When Algorithms Decide First, What Remains Human?
- Jul 7
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 8
AITSPIN Webinar Explores the Future of Professional Intelligence
Think of the last 100 decisions you made. When was the last time you were sure the choice was entirely your own? This uncomfortable question kicked off a live webinar on July 6, as part of AITSPIN Professional Intelligence Masters Series. The session featured Carl Boutet, author of The Flip, founder of StudioRx, and adjunct faculty member at AIT and McGill University, for a discussion on how professionals can preserve human judgement, agency, and ethics in an age increasingly shaped by algorithms.
Boutet argued that we have reached a massive tipping point where humans were once at the centre of value creation, but that relationship has now “flipped”. Algorithms have increasingly moved into that space. He raised an uncomfortable question: what happens when “the machine answers before you ask?”
While algorithms process data at a scale humans cannot match, they lack the deeper human capacities needed for empathy, ethical reasoning, and responsible judgment. “Prescriptive AI has become the endgame, and machines are increasingly able to offer answers even before humans ask the questions,” Boutet remarked. The challenge is not simply whether professionals can use AI, but whether they can remain thoughtful, critical and human while doing so.
Screenshot of the AITSPIN webinar.
Boutet identified four specific qualities that machines simply cannot replicate: judgment, taste, trust, and context. “Judgment helps us figure out what actually matters, while taste defines what is worth building,” Boutet said. He added that trust governs what people choose to believe, while context gives human professionals the unique ability to “read the room.”
This means we have to look at “professional intelligence” in a whole new light. In such a world, we need to rethink what professionals must know, how they must decide, and which decisions should remain firmly human. While machines can optimise, it is humans who decide what is worth optimising. Since judgement can be trained, the role of professional intelligence takes on a much greater importance.
The webinar was the inaugural talk of AITSPIN’s Professional Intelligence Masters Series. The fireside session was moderated by Prof Roger Levermore, board member of the School Board and principal curriculum designer at AITSPIN, who also provided an overview of the newly opened school and its flagship Master’s program. The webinar drew registrations from 20 countries across Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America, reflecting interest from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
Boutet's presentation can be accessed via this link.
The full webinar recording is available on AITSPIN’s YouTube channel at this link: https://youtu.be/2hTtz7DAdak
Comments