Human-Centered Organizations in the Age of AI

I’ve been studying AI since GPT-3 first appeared. My curiosity has only grown. I spend hours each day exploring its impacts, and thinking about where it might take us.

It unsettles me. I’m still optimistic about humans but I think the rocky times are here. And I can’t shake the feeling that something’s shifting. AI isn’t just speeding things up — it’s pushing us into a new state entirely. Like a liquid becoming a vapor. We need to adapt. Not just react.

We need thoughtful and human-centered responses to AI. That’s the vision behind what I’m building. My goal is to find ways to combine AI, strategy, and organization design to build human-centered organizations that are worth handing on to the next generation.

Last week I went to a friend’s place for dinner. One of the guests was Douglas Rushkoff and I was reminded of a brilliant piece he wrote years ago: “Survival of the Richest” In it he tells the story of meeting with a small group of billionaires (the type who have private compounds where they prep for collapse, apocalypse, whatever).

They asked Douglass, without shame apparently, how to keep their armed guards loyal in the bunkers.

Some of their ideas were bonkers — special locks on food, disciplinary collars, and robot guards to name a few. But Douglass’ advice was simple (and, I suspect, counterintuitive for this group): treat people well now.

The point he was making is that being human is a team sport. This perfectly echos my vision for the company I want to build.

I’ve worked on teamwork and collaboration for years and have learned that they are fruits of something deeper and more delicate: community.

I envision my company as a tools + services commercial enterprise and intend to build it in ways that encourage belonging — shared ownership is part of the vision. A profitable enterprise designed to create both human and financial value.

This week I begin a new phase as a builder: inviting people to join me in building what I’ve been imagining. I’m a bit nervous to be honest. I love people but I hate being transactional and fear rejection.

I’m off to a good start. I have some wonderful advisors, a technology partner (Chipp), and a small team of freelance consultants ready and willing to jump in and work on projects when they arrive. But now I need to ask for commitment.

I know I’m at the very beginning. I can see the future organization clearly. Now I need others to share the vision and help shape it into reality.

Splendid Torch (the name of the new business) will be a studio at the intersection of AI, organizational design, and human systems. We’re looking for early allies: funders, builders, operators, thinkers.

If you’re designing the future of work — and want to do it with clarity and care — I’d love to talk.

In the age of AI, the real question isn’t if we’ll adapt — it’s how.

[A version of this article first appeared on Substack — please join me there.]

— Bob Gower, Brooklyn NY

PS: The name Splendid Torch comes from George Bernard Shaw, who wrote: “Life is no ‘brief candle’ for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”

PPS: If you want to feel inspired, watch Jeff Goldblum recite the full passage to Stephen Colbert. It’s beautiful.

CURIOUS ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?

Bob Gower
(bobgower.com)

Building Better Organizations