Think AI is a useful 'copilot'? Soon, it will take over the controls

While previous artificial intelligence (AI) systems have excelled at specific tasks, the next generation of AI is poised to become the primary actor in professional roles, fundamentally reshaping how knowledge work is performed. For existing organizations, the critical question isn't how to compete with AI-native organizations but how to manage their own transition as their human-centered operations model becomes increasingly uncompetitive. The evolution of AI can be characterized by three overlapping yet distinct phases, each representing a significant leap in capability and scope. This progression underscores how AI is advancing beyond mere task support to perform roles with increasingly comprehensive responsibilities. Phase 1: AI as task expert (2022-onward) Most of our astonishment about AI concerns the ability of neural networks to perform a wide range of disparate tasks at super-human…