Human-In-The-Loop: Vital for AI Risk

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Episode Summary

In this episode, Markus Zirn and Earl Newsome delve into Earl's impactful role at Cummins Inc., exploring how technology bolsters the company's multifaceted business landscape. Drawing insightful parallels between IT composability and the improvisational nature of jazz, Earl explores the criticality of agility and interoperability amidst the dynamic tech sector. Diving into the realm of AI, Earl advises a collaborative approach over a replacement model, envisioning technology users as empowered 'AI artists'. He passionately emphasizes the nexus between comprehending business processes and technology's pivotal role, advocating for an adoption-driven model to unleash the full potential of technological advancements.

  • Episode Key Takeaways

    Episode Key Takeaways

    • Just ‘Add One’: Earl promotes the practice of adding one action to your normal routine that can make a difference. Whether it be reading a new book, engaging with people outside your usual network, or exploring different vendors - this 'Add One' strategy could have a multiplier effect if adopted widely.

    • Embrace the theory of the business: Mastering the core principle behind your business's revenue generation is indispensable. A profound understanding of your business theory enables you to align your technological endeavors to enhance performance, quality, and operational continuity.

    • Move from installation to realization: It's time to transcend mere technology installation and start realizing its full potential. The true value of technology emerges through widespread adoption and utilization. Embracing this shift toward realization can propel your business towards unparalleled levels of productivity and success.

    • Create technology anthropologists: Earl proposes the creation of a groundbreaking role - the "Technology Anthropologist." Individuals in this role would delve into how technology is used in the real world, paving the way for more user-friendly and accessible technology solutions. This innovative approach has the potential to accelerate technology adoption rates and optimize utilization efficiency.

  • About Earl

    About Earl

    As Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Cummins Inc., a $28.1 billion global technology company that designs, manufactures, distributes, and services a broad portfolio of reliable, clean power solutions—including diesel, natural gas, hybrid, electric, and other alternative solutions—Earl Newsome provides strategic leadership, drives key IT projects, and executes overall business strategies. At Cummins, he has led a rejuvenation of the IT strategy with a program called Renovate/Renovate+, leading the organization to improve agility, resiliency, and capability, resulting in millions of dollars of savings, improvements in outcome delivery, and customer satisfaction. A multifaceted technology executive, Earl’s 25+ years of global IT leadership experience are assets to boards seeking to drive business efficiencies through digital transformation.

  • Top Quotes

    Top Quotes

    “Practicing composability. Practicing interoperability, interchangeability, all of those things, help you bring together the power of the difference in the capabilities in your systems to win. And so the monolithic mindset is not going to get you there, not let you move at the speed of change. A composable mindset will actually help you create beautiful music. Systems that work together that deliver amazing outcomes.”

    “So we need to think about having and hiring and creating technology anthropologists, right? Who are going out there to see how our technology is being used in the real world, right? So they're going to use ethnography, they're going to use different methodologies to go out there and observe people using the technology, right? And then come back and help us create better technology that is much easier to use and much easier to adopt, right? And so if we can create those technology anthropologists, and hopefully, we get people around this kind of capability who can go out there and see how technology is actually being used in the real world, we can then maximize utilization and adoption.”