The data flooding industries globally is staggering—from genomic sequences in healthcare to consumer behavior patterns in retail, to performance metrics in manufacturing. The potential of AI to transform these extensive data sets into practical knowledge is also undeniably staggering, yet there’s more value than just the data.
As the world stands on the brink of what some call an AI revolution, the real differentiation lies in human beings’ ability to apply the technology wisely. Human or artificial raw intelligence is essential, but wisdom—the capacity to sift, discern, and create from this deluge—will separate success from mere survival.
Looking to the past, we know technology disrupts industries. But history holds another important lesson: It’s not just intelligence that makes us indispensable. Traditionally, intelligence has been the product of slow and costly education and specialized knowledge. This makes scaling expertise difficult. Today, the equation is shifting, quickly. Intelligence is becoming infinitely cheaper and more powerful, but one element remains scarce and precious: wisdom.
Wisdom as the differentiator
Wisdom is the capacity to apply knowledge strategically, act with sound judgment, navigate uncertain situations, and find creative solutions. Without wisdom, intelligence is mere potential, like a powerful engine uncoupled from a vehicle.
In 1928, Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming returned from vacation to find mold growing on a forgotten Petri dish. What others might have discarded as a ruined experiment, Fleming examined with curiosity. The mold, he noticed, had prevented the growth of bacteria around it. That moment of observation wasn’t groundbreaking in itself. What turned it into a world-changing antibiotic was the wisdom to pursue its significance. Fleming recognized the potential, isolated the mold, and through further experimentation, uncovered penicillin. It’s a timeless illustration of how raw knowledge becomes profound with the guiding touch of wisdom.
Albert Einstein revolutionized our understanding of the universe. While advanced mathematics underpins his theories, his ability to challenge conventional wisdom, ask daring questions, and conceive radically different frameworks is wisdom at its purest. Einstein’s groundbreaking ideas involved simple “thought experiments,” not reliance on large data sets or computing power. AI today can expedite simulations and calculations, but the transformative leaps still demand human brilliance and an Einstein-like wisdom.
AI’s potential
The promise of AI is undeniable, offering a beacon of efficiency and insight in an ocean of data. Yet, without wisdom, there’s a risk of being overwhelmed. It’s not the abundance of data that’s daunting, but the discernment to navigate it. It’s like standing at the shore, eyeing the vast potential AI offers, then stepping into the water only to realize the need for a lifeline of wisdom to keep us from drowning in the depths of data overload.
Just as Einstein transformed physics, AI has the potential to reshape how industries evolve and thrive, such as in our industry, with the development of new treatments that improve patient outcomes. But left unguided, even the most potent AI technologies will fall short. True breakthroughs demand the same insightful approach Einstein displayed.
Cultivate your own wisdom
While brilliant researchers and computational power exist worldwide, true progress depends on much more. Here’s where companies like ours have been evolving, cultivating wisdom across three dimensions:
- Team wisdom: Leverage past experiences tackling industry challenges as they can shape your team. Wisdom is born from both victories and setbacks, and can instinctively give you an intimate understanding of your business landscape that no data set alone can capture.
- Operational wisdom: Adopt a commitment to learning and encode it into an operations system. Having a continuously updated repository of performance and process data will become a wisdom asset in its own right, allowing you to refine decision-making, enhance collaboration, and avoid past pitfalls. And as a sensing and actuating system, it can also provide greater insight and speed.
- Contextual wisdom: Embrace a business culture of multidisciplinary cross-pollination to ensure deep, empathetic understanding of business problems in context. The ability to see beyond mere data, connecting complex insights is invaluable in an age of AI-powered solutions.
Together, these dimensions of wisdom can fuel the insight that powers your AI models and ensures effective navigation of your industry at a time when solutions should not only be brilliant but human-centric.
Today’s leaders cannot simply embrace algorithms; they must embrace wisdom to shape the evolution of our industries responsibly.
Leerom Segal is cofounder and chairman of Klick Health and Klick Applied Sciences.