AI success, how Culture eats Technology for breakfast - Alfred Biehler

Welcome to the series finale of The Interim. We find ourselves in a unique moment in history—suspended between the traditional workflows of the past and a sci-fi future driven by Artificial Intelligence. To help us navigate this transition, Duncan Stott sits down with futurist and strategic advisor Alfred Bieler.

With a pedigree that includes leading innovation at Google and Microsoft, Alfred argues that the biggest mistakes leaders make during this ‘interim’ period have nothing to do with software, and everything to do with soul. From the dangers of 'fake success' to the reason every high-performing team needs a resident 'alien,' this episode is a masterclass in why a healthy culture is the only way to truly unlock the power of AI. If you’ve ever wondered if your organization is actually ready for the future, or just playing with expensive toys, this conversation is for you.

The "Purpose" Trap

Alfred emphasizes that technology without clarity is dangerous. He shares an anecdote about a Google engineer who trained a model to optimize energy efficiency; the model suggested turning the servers off entirely. Technically, it was 100% efficient, but it defeated the purpose. Leaders must define the why before the how, or they risk teams exploring in random, competing directions.

Culture Over Toolsets

The phrase "culture eats technology for breakfast" is a central theme. Alfred notes that two companies can use the exact same AI tool, yet one will thrive while the other fails. The difference lies in:

• Radical Honesty: Moving away from "fake success" (celebrating vanity metrics like clicks) toward admitting when a project isn’t working.
• Psychological Safety: Creating an environment where people can challenge the AI's output rather than accepting "vanilla" or "hallucinated" results.

The Power of the "Alien"

Alfred cites research on "critical friends." He explains that teams composed only of friends often reach consensus too quickly and perform worse. By introducing an "alien"—someone with a different perspective who asks "Why are we doing this?"—friction is created. While this makes the work feel "harder" and more exhausting, it leads to significantly higher-quality outcomes.

From Artificial to "Augmented" Intelligence

The guest reframes the job-loss debate. He views AI as Augmented Intelligence—a tool to provide information for better human decision-making.

• The Productivity Paradox: Rather than using AI to simply "run faster" and burn out, Alfred hopes humanity uses the saved time to "slow down" and think more deeply.
• Bespoke over Generic: While Large Language Models (like ChatGPT) are "table stakes," the real business advantage lies in bespoke Machine Learning trained on a company’s unique, proprietary data.

The CEO’s First Step

For leaders feeling overwhelmed by AI strategy, Alfred’s advice is counter-intuitive: Don’t start with the easy stuff. He suggests finding a critical friend and asking, "What is the biggest threat that is going to eat us alive?" Solving the scariest problem is a better use of AI than automating minor tasks in an irrelevant business model.