ABSTRACT
People are central to an organisation. The continuing rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning presents a fundamental existential crisis to all organisations. If the concept of organisation is to continue to retain value in an era of total digitalisation, it is to be found in what it does for people – all the stake-holders who engage with the organisation. Higher-value organisational activities are those that benefit from inputs of human creativity, randomicity and even contrariness to introduce a uniqueness and personality that reflects organisational culture and ultimately its vision. The importance of human distinctiveness reinforces the value of a visual management approach. Speculative thought exercises about the future use of AI in an organisation represent one extreme point of experience on a continuum of organisational practice. The appointment of personnel to encourage cultural change and challenge the prevailing thinking in the organisation presents a further challenge within the continuum of organisational practice.
