Friday November 15, 2024
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Meeting Both In-Person and by Zoom
Dampeer Room, Second Floor of Kelvin Smith Library*
Case Western Reserve University
Dear Colleagues:
This week’s “Friday Lunch” discussion continues our occasional investigations of “AI.” I think it’s fair to say that only the election has had as much hype. And according to its advocates, it’s possible that only the election might be more important. Or not. As I said, there is a lot of hype.
This is the fourth of an informal series of discussions. We began in September of 2023 with Professor Kalle Lyytinen discussing “Why Not to Panic About AI.” Then in March of this year Satya Sahoo, Director of the Biomedical and Health Informatics Program in the School of Medicine, gave an overview of some of the things generative AI can do, and how. This September Mark Turner, Institute Professor and Professor of Cognitive Science, spoke about “Artificial Intelligence, Natural Intelligence, and Co-Intelligence.”
For this week’s talk, Professor Lyytinen will discuss what might seem the most obvious topic for a distinguished Weatherhead School of Management professor. Namely, how are businesses actually using the stuff? To what effect? A Wall Street Journal report estimated that organizations will spend nearly $39 billion on Generative AI in 2024. Planned investment requires such massive computing power that generating the electricity has been called “a major contributor to climate change.” But lists of possible profitable businesses don’t look all that impressive.
My whole worldview tells me this is a very big bubble. But what do I know? I’m a glass-half-empty kind of guy. I’m eager to hear what Professor Lyytinen will tell us!
Best wishes for safety and security for you and yours,
Joe White
Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies
About Our Guest
Kalle Lyytinen, Ph.D., is the Iris S. Wolstein Professor of Management Design and Distinguished University Professor at Case Western Reserve University. Lyytinen’s research focuses generally on the content, form and antecedents of digital innovations and how they shape organizations and industries. His work helps organizations know how to identify, absorb, manage, implement and be transformed by digital innovations. His research has focused on the content and logic of digital innovation, digital innovation regimes and infrastructures, organizing and processes of digital innovation, how digital technology shapes engineering and design practices, and how organizing affects software development outcomes – especially in open source development. Lyytinen has also studied in the past the adoption of new technologies- especially mobile technologies, new collaboration forms enabled by technologies, and new ways to determine large scale system requirements. He has also written articles on research methods, theory and how to theorize of phenomena which is fast changing and dynamic. His teaching interests have focused on digital innovation theory, new business venturing, design theory and methods, research methods and theory. |
