How leaders can innovate to create a future where technology empowers people

Many leaders today are wrestling with how to balance investing in technological advancements that drive genuine business value in a responsible way, while also placing human values and needs at the center.

The aspiration is to integrate human intuition, creativity and responsible values with the precision, efficiency and scalability of machines so that technology serves people, and not the other way around.

Here are three things to consider:

1. Responsible innovation combines human values with technological efficiency, enhancing both
2. Ensuring human oversight in AI promotes transparent and inclusive decision-making
3. Adopting a human-machine framework paves the way for technology that enriches human life.

In the past year, emerging technologies from AI to quantum computing to virtual reality?have had a remarkable impact on reshaping industries and society as we know it. Innovation has never moved faster, and the urgency to effect meaningful reinvention has never been greater. But as we dig deeper into the human-machine imperative, we realize we’ve only just scratched the surface.

In today’s tech-focused world, businesses are wrestling with the idea of whether their pursuit of technological advancement has initiated a cycle where technology is not just a creation, but also a creator. And as technology becomes more autonomous, some might fear it could outpace our ability to understand, manage or control it.

What Is the Human-Machine Imperative?

To create this balance, leaders should first refine their approach to technology by understanding how people and technology work in concert toward the same goal.

We are observing a shift where technology is more than supporting us, but in some cases taking a leading role in shaping our actions. Consider the burgeoning autonomy in technology, from #AI and driverless cars to #IoT devices automating our homes and workplaces. In some cases, AI in healthcare is helping diagnose diseases and AI systems in finance can support managing portfolios and executing trades, reshaping the landscape of investment and banking.

These are not just tools they are AI agents capable of acting autonomously after human intervention and significantly influencing our lives. And while this might seem daunting at the surface level, it can actually be dramatically good at enriching human lives if enacted responsibly.

This is the human-machine imperative: The guiding principle that will direct us toward a future where technology empowers rather than overpowers humanity. And it’s important that we reflect on our roles and responsibilities as leaders and adjust our priorities where needed.

A Framework for Responsible Innovation

Businesses must embark on?a journey that begins with creating a smart framework for responsible innovation. Some ideas to consider:

• Keeping humans “in the loop” by having human oversight in establishing governance structures where decisions about technology deployment are made transparently and inclusively.
• Responsible considerations are embedded from the beginning into the design and development process to help technologies reflect our societal norms and values, such as making sure that algorithms are free from biases and reflect a broad range of human experiences and perspectives.
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration blending insights from technology, humanities, ethics and law.
• Providing education and training for employees to learn about AI tools to help them develop new skills, be more productive and more comfortable with the technology.

By adopting these core principles of the human-machine imperative, we can forge a path toward responsible innovation, where diverse and inclusive teams collaborate across disciplines to help make morally sound and trusted solutions.

Creating a Future Where Technology Empowers Humanity

Throughout my career, I’ve learned that all great innovations should threaten the status quo, which means we don’t accomplish anything by staying comfortable. As we navigate this new age of transformation, I’m confident every one of us has the ability and opportunity to use technology to create something truly extraordinary. What's more important, though, is that we remember our responsibility and duty is to shape the future in a positive way.

As innovators, leaders, and thinkers, we should lead the charge in designing a harmonious era where humans and machines coexist. This involves harnessing the power of technology to solve complex problems, create new opportunities, improve the quality of life, and transform our workforces, while always keeping the human element at the forefront.

This is how we can keep our balance and our humanity as we continue to experiment and create with confidence and purpose.