Today, business longevity hinges not on being the biggest but on being the most adaptable. The focus has shifted from dominating markets to nimbly fitting into them. With 92% of Fortune 500 companies already leveraging AI technology, there’s no time to hesitate. 

Embracing organizational artificial general intelligence (OAGI) as a framework for integration offers a transformative path forward, enabling enterprises to develop conversational, self-learning systems that meet objectives within carefully curated guardrails. By doing so, businesses can achieve a dynamic state of agility and secure a thriving future.

For those willing to reimagine their business operations and processes, OAGI represents the key to adaptability—and, ultimately, to organizational longevity in the 21st century.

General Intelligence: Human Adaptability and Machine Potential

General intelligence reflects our remarkable ability to adapt and thrive in diverse environments, from the Arctic Circle to the desert. Whether it’s reorganizing the environment on an island after a plane crash or adjusting to any other challenging situation, humans instinctively modify their surroundings to ensure their comfort and survival. This adaptive capability is a key aspect of our intelligence. So, when we talk about machines having general intelligence, we mean their level of adaptability akin to ours, allowing them to operate effectively in any environment.

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) in Business

In broad terms, artificial general intelligence (or AGI, also referred to as “singularity”) refers to a computing system capable of meeting or exceeding human capabilities across a wide range of cognitive tasks. It goes without saying that replicating human levels of intelligence in a computing system is incredibly difficult. However, creating a level of general intelligence required to run a business is far more feasible.

With tools currently available in the marketplace, organizations can develop conversational operating systems that continuously learn and adapt, enabling employees and customers to interact with AI that integrates data and performs actions across various functions. This new type of system communicates seamlessly across departments, contextualizes unstructured data, and becomes a highly effective teammate. Reaching this level of organizational intelligence can significantly enhance a company’s ability to thrive in its environment.

Enhancing Company Longevity with Organizational AGI

The average lifespan of a company has been declining sharply, from 67 years in the 1920s to just 21 years today. To counter this decline and future-proof their organizations, companies must embrace adaptability and agility. A compelling example is Japan’s “shinise” companies, some of which have thrived for over a thousand years not by solely pursuing profit, but by prioritizing adaptability and agility.

Organizational artificial general intelligence (OAGI) can help to enhance a company’s longevity and adaptability. By intelligently automating processes and empowering their AI systems to self-learn, organizations can create a cognitive architecture that allows them to “ride the AI wave” and stay ahead of the curve. 

However, OAGI is not about blindly trusting AI to make all the decisions; rather, it’s about providing the necessary context and rules to ensure AI agents operate in alignment with the company’s unique goals and values. This “operational general intelligence” can be achieved through digital twins or explicit guidelines, helping organizations break free from the rigidity of traditional software-driven automation. 

By embracing OAGI, companies can future-proof their operations, continually adapt to market changes, and increase their chances of long-term survival in the rapidly evolving business landscape.

AI Agents as Software Operators: A Path to Operational Agility

Creating and orchestrating AI agents is a crucial solution in the journey toward OAGI by operating and gradually augmenting existing software. AI agents can adapt, augment, and innovate, allowing you to move freely without losing the tools you trust. This approach paves the way for innovative features and reduced reliance on outdated tech.

The focus of OAGI is not to reduce labor costs but to minimize software expenses and enhance operational efficiency. By employing conversational AI to create dynamic user interfaces and abstract existing systems, companies can achieve greater agility and cost savings. While investing in both old and new systems may seem challenging, the long-term benefits of reduced software costs and increased operational flexibility are worth it.

Empowering Employees: The Key to Embracing OAGI

By involving employees in the journey toward OAGI and equipping them with tools to enhance their work, companies foster a supportive environment that mirrors the commitment found in family businesses. This investment in employees not only improves their work experience but also aligns their success with the organization’s achievements. 

While some might fear that advanced AI could render their roles obsolete, engaging in the transition allows employees to shape their new responsibilities and find meaning in the evolving landscape. As generative AI becomes an integral part of operations, embracing this change proactively ensures that employees remain essential and valued contributors.

Future-Proofing Your Business: The Power of OAGI

In a volatile and competitive business world, adaptability is the ultimate competitive edge. OAGI is a revolutionary approach to achieving this adaptability, enabling companies to evolve their operations and processes in real time. 

By integrating conversational AI systems that learn and adapt, organizations can seamlessly navigate change, enhance their agility, and secure their future. In a landscape where survival depends on flexibility, OAGI stands as the cornerstone of enduring success.

Listen or watch the episode of the Invisible Machines podcast about organizational AGI.

Learn more about AI agents and agentic workflows with our paper, “Using AI Agents to Establish Organizational Artificial General Intelligence (OAGI).”

Read about the multi-agent approach to automating complex tasks in our blog post.