The Humachine by Sanders, Nada R.; Wood, John D.;

Short description:

The second edition of this groundbreaking book explains why becoming a Humachine enterprise is the only way forward for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the age of artificial intelligence.

Long description:

Updated for a post-Covid world, the second edition of this groundbreaking book explains why becoming a Humachine enterprise is the only way forward for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

The first edition of The Humachine offered a foundation for a new form of enterprise, integrating AI technology and human resources to optimize the unique advantages possessed by each. Now, in the face of the ‘Great Resignation’ and ‘botsourcing’—where an activity previously done by humans is replaced by technology—thought leaders Sanders and Wood present a more positive and promising scenario, where an enterprise recognizes human resources as an asset class that possesses skills that cannot be replaced by automation. Enlightened business leaders will look to create synergy between technology and people, enabling the organization to maximize its capabilities by elevating the basis of decision making with closer-to-perfect information and rationality. This book provides a roadmap for how to do this and achieve collective intelligence at the enterprise level: superintelligence. More specifically, it answers these questions, and more.

• Why must an enterprise achieve superintelligence as a competitive advantage in the age of AI?


• How can any organization achieve superintelligence by following the 4-I model?


• What is the step-by-step process an enterprise should follow in becoming a Humachine?


• What strategies can be used by enterprise leaders to ‘futureproof’ the Humachine against uncertainty?

All business leaders, executives, and managers at companies wanting to use AI and technology to survive and thrive in this new age, and students of analytics and decision-making, will value this thought-provoking and practical book, rich with case studies. 

“The unprecedented pace of technological advancement coupled with the recent series of global disruptions and crises offer a unique opportunity for humans and technology to work together to create a better world. There is no book better than Humachine to help us navigate the road ahead. The first edition of this book was ahead of its time. This second edition is essential reading!”
Maria P. Villablanca, Co-Founder & CEO, Future Insights Network, Transformation Influencer, Mentor and Keynote Speaker

“With the advent of generative artificial intelligence, every enterprise is striving to augment its people’s uniquely human qualities with these revolutionary technologies. Using timely new material, Sanders and Wood demonstrate the precise steps organizations can use to harness AI to amplify our most virtuous human attributes and synthesize a “collective superintelligence.” Part management guidebook, part treatise on the quickening march of AI and its implications for humanity, the second edition of Humachine is an essential text for our uncharted economic frontier.”
Joseph E. Aoun, President, Northeastern University

"The Humachine" masterfully captures the urgency of our time, underscoring the vital need for a paradigm shift in our approach to AI. [Nada Sanders] delves deep into the profound implications of this technological revolution, highlighting the necessity for humans to embrace a different mindset—one that recognizes the intrinsic value of human critical thinking and creativity alongside the capabilities of machines.”
Nirav Patel, CEO of Bristlecone

“The Humachine book shows how executives and managers should focus on investments in AI in order to realize the dynamic strategic increase in the effectiveness and efficiency of processes according to their vision, to plan and implement their strategic and operational changes and to influence long-term behaviors through leadership focused on expected results.
Page by page, the authors of the book develop their robust plea in favor of the urgent need to change the approach to business by incorporating AI in a responsible and reliable way as a key to the development of organizations and society in general. The book describes AI as an effective means of transforming organizations in pursuit of long-term competitive advantage, not as an end in itself or as a new fad.
By reading the Humachine book, you will benefit both theoretically and practically from the pragmatic approach of symbiosis between human creativity and maximizing the potential of machines and processes to continue the never-ending journey of innovation to support the profitable transformation of organizations using the new paradigm of AI. This book is a must-read for those who want to find the managerial answers regarding the decisive role of AI in improving the lives of enterprises in the years to come.
Alin Posteucă, PhD. Eng., PhD, Ec., MBA, CEO of Exegens, The Romanian Academy Prize Laureate on Technical Sciences. Author of Beyond Strategic Kaizen: Performing Synchronous Profitable Operations

“Professor Sanders’ book (The Humachine) is not what is possible, but what is inevitable.  This includes, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Our tasks is to optimize the good and eliminate the rest.”
Peter B. Cameron, CEO of Lenox Corporation

"The unstoppable advance of intelligent automation will create a new organizational species. One where human and machine work in perfect symbiosis to derive the best outcome for both. This book is a must read for any leader that wants to understand this new species and how to prepare for this future.We've entered the era of AI, where knowledge work will be highly augmented and automated by machines. This creates a new type of competition, which requires a new organizational and human mindset, new business models and new skills. This book is a must read for any knowledge worker or business leader who wants to understand what's coming at us...fast."
Niels Van Hove Client Engagement Principal Aera Technology

 “Humachine is an intriguing look at the current state and future potential of AI on business and society. A compelling read that explores a wide variety possibilities for the reader to ponder.”
Ted English, CEO, Bob’s Furniture

“It has never been more critical to embrace the relationship between technology and humans. As AI and other advances in technology are challenging our assumptions and perspectives, this book provides clarity and context as we navigate these times of uncertainty, change, and promise. The Four I's model they offer to guide shifting the paradigm is an insightful way to frame thinking."
Dr. Anne Robinson, Chief Strategy Officer, Kinaxis

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1. The Post-Pandemic “AI Rush” Chapter 2. Survival of the Fittest: The Quest For Superintelligence. Chapter 3. What Machines Can and Cannot Do. Chapter 4. What Humans Can and Cannot Do. Chapter 5. The Humachine: The Path to Enterprise Superintelligence. Chapter 6. Legal Issues in the Humachine Era Chapter 7. The 4-I Model. Chapter 8. Becoming A Humachine: The ‘How’ of Enterprise Transformation Chapter 9. Futureproof Enterprise