Artificially Human: Making Sense of Automation and AI

“Artificially Human” is your guide to making sense of automation and artificial intelligence (AI). The book provides eight mental models to unscramble the flurry of technological breakthroughs and hyperbolic headlines. If you’re feeling left behind, you’re not alone.

Rob Whiteman launched an automation service line at McKinsey & Company in 2016, growing it to more than 150 practitioners in a few years. This book is based on his experiences advising more than 200 institutions, including multinational corporations, technology startups, and government agencies.

Rob proposes that the world of automation and AI make more sense if you place machines, rather than humans, at the center. He shares stories that help you understand how mechanical minds work, where we see them reshaping society, and what we can do to secure a better future. You can’t outrun AI, but this book may help you outrun other humans.

The book’s three-part structure takes you from the conceptual to the practical. It begins with a retelling of history through the eyes of machines. It then illustrates how automation is reshaping institutions and individuals. Finally, it describes how you can take the mental models from the book and apply them in your life.

We all worry about how automation and AI will impact our family, friends, and the institutions to which we belong. Regardless of where you find yourself today, it is not too late to catch up. None of us can predict the future, but wouldn’t it be nice if the present were a little less confusing?