The New Automation Mindset

CHAPTER 7Democratization

“Authority should be vested in the people doing the work to improve their own processes.”

—Steve Jobs

Many technologists don't see much difference between democratization and chaos. It echoes the rumored view of American statesman Thomas Jefferson: “Democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51% of the people may take away the rights of the other 49%.”¹ Say the word “democratization” to a group of CIOs, and the reaction will be mixed. Some light up, describing it as “progress” and “the future.” Others call it scary or concerning. I once heard a CIO say, “Sometimes the technical experts are there for a reason.”

When IT leaders shudder at the mention of democratization, they really envision anarchy. At the most extreme, it probably looks something like the enterprise IT version of a Mad Max film. If we were to strip away anything resembling control, give powerful automation and AI technology to the masses, and let people loose, the company would probably explode and catch fire. All kidding aside, no one can blame a technologist for hesitating to embrace chaos. But if anarchy is our only alternative to the status quo, tech leaders are caught between a rock and a hard place. It is impossible for IT to bring about the automation revolution alone. But if the only other choice is to hand over the keys and pray for the best, the revolution is doomed ...