Editor’s note: Shawn Kanungo will be the opening keynote speaker at GRC Conference 2023, to take place 21-23 August in person in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, and virtually. Kanungo is a globally recognized innovation strategist and bestselling author. He is currently a Partner with Queen & Rook, advising organizations about disruptive trends and how they can use them to their advantage. Kanungo recently visited with the ISACA Now blog to discuss his views on artificial intelligence, innovation and why he chose to write a book focused on boldness. The following is a transcript edited for length and clarity:
ISACA Now: There are many ways innovation can be defined. In your view, what is the most compelling way to get to the essence of what innovation is all about?
Innovation, in essence, is all about seeing the world differently and then taking bold actions to create value. It’s a journey to discover unexplored paths and unheard ideas, then transform those into tangible reality. The most beautiful part of innovation is that it is permissionless.
ISACA Now: AI is top-of-mind across society these days. In what ways can AI be most useful to help companies innovate?
Generative AI is the next paradigm shift. This is the internet. This is the mobile phone. This is the next thing. If we are not exploring and experimenting in this space, we will be left in the dust. As we stand on the precipice of this new era, complacency is not an option.
For IT professionals, this is not just a tool; it’s akin to having the most efficient and reliable copilot ever seen. It’s set to revolutionize the speed and accuracy of risk analysis, and streamline the intricacies of compliance checking. It takes auditing and reporting from a mundane task to a breeze.
ISACA Now: How would you characterize the ethical responsibilities for companies that are leveraging emerging technologies such as AI?
This is going to be the most important discussion in technology for the next decade. Ethics is not in my realm of expertise. I’m the guy that’s supposed to say how we will use this for good! However, organizations should be held accountable for the actions and decisions of their AI systems, having mechanisms in place to address errors and unforeseen consequences. This is about trust at the end of the day. Over the next decade, the most valuable companies will be the companies that earn the most trust with their stakeholders.
ISACA Now: Your book, The Bold Ones, seeks to persuade people to be bolder. Why did you feel strongly enough about that concept to write a book about it?
I wrote this book because I saw this power shift from organizations to individuals. If we look throughout history, only the bold ones have changed the world. They were brazen and disruptive individuals. They saw things differently, they thought differently and they executed differently. I believe this is the greatest time to be bold – we have everything at our fingertips.
ISACA Now: The GRC conference is taking place in Las Vegas – known for gambling. If you had to place a bet on one technological force that might surprise people and spur major innovation in the next year or two, what might it be, and why?
The most disruptive entity in the world today is not the metaverse, Web3, generative AI or quantum computing. The most disruptive entity is the individual. If you want to see where the next wave of innovation is going to come from, bet on the people-changing culture, society and our mindsets.