A new framework argues that AI evaluation should start where AI actually gets used. Listen to this article: Real-world AI use is messy. Uneven user expertise, shifting workflows, institutional dynamics, and a range of other factors all have an effect on what we get out of AI, but we also want to have a clear […]
A new framework for creating original ideas with AI Listen to this article: “Give me 20 headlines.” “Create 30 research questions.” “Generate 50 business ideas.” Beneath these requests lies an intuitive assumption about large language models: that originality emerges automatically from quantity. If an AI can generate ideas faster than humans, then perhaps creativity becomes […]
A six-month, cross-industry randomized trial shows how generative AI is reshaping work. Listen to this article: The promise of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s “flow theory” is that people do their best work when they can enter a flow state, or stay deeply engaged in a challenging task without constant interruption. Yet the structure of knowledge work […]
This series introduces Harvard Business School AI Institute Associates Program projects which aim to answer important questions at the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in business and society. This article shares insights from Christopher Stanton, Marvin Bower Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School who is pursuing research on the topics of […]
A deep dive into Harvard research on the future of complex decision-making Listen to this article: Good judgment is supposed to be one of the last human advantages. We trust experienced people to read between the lines, understand context, weigh imperfect information, and make nuanced calls that machines cannot. It’s a reassuring idea, but it’s […]
Firms built around AI are scaling knowledge work without the knowledge workers. Listen to this article: For several years now the idea that AI will transform organizations has been less a finding than a forecast repeated in keynotes, board decks, and earnings calls with a confidence that outpaced the evidence. The new working paper, “AI-Native […]
New research pushes language models beyond predictable outputs. Listen to this article: Lately, we’ve all developed a sixth sense for the “AI writing voice” with its polished, repetitive cadence and the obligatory “it’s not just X—it’s Y.” This signals a deeper challenge for using AI to brainstorm, design, research, write, and make decisions. We want […]
When AI summarizes the web instead of sending you to it, the economics of online information quietly unravel. Listen to this article: AI search results like Google’s AI Overview are easy to like. Instead of dodging ads, closing pop-ups, scanning a half-dozen pages, and stitching together an answer yourself, you can often get a speedy […]
New research shows why optimizing content for attention can quietly push it off strategy. Listen to this article: When businesses ask AI to write “on brand,” they’re activating far more than a style guide. Brand voice involves a nuanced set of choices about tone, target audience, and what the organization ultimately wants to stand for. […]
New research proposes a framework to give workers a stake in the AI systems built on their labor. Listen to this article: Data portability has often been presented as a way to reduce the control digital platforms exert through exclusive access to user data. In principle: if Meta, Alphabet, Spotify, or another platform holds your […]