BECOMING AN OCTOPUS ORGANIZATION: A NEW MODEL FOR LEADERSHIP IN THE AI AGE

Abstract Wunker (Managing Director of New Markets Advisors) and Brill (Futurist‐in‐Residence at Amazon) discuss their concept of the “Octopus Organization.” They write that “as artificial intelligence moves from novelty to necessity, organizations face a sobering truth: traditional structures can't keep up.” They believe that the Octopus Organization represents a fresh approach and “a new archetype for leadership.” Their “framework is based on our work as pioneers and doers as well as in‐depth discussions with more than fifty leaders in AI, academia, and industry.” Examples are cited from companies such as HelloFresh, Stripe, and Microsoft. They identify a major shift in the role of middle managers, which “becomes less about directing and more about enabling – asking the right questions of AI systems, guiding teams in judgment, and surfacing risks that machines might miss.” In the Figure “the Neural Necklace: How Information Powers the Whole,” they identify four actions; in their words: Put Boundaries around AI; Redefine “Manager”; Map Decision Lanes, and Hunt Blockers. To transition into this new type of organization, they offer questions leaders should ask, such as “What might an AI‐enabled process save in terms of time and labor versus your old ways of doing things?”