AI Revolution: The Imperative to Redesign Our World

In 1983, addressing the International Design Conference in Aspen, Steve Jobs cast a stark challenge to designers: the burgeoning personal computer era offered a choice. Humanity could create something “great,” or simply “one more piece of junk.” Jobs recognized that significant technological shifts are not merely about accelerating existing processes, but rather profound opportunities for redesign, demanding more than just technical breakthroughs. How society shapes these revolutions fundamentally determines who participates, who benefits, and what is gained or lost.

The current artificial intelligence revolution arrives at a peculiar moment of widespread societal dissatisfaction. A mere 36% of people believe the next generation will be better off, two-thirds perceive society as on the wrong track, and populism continues its ascent. Against this backdrop, the direction of the AI revolution holds immense importance. Will it exacerbate the concentration of wealth, power, and discontent, or will it foster an era of abundance—in science, education, energy, optimism, and opportunity? Design, in essence, is the deliberate application of intention to shape life, systems, and the future itself. The daunting news is that we face the imperative to redesign everything; the exciting news is that we have the chance to do so.

Technological revolutions create unique windows of time during which new social norms emerge, and institutions and infrastructure are fundamentally rethought. This pivotal period will influence daily life in myriad ways, from how individuals find relationships to whether children write essays, which jobs require applications, and even how people navigate cities or receive health diagnoses. Each of these outcomes is a design decision, not an inevitable consequence. Every company, organization, and community considering if and how to adopt AI is now, by extension, participating in the design of this revolution. The quality of this design, whether well-executed or poorly conceived, ultimately rests with us.

Achieving successful large-scale transformations, particularly in an era of radical change, demands clarity, bravery, and the creativity to engage people effectively. In ordinary times, incremental questions about market share or operational efficiency suffice, premised on the assumption that the future will closely resemble the past. However, these “small-minded questions” can hinder radical progress. As Harvard professor Clayton Christensen once noted, finding the right answer is impossible without first asking the right question. Extraordinary times necessitate extraordinary questions, such as “what is ultimate success?” or “how could AI reinvent this category and company?” Leaders often gain remarkable new perspectives on their businesses, identifying previously overlooked hindrances or envisioning divergent futures. Gaining clarity on the true “job to be done” for all stakeholders, not just customers, is a critical first step, recognizing that yesterday’s definition of success may no longer apply. While many business leaders are accustomed to quickly deriving answers from industry best practices, eras of reinvention demand more questions and extensive listening to forge brave new paths.

The inherent uncertainty surrounding the AI revolution’s unfolding is a profound understatement. Even insightful attempts to outline potential scenarios, such as Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s “Machines of Loving Grace,” acknowledge their speculative nature. Amodei himself emphasizes the need for concerted exploration and a genuinely inspiring vision, arguing that fear alone is an insufficient motivator; hope is also essential. Given the nascent stage of the AI era, the only reasonable approach is to summon the bravery to explore multiple potential futures rather than presuming a singular trajectory. Businesses, however, often favor forecasts, which offer a comforting illusion of control and diligence. Yet, these forecasts assume a future largely identical to the past, failing to account for transformed user behavior, disrupted marketing channels, or, most critically, the immense opportunity cost of neglecting the “adjacent possible”—the myriad options available at any given moment. While uninspired companies seek solace in predictable forecasts, inspired organizations relentlessly explore beyond established formulas, particularly now that AI has unleashed an explosion of new possibilities. As economist Tim Harford has observed, the problem with forecasts is not their imprecision, but their tendency to short-circuit further thought; serious contemplation of the future, even if unknowable, makes us wiser. Creating diverse future scenarios, freed from the pressure of absolute accuracy, allows for exploration beyond the expected, fostering a lightness, joy, and curiosity often missing from conventional planning cycles.

Traditional business culture often prioritizes rational thought, yet humans are fundamentally emotional beings making emotional decisions. Employees increasingly feel uncertain and disengaged, while customers experience frustration and a loss of trust. Google’s research has shown that psychological safety is the leading determinant of high-performing teams, but typical leadership training in economics, engineering, and finance often fails to equip leaders with the capacity for emotional connection. Starbucks, for instance, recently acknowledged “over-rotating” on technology, inadvertently diminishing the human element of service, to the dissatisfaction of both baristas and customers. In the current excitement surrounding AI, many leaders risk optimizing for mere “productivity-enhancing” technology adoption rather than integrating technology in service of an inspiring vision. Marketers, artists, and designers inherently understand how to connect emotionally. Historically, these voices have often been marginalized until critical decisions—driven by finance or engineering—have already narrowed the scope. Instead, these perspectives must be reintroduced into company strategy, product management, and even the boardroom from the outset.

Every leader, regardless of their logic-based background, can cultivate more emotionally attuned leadership, but only if freed from the confines of “business as usual.” As Rick Rubin aptly puts it, everyone is a creator, and “the best work is the work you are excited about.” If the excitement is not yet palpable, the path forward involves asking bigger questions, active listening, and fearless exploration to ignite that shared enthusiasm. The recent news of Mark Zuckerberg offering $100 million signing bonuses for AI engineers pales in comparison to the reported $6.5 billion OpenAI invested to enlist Jony Ive’s design expertise. Why such a significant outlay for a designer? As OpenAI CEO Sam Altman articulated, “AI is an incredible technology, but great tools require work at the intersection of technology, design, and understanding people and the world.” This profound insight echoes Steve Jobs’s plea at the dawn of a previous revolution. At this moment, when the necessity and opportunity to redesign everything converge, ensuring that this critical intersection is deeply embedded within business principles and practices is paramount.