You’ll already know that we talk a lot about AI, technology, and transformation but, if we’re honest, most of our conversations end up being about people. Not just “winning hearts and minds” (though that matters), but how genuinely to augment people’s skills and build on their experiences.
That’s why articles like the one below from Knowledge at Wharton – about how NASA uses storytelling to bring the future to life – resonate with us. Because whether you’re rolling out a new platform or rethinking how planning works, the biggest risk isn’t technical – it’s human.
And that’s what our most senior stakeholders are focused on – not just cutting costs but reducing current and future risk; miss the people bit, and you increase the odds of failure. Get it right, and cost savings and lots of other good stuff tend to follow.
Here’s what caught our attention this month.
Phil, CEO
AI in business
- It turns out that leadership pep talks about “AI transformation” don’t always land with employees. People want to know: what does this actually look like? An article in Knowledge at Wharton (A journal from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania) argues that NASA’s appro
- If the Wharton piece got you thinking about what good AI leadership looks like, this Computer Weekly article, which quotes Deloitte research, focuses on the boardroom. It argues that AI shouldn’t be stuck in the IT department – it should be helping directors make faster, smarter decisions. In other words, it’s not just about changing how we work, but also who is using AI to steer the ship. (5 mins)
- American venture capitalist Mary Meeker has released her first trends report in six years, a 340-slide epic on the breakneck speed of AI’s development, declaring it ‘unprecedented’ an unprecedented 51 times. It’s a fascinating read, regardless of whether you work through the whole thing, or just skim the charts. Here’s a link a quick overview, in TechCrunch. (4 minutes)
- Mary isn’t the only expert with a deck. Benedict Evans’ 2025 trends deck is out too and titled “AI eats the world.” There are only 59 slides here, but it’s a case of less is more; Evans also has an interesting take on what’s happening now and what’s coming next.
- Salesforce is buying Informatica for $8B to supercharge its Agentforce platform with better data tools – think smarter AI agents. It’s a bold play in the race against Microsoft and Google, though some warn it could make the ecosystem pricier for customers. Read more here. (7 mins)
AI everywhere
- Google’s new Veo 3 can generate uncannily realistic videos, complete with talking heads. The Wall Street Journal, ‘Made a Film With AI. You’ll Be Blown Away – and Freaked Out’. TL;DR: It’s stunning but adds fuel to the growing fear of deepfakes and synthetic media. (8 mins inc. video)
- AI isn’t just changing business – it’s revolutionising science. This Berkeley Lab piece explores how researchers are using it to accelerate discovery and tackle big, messy problems. (6 mins)
- If you found the last link interesting, you might also be interested to hear how American entrepreneur Kevin Rose dumped his genome into AI to work through a heart-related health issue. (1 min)
- Meanwhile, OpenAI and designer Jony Ive are collaborating on a mystery device because, “humanity deserves better”. (4 mins)
- Over in the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV explained how AI had influenced his choice of papal name. Read why here. (3 mins)
- Finally, Google shared that DolphinGemma, a large language model it has developed, is helping scientists study how dolphins communicate and, hopefully, find out what they’re chatting about, too. (11 mins)
About Predyktable
Last month we announced that Paul Hunter was joining us as an advisor. This month, we’re excited to announce another brilliant addition to our team, Sarah Booth.
Sarah is Logistics Director UK&I for Martin Brower and has significant logistics experience in multiple sectors, from Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), and food services to beauty and cosmetics, and fashion and luxury goods. Sarah will be advising us, helping to make sure our products and services are exactly what our clients need, now and in the future.
Remember, we provide AI-powered workforce planning for supply chain leaders, enabling them to reduce overstaffing and agency costs, in the short term, whilst reducing labour-associated business risks in the long term.
Why is this important?
Well, according to a 2024 report by supply chain software specialists, Manhattan, staff retention and scheduling are major challenges for organisations, with 84% of them reporting issues with staff retention.
We believe such challenges are only going to increase and that this represents an opportunity for forward-thinking businesses to get ahead of the competition, by planning smarter.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how we do that, drop us a line. In the meantime, look after yourselves and see you next month,
Team Predyktable