Some business leaders are taking leadership in the AI world, Alejandro Dabdoub being one of them. He came from Mexico City, aka Sara’s favorite city, to Houston and built a very successful real estate and construction business with tens of thousands of properties across few states.
And then the AI’s mass adoption by OpenAI happened. He saw the unique power of AI as a tool to solve but also destroy. He is a wise business leader, he took action, did extensive research, and his first book, Beyond Algorithms, the ethical blueprint of AI leadership is a mirror of that vision that he wants to project on other leaders, a vision that includes both opportunities and risks, many of them unforeseen, and to call for a more human-first approach, seeing beyond numbers and algorithms; as he says, “True leadership requires a more altruistic perspective that looks beyond quarterly returns. As we journey deeper into the Al age, leadership can become artistry.”
To prevent any negative impacts of AI, “the organizations must build robust mechanisms allowing them to inspect Al implementations, identify emerging issues, and course-correct responsively. Technology will continue advancing, but wisdom demands ongoing introspection so that progress never compromises human dignity and justice.”
In his book, Alejandro brings a dozen examples of good leadership in AI implementation and a few failed ones, where they lacked systems of checks and balances: “We need … a better system of checks and balances to test AI for bias and fairness, and to help businesses determine whether certain use cases are even appropriate for this technology at the moment.” ~ Timnit Gebru
One of my favorite section: “Inclusivity in Al doesn’t simply mean recognizing diverse faces or languages. Al should help amplify marginalized voices rather than silence or restrict them.”
Some are blinded by AI opportunities, the shiniest of the golds and some are too scared by the darkest fears of AI. The wise wouldn’t be blindfolded. This is a must-read book for every leader. A good guideline, created for decision makers that want to make a positive impact through AI.
Thanks Michael HoShue, MBA for the introduction.