Artificial intelligence is big, scary and exciting, and its promise stretches in every direction - from abundance and ease to the end of civilization. Even the likely middle ground could transform how designers, store managers, lawyers and truck drivers work alongside AI colleagues.
McKinsey Global Institute traces a line from steam power in the 1770s through electricity, computers and the internet to AI today, noting that general-purpose technologies need complementary innovation, infrastructure, rules and capital before their full potential emerges. The first uses of major new technologies are rarely the most consequential, the consultancy said.
Tapestry's Yang Lu said the people who missed the e-commerce boat didn't follow the customer. She cited Adobe research finding 40 percent of people shop using some kind of AI tool, with traffic arriving through those tools showing 48 percent higher dwell time. She stressed governance and intentional use: "We're not going to do AI for the AI's sake."
Marc Palatucci of Future Today Strategy Group said the trajectory is irreversible - "we cannot un-ring the bell" - and urged curiosity. Jonathan Low of Predictiv called the financial projections on AI "delusional," warning implementation costs will exceed what anyone admits.
Kearney's Katie Thomas described "The Tyranny of Too Much," saying AI adds to consumers' overload and that trust must be built through consistent outcomes. Walmart pushed back on a Groundwork Collaborative report about its patents, with Dan Bartlett noting a patent "does not mean that Walmart has deployed a capability," and CEO John Furner vowing the company won't set different prices based on who you are.
Originally reported by WWD