We decided it was time to bring AI back into the discussion for this month's episode of the Process Palooza Podcast. To help us do that, we have invited Jon Wade, a professor of practice at the Jacobs School of Engineering. Dr. Wade specializes in systems engineering, a goldmine field for process improvement information. What we are really interested in, though, is his work in mining that field for the world's largest and most complex system: human society.
Topics Mentioned:
1. An introduction to Dr. Jon Wade and his background
2. A world changed by a pandemic
3. Human Society as Systems (and types of systems)
4. How philosophies can evolve over time
5. Building connection and accepting when something can't be changed
6. Knowing what to measure when improving systems
7. Experience with continuous improvement
8. What is systems engineering?
9. Real world examples of systems engineering (for good or ill)
10. Societal impacts of technologies
11. Ethical implications of AI
12. Potential and promise of AI
13. The OODA Loop, or how large organizations can make decisions quickly
14. The power of the open source movement
15. Reaching the public
Donella Meadows and Leverage Points:
https://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/
A closer look at the OODA Loop: https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/computer-science/the-ooda-loop
My own book recommendation about building connections and empathy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550616/the-war-for-kindness-by-jamil-zaki/