The Best of This Week

Are We Facing a Black Swan or the New Normal?

While the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, the scale of what’s happening and the pace of change is hard to grasp. COVID-19 may be the so-called black swan event that society and business have feared, but it’s also the kind of challenge that we may now face all the time — a new normal.

Combating the Coronavirus ‘Infodemic’

With millions on lockdown across the globe, social media is a major source for news about the pandemic. But social networks are also where misinformation thrives. Here’s how platforms can step up to fight the growing infodemic.

Rethinking Supply Chain Resilience During a Global Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates why disaster preparedness is vital for supply chain resilience. Given the central role many Chinese companies play in the supply chains of other businesses, global supply chain disruption is likely to linger for many months. How did we end up with such complex interdependencies in our supply chains — and how should managers improve their resilience against future shocks?

3D Printing to the Respirator Rescue

When a medical device manufacturer was unable to supply new respirator valves quickly enough to hospitals in northern Italy overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, a 3D-printing company rushed to develop a prototype and print valves on a volunteer basis. Each 3D-printed version takes about an hour to produce at a cost of less than 1 euro.

Designing AI Systems to Optimize Human-Machine Teams

Many organizations don’t understand the opportunities for mutual learning between people and machines. Before designing AI systems, managers need to assess the openness of the decision-making process and the level of risk in order to meet their goals and optimize the chances of success. These assessments will help managers determine the right teaming options for implementing AI systems.

What Else We’re Reading This Week:

• Seth Godin opines on the future of online interaction
• McKinsey recommends a “minimum viable nerve center” to coordinate a crisis response
• Amid the pandemic, everyone’s reading a lot of news

Quote of the Week:

“There is broad agreement that those billions of workers whose jobs have been affected by technology deserve a chance at reskilling. And there is a growing consensus about how this can be achieved. Yet without acknowledging and strengthening the mechanisms of potential incentives, there is a danger that the commitment conversation simply goes around in circles.”

— Lynda Gratton, a professor at London Business School, in “Davos 2020: The Upskilling Agenda”

The Best of This Week