#239 New Models for Digital Transformation with Alison McCauley Chief Advocacy Officer at Think with AI & Founder of Unblocked Future

Aug 29, 2024

In this discussion, Alison McCauley, a Best-Selling Author and AI Strategist, shares insights from her extensive experience in digital transformation. She explains the challenges organizations face in adapting to rapid AI advancements and emphasizes the need for a cultural shift towards innovation. Alison highlights the importance of AI literacy and fluency for maximizing technology's potential and discusses storytelling as a tool to enhance team communication. She also underscores data governance's critical role in aligning business needs with effective AI strategies.

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INSIGHT

Digital Transformation Challenges

Digital transformation is an ongoing challenge, worsened by rapid AI advancements.
Traditional digital transformation strategies are no longer effective in this new environment.

INSIGHT

Strategic Alignment with AI

Generative AI allows businesses to address open-ended challenges and goals using unstructured data.
Start with strategic business needs, then identify tasks where AI can unlock new value.

ADVICE

Building AI Fluency

Focus on raising AI fluency across your organization to adapt to rapid changes.
Create learning circles and networks, prioritize learning over immediate delivery.

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The pressure to innovate with AI is immense. There is seemingly a race against the clock for organizations to incorporate AI into their product offering, aside from continual digital transformation. As the speed of AI development accelerates, many organizations struggle to keep up, facing challenges from data readiness to changing traditional business processes. How can businesses ensure that their AI initiatives not only align with strategic goals but also foster real, tangible progress? What steps can leaders take to build AI fluency across their teams and turn potential into actionable outcomes?

Alison McCauley is a Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, AI Strategist. She is Chief Advocacy Officer at Think with AI and Founder of Unblocked Future, a consultancy that leads the way in adopting emerging technologies, and has been collaborating with AI pioneers since 2010. With nearly 30 years of experience at the intersection of enterprise and disruptive innovation, Alison specializes in unlocking business value from cutting-edge technologies by focusing on the human aspects of change. She has been recognized as a Top Voice in AI, authored the book Unblocked, is a keynote speaker at global conferences, and her writings have appeared in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Venture Beat. Additionally, over 90,000 students have taken her LinkedIn course.

In the episode, Richie and Alison explore digital transformation and AI’s role in it, strategic alignment and shifting mindsets, AI fluency, challenges in data readiness, organizational resistance fuelled by fear, the role of management in AI transformation, practical steps to avoid AI risks, the long term impact of AI in the future and much more.

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