Summer beach season isn’t too far away for CFOs. Make sure your beach bag holds these titles for some proper summer reading.
AI may be considered a nascent technology from a business leadership point of view. The truth is that artificial intelligence has been around for decades in various forms. Hey, even Steven Spielberg made a move called “AI: Artificial Intelligence” in 2001.
Now that AI has hit the business world like a sledgehammer, publishers are starting to roll out new business books on AI that are considered ” must-reads” for business executives.
These titles should be at the top of your summer reading list.
The Algorithmic Leader: How to Be Smart When Machines Are Smarter Than You by Mike Walsh
The chief executive officer of the global consultancy firm Tomorrow, Walsh spends his workdays advising corporate decision makers how to adapt to great (and disruptive) change in the 21st century. In this book, Walsh sets his sights in possibly the greatest disruptor of them all – artificial intelligence.
Walsh synthesizes “years of research and interviews with some of the world’s top business leaders, AI pioneers, and data scientists into 10 principles about what it takes to succeed in the algorithmic age,” the book notes. “Across disparate cultures, industries, and timescales, Walsh brings to life the history and future of ideas like probabilistic thinking, machine learning, digital ethics, disruptive innovation, and decentralized organizations as a foundation for a radically new approach to making decisions, solving problems, and leading people.”
As the chief executive officer of the global consultancy firm Tomorrow, Walsh spends his workdays advising corporate decision-makers on how to adapt to great (and disruptive) change in the 21st century. In this book, Walsh sets his sights on possibly the greatest disruptor of all:
Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI by Paul Daugherty and H. James Wilson
Daugherty and Wilson both hail from Accenture, with the former holding the title of chief technology & innovation officer and the latter being the managing director of information technology. In this tome, both authors reinforce the point that AI is here right now, and time is growing short for business leaders to grasp the technology and harness it. “The bottom line is this,” the authors say. “Businesses that understand how to harness AI can surge ahead. Those who neglect it will fall behind. Which side are you on?”
Daugherty and Wilson explain how the AI paradigm shift “is the transformation of all business processes within an organization–whether related to breakthrough innovation, everyday customer service, or personal productivity habits.” As humans and smart machines collaborate more closely, “work processes become more fluid and adaptive, enabling companies to change them on the fly–or to completely reimagine them.” In doing so, “AI is changing all the rules of how companies operate,” the authors state.
Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World by Cade Metz
A long-time Silicon Valley reporter for The New York Times, Metz humanizes AI and its real-world impact on the world and the workforce in a ripping page-turner. Metz brings readers into the technology labs and boardrooms where AI was born and explains how early AI development turned into a technology industry arms race between industry giants like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and OpenAI, along with an early look at an emerging Silicon Valley kingpin named Elon Musk.
Artificial Intelligence For Dummies (2nd Edition) by John Paul Mueller and Luca Massaron.
Yes, it’s a “Dummies” book, and some C-suite executives may have an issue being caught reading such a book in public, but that’s one reason why e-books exist. The book, however, is a great table-setter for non-technical corporate leaders who need a primer on AI. It begins with a straightforward definition of AI and explains, in clear and concise language, AI data usage, algorithms, special hardware, and much more. This is a great book if you’re an executive looking for a jumping-off point on AI and how it can revolutionize the workplace.
Digital Transformation: Survive and Thrive in an Era of Mass Extinction by Tom Siebel
Sibel is a long-time Silicon Valley entrepreneur who knows his way around disruptive technologies and how to get the most out of them. His book teaches executives how to take a disruptive technology like AI and harness it for maximum business enterprise gain. His time leads by example in showing readers how real-world companies like Enel, 3M, Royal Dutch Shell, the U.S. Department of Defense, and others are applying AI and IoT with amazing outcomes.
Brian O’Connell, a former Wall Street bond trader and best-selling author, is a prominent figure in the finance industry. With a substantial background as an ex-Wall Street trader, he has authored two best-selling books: ‘The 401k Millionaire’ and ‘CNBC’s Creating Wealth’, demonstrating his profound knowledge of finance and investing.
Brian is also a finance and business writer for esteemed national platforms and publications, including CNN, TheStreet.com, CBS News, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, and Fox News.
