Looking for a few good AI leaders - are you ready? (www.zdnet.com)

AI expert Tom Davenport argues the biggest bottleneck in AI adoption isn’t models or hype but leadership: organizations need realistic, sustained stewardship to turn generative AI into measurable value. In a recent podcast he debunked panic about “50% white‑collar job” losses, noting firms lack plans for workforce development and that firing entry‑level roles undermines future talent pipelines. Davenport warns against “go all‑in” narratives that either inflate expectations or discourage employees from using AI productively; real transformation requires multi‑year, enterprise‑level process redesign—not ad‑hoc prompts or one-off pilots. Practically, Davenport calls for stronger governance and a single visionary tech/data leader who can coordinate CIO/CTO/CAIO/CDO functions and steer boards away from short‑term cost fantasies. He highlights the rise of “vibe coding” (citizen development enabled by AI) and recommends a red/yellow/green framework: forbid (red) critical systems like payroll, tightly govern (yellow) moderately sensitive apps, and allow (green) low‑risk automations. The technical implication is clear: scaleable value comes from reengineering workflows, disciplined guardrails, change management, and sustained investment—rather than treating generative AI as a plug‑and‑play job cutter.