Exponential Adoption and Intentional Friction
While most of the business conversation around artificial intelligence remains stuck in tactical questions of "which tool does what" and how to shave off a few minutes a day, the real leadership challenge lies somewhere entirely different.I recently had the privilege of speaking before the Technology and Innovation Division at the Delek Group.
I opened the keynote not with technology, but with my personal story: about a 7-year-old kid facing ostracism and bullying in school hallways, and how, thirty years later, I harnessed the raw power and intimidating folklore of a Harley-Davidson to co-found Custom Angels - an organization of bikers dedicated to protecting and supporting bullied children.
Why open like that in front of a room full of technology and innovation leaders?
Because raw power - whether it is a 400-kilogram motorcycle of solid steel or a language model with hundreds of billions of parameters - is never inherently good or bad. It all comes down to the values, education, and moral compass we instill in that power. Autonomous vehicles and algorithms may drive far better than we do, but we must always be the ones who define the destination, the purpose of the journey, and the price we are willing to pay along the way.
Speaking to the team at Delek, there was obviously no need to preach about adopting AI. The business reality is crystal clear: any organization that fails to embed artificial intelligence, automation, and autonomous agents across its operations will simply be left behind by competitors doing the same with a fraction of the resources. Embracing these tools at full throttle is non-negotiable.
Yet our goal was not to obsess over another tool, but to build systemic awareness around two forces operating simultaneously:
The gap between linear and exponential thinking: The human brain evolved to understand linear progression, whereas AI capabilities are compounding at a relentless exponential pace (doubling the duration of tasks it can autonomously execute every 5 to 7 months!). Much like an invasive lily pad doubling its coverage on a lake each day, unnoticed until it suddenly covers the entire surface - we struggle to intuitively grasp where these capabilities will land over the next year or two.
The hidden trade-off: History shows that whenever technology grants us a superpower, our corresponding natural ability atrophies. When vehicles replaced walking, we had to invent fitness and gym culture as a "compensatory culture" to prevent physical collapse. Now, as we outsource thinking, synthesis, and decision-making to algorithmic agents, we must confront what is happening to our critical thinking and creative muscles.
The answer is not slowing down technology, but building a compensatory culture rooted in "Intentional Friction":
Differentiate Human-on-the-loop from Human-in-the-loop: For purely computational, routine execution—let agents run autonomously. But at any intersection involving ethics, strategy, and accountability - a built-in "Human Gate" is mandatory. True leadership and accountability can never be outsourced to an algorithm.
AI as an intellectual sparring partner, not a ghostwriter: Instead of asking the machine to draft your document from scratch, formulate your core arguments and hypotheses yourself. Then, prompt the AI to act as a ruthless, skeptical competitor tasked with punching holes in your premises and stress-testing your logic.
Institutionalizing the "Devil's Advocate" (Iphcha Mistabra): In an era where LLMs converge toward engineered, polite consensus, organizations must actively inject friction into discussions to preserve independent thinking and the courage to challenge established assumptions.
The Feynman Test for AI: Saved an hour on a report? Fantastic. Now invest 5-10 minutes and ask yourself: "Can I explain the reasoning behind these figures and conclusions verbally, without glancing at the screen?" If you cannot articulate the 'why', you aren't commanding the tool - the tool is commanding you.
A huge thank you to Salit Golani, the CIO, for the invitation, the vision, and for fostering a strategic conversation that looks far beyond the hype. Special thanks to Yael Myara for the flawless coordination, production, and warm hospitality.
And if this subject stirs something in you that is hard to put into words - a sense that this revolution is exhilarating and terrifying in the same breath - you are not alone. I feel it too. Let’s build the gym for humanity together, and protect what makes us uniquely human. Drop me a line.
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