All of this is wonderful news but it will always be held back by "leaders" who don't understand it.
For example, in 2011, Unilever hired me to help them finish building a Machine Learning platform and commercialize it.
Yes, you read correctly, Unilever.
While flying the airplane while it's being built, I devised a business model using the AI within a Wellness vertical. The CTO at the time, Neil M., may he RIP, empowered me.
In under 3 months we had partnerships in place to give Unilever access to 1.3 billion lives. This was needed to prove the Machine Learning elegance of the system. FYI, I accomplished this single handedly at a cost of just my salary, email and a PowerPoint deck.
Neil empowered me... only to have the Chief Marketing Officer kill the whole project because, "he didn't understand the use of Machine Learning." Of course I was not included in that dialogue, being an outsider/contractor.
If I was included in that critical meeting, we would have captured 1.3 billion people ➕️ one.
Neil's contract as Unilever's first CTO was not renewed and he went back to J&J and brought me with him on a newly created Innovation team. I felt like I arrived. It was heady.
Neil challenged me to build an enterprise wide AI system for J&J, as well as commercialize it.
While I assembled a team of both insiders and outsiders to build the AI system for J&J, I drafted a business model for J&J Consumer, Medical Devices and Diagnostics, and Pharma.
This time, I leveraged the massive power of the J&J brand and devised a business model for "Whole Country Capture."
Yes, you read correctly, whole, entire countries.
I leveraged a healthcare vertical for a common globally shared issue, obesity, in order to open dialogues with governments that supported government sponsored healthcare.
Again, Neil empowered me.
Keep in mind that I was representing one of the most powerful corporate brands in the world, J&J.
In less than a month of work, again single handedly and with a massive budget given to me, all of $2 million dollars, J&J had agreements in place with the Central government of China (ten cities signed up in one week = 133 million people), the UK captured via the NHS, the Middle East via the Royal family, Disney wanting to use all of their IP and Animation Studio, the BCBS Association and many others.
All done in one week and because I was empowered by Neil.
Back to that critical, higher up, "leader" element...
A new Chairman of J&J Consumer was brought in. You can probably guess what happened.
All of my work needed Chairman level approval.
The new Chairperson, having zero background in both the Consumer space and technology, decided to drop the AI project. She didn't see the value.
So... without leaders, true visionary leaders, not just leaders who know how to play the corporate game but rather leaders who are visionary, of the student mind, and can empower subordinates, company AI use will progress slowly.
God bless the Neil's of the world.
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