Would you like to work nearly double the standard 40-hour week? It's a question that many startups in the US are asking prospective employees--and to get the job, the answer needs to be an unequivocal yes. These companies are embracing an intense schedule, first popularized in mainland China, known as "996," or 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week. The 996 phenomenon in China gave rise to major protests and accusations of "modern slavery," with critics blaming the schedule for a spate of worker deaths. Despite the negative connotations overseas, US firms, many of them working on artificial intelligence, are adopting both the schedule and its nickname as they race to compete against each other--and with China.

In the era of disruption, the largest, incumbent organisations need to innovate and take advantage of the growing global partner ecosystem. Instead of running away from the innovators, the traditional enterprise must turn and fight, by taking advantage of the different technologies in the marketplace. In one way, this can be achieved by building out a solid technology or IT team, whose work is stitched into the fabric of the business. But, every business needs a partner -- it's unwise to go it alone, especially if you're not an expert in a specific field. Below, Information Age identifies in three parts, three Silicon Valley AI startups that can help your business seize the advantage of technology and avoid disruption in the digital era.