While humans may be ahead of computers in the ability to create strategy today, we shouldn't be complacent about our dominance. This article is part of an MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. Editor's Note: This article is one of a special series of 14 commissioned essays MIT Sloan Management Review is publishing to celebrate the launch of our new Frontiers initiative. Each essay gives the author's response to this question: "Within the next five years, how will technology change the practice of management in a way we have not yet witnessed?" As a society, we are becoming increasingly comfortable with the idea that machines can make decisions and take actions on their own. We already have semi-autonomous vehicles, high-performing manufacturing robots, and automated decision making in insurance underwriting and bank credit.

While humans may be ahead of computers in the ability to create strategy today, we shouldn't be complacent about our dominance. This article is part of an MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. Editor's Note: This is the seventh in a special series of commissioned essays MIT Sloan Management Review will be publishing in Frontiers over the Spring and Summer of 2016. Each essay gives the author's response to this question: "Within the next five years, how will technology change the practice of management in a way we have not yet witnessed?" As a society, we are becoming increasingly comfortable with the idea that machines can make decisions and take actions on their own.

AlphaGo caused a stir by defeating 18-time world champion Lee Sedol in Go, a game thought to be impenetrable by AI for another 10 years. AlphaGo's success is emblematic of a broader trend: An explosion of data and advances in algorithms have made technology smarter than ever before. Machines can now carry out tasks ranging from recommending movies to diagnosing cancer -- independently of, and in many cases better than, humans. In addition to executing well-defined tasks, technology is starting to address broader, more ambiguous problems. It's not implausible to imagine that one day a "strategist in a box" could autonomously develop and execute a business strategy.