As I interview some of the brightest minds in technology, business and leadership for my weekly podcast DisrupTV, one thing became crystal clear: we’re not just experiencing an AI revolution — we’re in the midst of multiple technological revolutions converging simultaneously. This combinatorial effect makes this even more game changing than the internet, because the internet was just one revolution.
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As such, the decisions leaders make today amid this unprecedented technological perfect storm will shape their organizations for decades to come. R “Ray” Wang, CEO of Constellation Research, and I had the chance to converse with an exceptional trio of leaders — Karen Silverman (CEO of Cantalas Group), Denise Holt (founder of AIX Global Media) and Dr. David Bray (principal and CEO of LDA Ventures, Inc. and chair of the Accelerator at the Stimson Center) — who delivered insights every forward-thinking executive needs to hear.
They shared battle-tested strategies from experts guiding Fortune 50 companies, startups and public-sector organizations through this multi-faceted transformation. If you’re navigating the complex intersection of AI, biotech, space technologies and other emerging innovations, their collective wisdom offers a roadmap for not just surviving but thriving in this new era.
Karen Silverman: Navigating the tension between legacy constraints and future innovation
For CEOs and board members wrestling with AI governance, Karen Silverman brings a rare combination of legal expertise and practical business acumen that makes her perspective invaluable. Having advised Fortune 50 companies through complex technological transitions for more than two decades, Karen understands the unique pressures facing today’s executives.
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As she aptly notes, leaders are “operating with a lot of the legacy constraints, but trying to plan for the future. And that is… not even a Gordian knot. It’s just a riddle that no one’s particularly figured out.” Her insights help bridge the gap between theoretical AI governance and the practical realities of implementation in environments with established regulatory and reporting obligations.
- Develop resilient governance frameworks: In today’s convergence of uncertainties — political, economic and technological — organizations need governance structures that can adapt quickly. Karen emphasizes building frameworks that anticipate change rather than merely responding to it.
- Prioritize first-principles learning: Rather than following trends, Karen advocates for leaders to understand the fundamental principles behind AI technologies. This deeper knowledge enables more strategic decision-making when navigating rapidly evolving AI capabilities.
- Balance innovation with responsible management: Drawing from her experience with the ABA task force on law and AI, Karen stresses that successful organizations find ways to pursue cutting-edge applications while implementing thoughtful risk-management strategies that address ethical, legal and societal implications. As she puts it, “they’re moving really fast. Nobody knows exactly where to place their bets or how big to make those bets or even understanding that agility is required.”
Denise Holt: Pioneering the next wave of AI beyond current limitations
For CIOs and CTOs seeking to understand where AI is truly headed beyond the hype cycles, Denise Holt offers a perspective that few others can match. She is one of the foremost voices educating the world on the next evolution of intelligence, with a career spanning three decades at the intersection of technology, media and innovation.
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What makes Denise’s insights particularly valuable for technology leaders is her focus on AI that’s “explainable, adaptive, decentralized and deeply aligned with the physical world” — characteristics that address many of the limitations in today’s generative AI systems.
- Embrace active inference AI over traditional approaches: Denise has established herself as the architect of the first and only executive certification program in active inference AI and spatial web technologies. Unlike the generative AI models dominating headlines, active inference AI represents a fundamentally different paradigm with a neuroscience approach that produces more reliable, context-aware intelligence. Meanwhile, the recently approved IEEE Spatial Web Standards allow organizations to bound what an AI can consider to specific space, time and policy-related dimensions.
- Prioritize explainable, adaptive AI systems: Denise advocates for AI that’s explainable, adaptive, decentralized and deeply aligned with the physical world. This approach offers enterprises more reliable, safer technology that aligns with long-term strategy and context — without the hallucination problems plaguing current transformer models.
- Leverage edge computing with distributed intelligence: Through her work at AIX Global Media and Learning Lab Central, Denise has pioneered education on AI systems that don’t require centralized data lakes or enormous compute clusters. Instead, these technologies enable truly distributed intelligence across an organization, making AI implementation more practical and cost-effective.
Dr. David Bray: Transforming organizational decision-making for uncertain times
For boards and C-suite executives navigating unprecedented technological and geopolitical uncertainty, Dr. Bray brings a unique perspective forged through leading complex digital transformations in both the public and private sectors. His insights are particularly crucial for leaders who recognize that traditional decision-making frameworks are increasingly inadequate in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.
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He noted that the multiple tech revolutions happening in parallel — from AI to biotech, commercial space endeavors to advancements in IoT devices — are “operating in a slipstream of time” where “the decisions you make now will have an outsized influence.” His practical approach to organizational agility offers a blueprint for boards and CEOs seeking to maintain strategic direction while building in the flexibility to adapt as conditions change.
- Identify what you want to do well and let go of legacy: Dr. Bray emphasizes that organizations must figure out what they want to do well. Drawing from his experience leading significant changes at the FCC — changes that earned the Global CIO Award twice in 2015 and 2017 — he noted, “Half the battle, if not more, was actually saying, what are we going to turn off? What are we going to let go?” He advises companies to reinforce their core strengths and let go of baggage. This return-to-basics approach empowers organizations to move with agility.
- Approach change with empathy, not just admiration of disruption: Dr. Bray strongly encourages boards and CEOs to approach transformation with empathy for the changes being asked of people, organizations and communities. He is concerned about companies making alarmist statements about AI eliminating jobs without offering solutions. Instead, he urges leaders to encourage everyone to be creative problem-solvers.
- Maximize pivotability and avoid decision anchoring: “Whatever decisions you make, don’t get anchored to them should the world change and new data tell you otherwise,” Dr. Bray advises. He cautions that what kills a company is doubling down on a decision even when it’s patently obvious they need to pivot. His recommendation is clear: maximize for pivotability because — even if it’s the best decision in the moment — you’ll need to pivot in three or six months as conditions change.
The overarching lesson: First-principles courage in times of convergent uncertainty
The most powerful takeaway from our entire discussion came when our panel noted that we’re experiencing a convergence of geopolitical, economic and technological uncertainty. In this environment, the organizations that thrive will be those led by executives who demonstrate resilience and courage while striving to continuously learn amid a world changed by what’s possible both today and in the near future.
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For boards and leaders at all levels in an organization, this isn’t a time for following conventional wisdom or established playbooks. The leaders who will succeed are those willing to deeply understand the fundamental capabilities and limitations of emerging technologies, make principled decisions in the face of uncertainty and build organizational cultures that can adapt quickly as the landscape continues to evolve.
Dr. Bray emphasized the importance of establishing “outside independent voices that have the permission to speak truth to power, and tell you you’re doing something that should be rethought or reconsidered. Because the reality is none of us have all the answers. It’s about collective intelligence.” By embracing the collective intelligence of people both internal and external to an organization — alongside AI — we can ensure the overall impact of technologies is positive for the world.
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The technological, economic and geopolitical storm we’re experiencing isn’t just another shift — it’s a fundamental transformation in how we approach business, innovation and leadership itself. By embracing the wisdom shared by these exceptional leaders, we each can be better positioned to navigate the future ahead.
This article was co-authored by Dr. David Bray, principal and CEO at LeadDoAdapt (LDA) Ventures, chair of the Accelerator and distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center.
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