restrictive words in the 1970s to more than one million today, according to the Office of the Federal Register. There are more than 145,000 federal, state, county, and city government entities that pass 3,000 to 4,500 final rules annually. Adding to the complexity is a wave of federal deregulation under the current administration, which is shifting regulatory responsibilities to state and local governments. On top of that, legislative documents are hard to read. To the average human, they make little sense.

Abstract’s Solution

To keep up with the deluge, Abstract tracks all the aforementioned data to provide insights into risks and opportunities in context. By providing this level of context at scale, it has positioned itself for the “policy intelligence” market in several ways.

Expanding the Market

First, it expands the market beyond compliance, the primary focus of legacy Government, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). “Compliance is reactive. It kicks in once a regulation changes,” said Utz. “Abstract is focused on everything before that. We abstract the noise so we can identify risks and opportunities early, before compliance is even necessary. There is the proactive piece that provides an early warning system on how legal and regulatory changes may pose a risk to the organization.”

Verticalization

Second, context enables Abstract to verticalize for businesses that need to provide the high-level counsel they expect, including an analyst’s ability to see around the corners of a subject and make thoughtful recommendations. In addition to its work for large businesses, Abstract has made inroads with large national law firms in the Am Law 200.

Expansion and Growth

Finally, Abstract is expanding its user base beyond in-house legal and regulatory departments to departments like HR, product, finance, knowledge management, innovation, and business development, which use Abstract to personalize outreach and insights for their clients.

The Founders’ Vision

Abstract’s sweeping POV on current and future users hearkens back to the founders’ original mandate: to democratize access to government data. Founders Utz and Mohammed Hayat — who conceived the company while undergrads at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles — along with their co-founder Matthew Chang, a UCLA alum — had something in common: they each came from immigrant families that were frustrated with the lack of transparency and accessibility of government records in their home countries.

Conclusion

Abstract isn’t alone in the U.S. market. Companies such as FiscalNote and Quorum also offer proactive policy tools, but according to Utz, they don’t deliver the context that sets Abstract apart. With its unique approach to providing context and its expanding user base, Abstract is poised to make a significant impact in the policy intelligence market.

FAQs

What is agentic AI?
Agentic AI refers to a system that enables AI to make independent analyses and decisions without much human input.
What is Abstract?
Abstract is an AI startup that provides “real-time, contextualized policy intelligence” to help businesses navigate the complex landscape of policy changes.
How does Abstract differ from other policy tools?
Abstract sets itself apart by providing context for interpreting and predicting the impact of policy changes, allowing it to verticalize for businesses and provide high-level counsel.
What is the goal of Abstract’s founders?
The founders of Abstract aim to democratize access to government data and provide transparency and accessibility to policy information.