“Dream big and start small with AI. But don’t wait.”

Van den Berg is medeoprichter van AI.nl, dat organisaties helpt om digitale transformatiestappen te zetten, en van het gelieerde softwarebedrijf The Automation Group. Met compagnon Remy Gieling schreef hij verschillende boeken over de materie, waaronder het Handboek AI Strategie (april 2024) en het zeer recent verschenen Slimmer werken met ChatGPT, Copilot en Gemini.

Make better decisions

'Harnessing the potential of AI has never been more accessible,' Van den Berg opened his inspired presentation on smarter, more fun and better work with AI. To add that making real impact with AI requires investment: from organizations, from teams and from individuals. He cited Gartner's Hype Cycle to point out humanoid working robots, at the very bottom of the curve: “Amazon saw its potential early on. They deployed robots to accomplish repetitive tasks first performed by humans. In 2013, Amazon used a thousand of those robots; ten years later there were 750,000. This allows employees to focus on better customer service.' He who sows will reap, Van den Berg made clear. 'And if you know what's going to happen in the future, you can make better decisions.'

No magic box 

“AI can guide the way forward with its predictive and generative capabilities,” Van den Berg said at the Jaarbeurs, “but it’s not a magic box. It remains mathematics and statistics, powered by vast computational resources. It’s not only a technical challenge but also an organizational one, which companies often overlook.” He noted that AI exploration is often confined to a small team, while a broader approach aligned with business objectives is more effective. “We also encounter many companies using a push approach rather than a pull approach. They don’t explore where AI can provide targeted support but just want to do something with AI, regardless of the specifics. Dutch companies, in particular, seem to be searching for direction.”

Gap

With another graph, Van den Berg illustrated how technological changes develop exponentially, following a hockey-stick curve, while organizational changes tend to be more logarithmic, or gradual. In other words, the organizational capacity to implement new technological capabilities is often lacking, causing the gap to widen. This phenomenon is known as Martec’s Law. "People are creatures of habit," Van den Berg explained, highlighting the limited adaptability of organizations and leading to a discussion on the evolution of work..

AI as a New Extension

Centuries ago, craftsmen with specialized knowledge were the norm, Van den Berg noted. In the 19th century, machines began to take over some of their manual work, allowing them to focus on further product development. A century later, automation emerged, which didn’t lead to widespread job loss; as workers left factories, offices filled up. Van den Berg draws a parallel: "AI is another new extension for effectively applying knowledge. In the 1960s, after the introduction of the calculator, teachers feared job losses and went on strike. We can now see that those fears were unfounded."

Exponential thinking

The keynote speaker challenges boardrooms to overcome their fear of the unknown and shift from linear to exponential thinking. Companies should embrace continuous change as the norm to bridge the existing gap and align their technological choices accordingly. Van den Berg cited examples such as Picnic, which has largely automated its warehouses, and Shoeby, which, thanks to partner WAIR, uses a “spreadsheet with 3.2 billion rows of data” to boost clothing sales speed at full retail prices.

Human aspects

Companies that embrace exponential thinking and adapt with the times can close the gap between technological theory and organizational practice, thereby strengthening their competitive edge, according to Van den Berg. Jobs will change, but they won't disappear, he asserts. In fact, work may become more enjoyable as critical thinking, adaptability, and communication skills become increasingly essential: "AI makes the human aspects of employees far more important."