The Productivity Paradox and the Promise of Co-Intelligence is the theme of an upcoming webinar. On November 18 at 9:30 AM (Eastern), the International Telecommunications Society (ITS) and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy (University of Toronto) will host a free webinar: Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI with Ethan Mollick.
- What if the most important technology of recent times doesnât deliver productivity on its own?
- What if your smartest colleague never slept, never stopped learning, and could work across every domain you knowâand many you donât?
- What if AI isnât just a tool, but a partner in your thinking?
- A coach for your creativity?
- A strategist for your work?
On the surface, the promise of AI seems obvious, like electricity, the internet, or computers. But, we can learn from history that general-purpose technologies yield gains only when paired with new skills, new institutional arrangements, and new ways of thinking and behaving.
That is the productivity paradox: adoption alone does not guarantee progress.
Professor Ethan Mollick reframes the challenge for us: while AI may not soon outcompete humans, people using AI are already outcompeting people. This is the essence of co-intelligence: treating AI less as a tool and more as a collaborator â an idea with profound implications for leadership, competitiveness, productivity, and progress.
Ethan Mollick is the Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar at Wharton. He was named one of TIMEâs most influential people in AI. His book Co-Intelligence was a New York Times bestseller and a âbest of the yearâ from The Economist and Financial Times, and his substack, One Useful Thing, is among the best resources to learn how to think with AI.
The deeper questions to be explored are human, not technical:
- What new forms of oversight and trust are required when intelligence is shared?
- How should leaders measure productivity when creativity itself is augmented?
- And, how do we ensure this paradox becomes promise, not missed opportunity?
I have been a fan of the webinars hosted by the International Telecommunications Society over the past few years. It is a worthwhile use of your time, so I hope to see you online. Register here.