The Maven Report provides pragmatic, actionable advice from industry experts who have led large teams through periods of serious disruption. Our Mavens believe no business problem is insurmountable if you leverage smart people who know how to harness the power of better technologies.
Our Mavens come from diverse backgrounds and organizations, and are not compensated in any way for thought leadership contributions to this publication.
All the recent furor around artificial intelligence can feel overwhelming. While AI has been progressing for over a decade, very few people foresaw where we’d be today, with well over 100 million users of ChatGPT and hundreds of millions more using other generative AI tools. And just when you thought you were getting your head around its impact—BOOM!—you realize that generative AI is not a singular event. In fact, AI and other exponential technologies, like quantum computing, CRISPR gene editing, nanotechnologies, 3D printing and robotics are converging in ways that will change everything.
How, exactly? At a recent Maven Live event in New York City, we turned to one of the greatest minds on planet Earth to give us a glimpse into the future. Professor Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist, futurist and co-founder of string field theory, gave mind-blowing answers to questions like, “Has the first person to live to 1,000 years old already been born?”, “Are we approaching the singularity?”, and, “What will a day in the life be like in the year 2050?” You can get a taste of our conversation here, but I highly recommend you watch the full interview here (it’s a subscriber exclusive, so be sure to subscribe if you haven't yet!). Believe me, you don’t want to miss a word of what he has to say! If you’re more inclined to seek a better understanding of where we’re at today, check out Jeff Wile's look at how Mayo Clinic is creating an “immaculate convergence” of these technologies to dramatically improve both the collective lifespans and quality of life for all of us. Another incredible AI breakthrough in healthcare from King’s College London is profiled on. The question on that article is, “An AI Breakthrough Put to the (Turing) Test”. Take a read, then cast your vote in our own “Turing test”! Trust is top of mind for everyone in this new era, and it’s a topic we address throughout this issue, from my own thoughts on brand stewardship, to Mandy Long’s take on AI-supported DEI initiatives, to sage guidance on appropriate and ethical AI usage from Chris Zobler of the original AI company, IBM. And here, our Editorial Director, Sheila Lothian, contemplates what life will be like for her and other content creators facing off against generative AI.
The Maven team recognizes that the trust of our audience is paramount. That’s why, in our foreword, we make a formal commitment to full transparency when using generative AI—or any future disruptive technology—across our content, including text, images, and video. For a start, how do you like the front cover? It was largely done with the assistance of generative AI! We sought to make it 100 percent AI-generated, but, in full candor, the technology is not quite ready—it still needed a human touch to put it all together. On behalf of our Mavens everywhere, we are committed to trust and confidence through honesty, transparency and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. If you ever have any concerns, please contact us at hello@themavenreport.com.
All the best!JB, Editor-in-Chief
8 PARTNER SPOTLIGHTIBM'S Chris Zobler on the appropriate use of AI tools
9 CULTURE & PEOPLEEnsuring humanity and equity in an AI-driven workplace
10 ASK A MAVENContemplating the impact of exponential technologies
Editorial Board
Jonathan BumbaEditor-in-Chief
Violette SieczkaManaging Editor
Sheila LothianContent Strategist & Editorial Director
Brianna BoyntonDigital Designer
Sibu KuttyWorldwide Tech Leader, GTM Programs, Amazon Web Services
Paolo PelizzoliEVP Realtime Payments, Mastercard
Robert ChristiansenFounder & CEO, Motive for Life and The Durable
