Mustafa Suleyman says he has chosen to locate his new AI company in the US.

I am honored to collaborate on this week's blog with Fran Willis White, an industry expert on the role of change leadership and employee empowerment to drive cultural transformation. In collaborating on this blog, I discovered many similarities in the role of empowerment in the data science development process to optimize business outcomes, as well as the role of empowerment of the frontline business stakeholders to reinvent those same business outcomes. AI is a generational opportunity for organizations of all types and sizes to optimize their key to grow your business and operational processes, mitigate financial, compliance and regulatory risk, uncover new revenue streams, and create a more compelling customer experience. And the potential of AI is fueled by data, which is driving the desire for organizations to become data-driven. Unfortunately, organizations are failing at becoming data-driven (see "Data and AI Leadership Executive Survey 2022" from Tom Davenport and Randy Bean).

It won't be in the Olympics anytime soon but Oki Mek considers artificial intelligence "a team sport." As the chief artificial intelligence officer for the Department of Health and Human Services, Mek may be a little biased, but as his agency works through its AI strategy -- released in January -- collaboration and knowledge exchange will be paramount. The strategy aims to promote AI adoption, and to ensure that algorithms are fair, legal and ethical. Three core pieces of the strategy are adoption and bringing the entire department up to speed on the language of AI; scaling best practices, and accelerated adoption. As for the first piece, Mek said culture change plays a pivotal role. "The main risks here is not AI itself, it's not the technology itself, it's more of a culture shift.

Elizabeth Holm, a professor of materials science and engineering at the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and a computational materials scientist at Sandia National Laboratories says we're in the midst of an artificial intelligence (AI) culture shift. She also says that machines won't replace human experts. "Machines are great at handling things, like large amounts of data, but machines still need an expert, a human, to analyze the data, set parameters and guide decisions," said Holm. "Engineering and science decisions are based on understanding how things work. How does a bridge support its load? How does an engine convert fuel into motion? In contrast, AI transforms data into decisions without understanding any underlying principles," said Holm. "Applying AI to engineering and science will require a culture shift: either we will learn to trust decisions that we do not understand, or AIs will evolve to base their decisions on principles that humans can interpret and control."

Elizabeth Holm, a professor of materials science and engineering at the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and a computational materials scientist at Sandia National Laboratories says we're in the midst of an artificial intelligence (AI) culture shift. She also says that machines won't replace human experts. "Machines are great at handling things, like large amounts of data, but machines still need an expert, a human, to analyze the data, set parameters and guide decisions," said Holm. "Engineering and science decisions are based on understanding how things work. How does a bridge support its load? How does an engine convert fuel into motion? In contrast, AI transforms data into decisions without understanding any underlying principles," said Holm. "Applying AI to engineering and science will require a culture shift: either we will learn to trust decisions that we do not understand, or AIs will evolve to base their decisions on principals that humans can interpret and control."

A Chinese factory near Shanghai is relying on a new breed of workers to maintain its competitive advantage in assembling electronics devices: small robots designed in Germany. Suzhou Victory Precision Manufacture Co.'s chairman, Yugen Gao, said the days when the company drew its strength from China's cheap and hardworking employees are gone. "We've been losing that edge in the past three years," said Mr. Gao in his office, overlooking rows of buildings where a battalion of robots was cranking out computer keyboards. China's appetite for European-made industrial robots is rapidly growing, as rising wages, a shrinking workforce and cultural changes drive more Chinese businesses to automation. The types of robots favored by Chinese manufacturers are also changing, as automation spreads from heavy industries such as auto manufacturing to those that require more precise, flexible robots capable of handling and assembling smaller products, including consumer electronics and apparel. At stake is whether China can retain its dominance in manufacturing.