Nexus Notes

The Real Reason AI Is Failing In The Checklist Manifesto, Atul Gawande writes that failure stems from one of two things. The first is ignorance: we don’t know what we need to know. The second is ineptitude: we know, but fail to apply it correctly. He argues that we need more of eptitude, a rarely used word that means the ability to apply knowledge consistently and effectively. This distinction struck me as I considered the state of artificial intelligence in business and society. AI is...

Reframing the Question: Rethinking Process in the Age of Generative AI For years, leadership, education, and business strategy have hinged on a familiar question: Do we follow the established steps or step outside the process to creatively solve the problem? It was a practical distinction. Some situations required disciplined adherence to a proven method. Others required innovation, ambiguity tolerance, and critical thinking. However, the emergence of generative AI, natural language...

If You Use AI at Work, Treat It Like Email The recent court ruling requiring OpenAI to preserve all user chat logs, even those users had previously deleted, should serve as a wake-up call for every professional using AI in the workplace. Whether individuals leverage tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude for writing, research, ideation, or strategic analysis, these interactions are increasingly treated as permanent digital records. While many still perceive AI prompts as fleeting and casual,...

Confident, But Not Always Correct: Building Stronger AI Users Through Critical Thinking As generative artificial intelligence becomes embedded in daily workflows, from research and writing to decision support and strategic planning, its presence is exciting and transformative. Organizations and individuals alike are discovering new levels of efficiency, insight, and creative potential. But with this transformation comes a new responsibility: learning how to engage with AI tools thoughtfully...

Raising Resilience: Why I Talk to My Kids About AI With Hope, Not Fear As a parent and a professional immersed in artificial intelligence, I often find myself standing at the intersection of innovation and uncertainty. Like many, I think about the future of work: what it means for my children, my colleagues, and future generations. But unlike the growing narrative of fear, my perspective is rooted in optimism. I understand the concern. AI is accelerating change across industries, and it is...

LLMs: Quilting with Words Many of you are aware that I am a technology enthusiast with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and its impact on reshaping our world of work. But what you may not know is that I am also a traditionalist and a creator of quilts. Yes, I buy yards of fabric, cut it into small shapes, and reassemble those pieces into something beautiful and functional. Quilting is a tactile, creative process that allows me to slow down and reflect, especially as I am also...

Managing Control: How Thoughtful AI Integration Reduces Technology Fatigue Managing control in the era of AI integration is as much a leadership challenge as it is a technical one. Nowhere is this more apparent than when organizations face technology fatigue, a growing phenomenon fueled by an unrelenting pace of innovation and an endless stream of AI solutions promising to revolutionize the workplace. While some leaders succumb to the temptation of adopting each new tool as it emerges, more...

Fear, Control, and the Uneasy Adoption of Artificial Intelligence The rise of artificial intelligence has stirred wonder and unease across professional and academic landscapes. Its promise of speed, accuracy, and intelligent automation presents enormous potential for enhancing productivity, decision-making, and innovation. Yet, despite its many advantages, a persistent fear lingers. For many, AI feels like a threat rather than a tool. It evokes apprehensions about job displacement, academic...

AI Consultant? Or AI Strategist? The Questions We Ask Matter A recent LinkedIn post challenged so-called “AI consultants” to name all AI lifecycle phases, identify the control points, and map them to system diagrams. The implication was clear: if you cannot do these things on command, your engagement is not worth continuing. At first glance, the post seems to promote accountability. But dig a little deeper, and two flawed assumptions become apparent. First, the post implies that “AI” has a...

AI, Headshots, and the Quiet Transformation of Everyday Workflows We often think of AI in terms of its grand potential, such as autonomous vehicles, intelligent assistants, and deep learning models. However, some of the most interesting changes happen in quiet, practical ways that reshape our work. Take headshots, for example. Professional headshots have long been a staple of organizational branding, from LinkedIn profiles to executive bios on corporate websites. However, getting them done...