Leadership 
These AI business books all agree that artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just the future — it’s already transforming businesses across industries. In fact, over 90% of leading companies are increasing their investment in AI tools to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences. From automating routine tasks to delivering real-time customer insights, AI revolutionizes how teams work and interact with technology.
This article explores top AI business books that reveal how organizations can harness AI to empower employees, boost productivity, and create more efficient, innovative workplaces. Whether you want to enhance your customer experience or free up time for strategic initiatives, these books offer actionable insights to help your business thrive in the AI era.
1. “Human + Machine: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI” by Paul R. Daugherty and H. James Wilson
“Human + Machine” studies AI’s role in redesigning industries and work processes. The authors, Paul R. Daugherty and H. James Wilson feel that AI should be seen not as a replacement for human workers but rather as a tool that aids them.
The authors share the concept of augmented intelligence, where AI and humans combine their efforts to achieve an outcome neither could accomplish alone. For example, AI can endure more tedious and time-consuming jobs like handling data and automating routine tasks, while human workers add their creativity and emotional intelligence.
On this note, the authors focus on AI taking over jobs and reassure readers that instead of doing so, it will change the nature of business as a whole. Rather than fearing AI, companies must foresee and understand the new grounds for innovation, productivity, and efficiency that it provides.
In a nutshell, this book teaches you about:
- The fusion of AI and human efforts in business and its benefits.
- The roles of AI in business, including improving human efficiency and providing a middle ground between humans and machines through technologies like chatbots.
- The impact of AI on jobs and the need to shift people’s thinking regarding this technology.
2. “Superminds: The Surprising Power of People and Computers Thinking Together” by Thomas W. Malone
The title “Superminds” refers not to actual human brains (i.e., minds) but rather to an intelligent system where groups of people and machines can collaborate. Thomas W. Malone reasons that when humans work in groups, they form a powerful collective intelligence. Combine that with AI, and you can perform better analyses, gather more data or information, and make complicated decisions with much more confidence than before.
The book gives real-life examples of these superminds, such as Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia written by a group of volunteers. The book also presents case studies on how AI is used in such companies to improve decision-making and collaboration.
The book is insightful, providing evidence that AI allows your teams to work faster and smarter, making them capable of handling more complex problems.
3. “The Future of Work: Robots, AI, and Automation” by Darrell M. West
The book highlights that human skills, such as emotional intelligence and creativity, cannot be replicated by machines. People must adapt and acquire new skills to maintain and hone these two. In a period when everything is on the verge of automation, only low-skilled workers face the threat of unemployment. Highly skilled workers will adapt to automated environments.
The author encourages businesses to reframe their operations with technology. You can start by evaluating existing roles and identifying tasks you wish to automate. The book encourages readers to invest in training programs that move beyond the hierarchical structure of work and adopt more collaborative team-based approaches.
C-suite executives preparing for AI-driven shifts in the labor market will also benefit from this book. It addresses points related to AI adoption, such as economic inequality between low-skilled and high-skilled workforces and ethical considerations regarding privacy and job displacement. All of these insights will help you build a resilient and future-proof business.
4. “Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World” by Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani
“AI-centric organizations exhibit a new operating architecture, redefining how they create, capture, share, and deliver value.”By stating this, the authors explain that AI fundamentally changes how businesses operate, from strategy to management.
The authors shed light on how conventional business models shift their focus from traditional competitive advantages to standing out with the use of data. This data-centric approach allows businesses to make quick and responsive decisions regarding market trends.
Concerning algorithms, the authors explore how AI-driven companies like Amazon and Google scale rapidly. Both companies have collected extensive data since their inception. Analyzing and utilizing this data helps continuously refine their algorithms to drive growth and expansion.
The authors suggest measures traditional businesses can take to adapt to the challenges posed by AI-driven companies. The book educates leaders about incorporating a work culture capable of embracing new technologies and handling them effectively.
5. “Artificial Intelligence in Practice: How 50 Successful Companies Used AI and Machine Learning to Solve Problems” by Bernard Marr With Matt Ward
This book illustrates how AI and machine learning transform businesses across various industries through case studies, real-life examples, and insights from companies like Google, Rolls-Royce, and Alibaba. It highlights the ways 50 different companies have used AI to improve efficiency and develop innovative solutions.
This book is a resource for business leaders looking to adopt AI. It teaches you:
- How AI can play a role in cutting costs and streamlining workflows.
- How businesses can use AI in personalizing their customer experience.
- Why data is important in driving decision-making.
Each case study highlights AI capabilities for optimizing business processes, such as machine learning, NLP, and automation. In short, this book helps you understand the benefits of AI and identify the solutions that work best for your business model.
6. “Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence” by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb
As the book’s title suggests, the premise of “Prediction Machines” is that AI is a tool for making better predictions. It forecasts trends and outcomes far better than any human ever could, especially if the sample size is enormous.
Before AI, a business had to rely solely on gut feeling or expensive human expertise to make realistic business predictions. With AI, decision-making costs and time factors have become more straightforward.
The book provides immense value for C-suite executives or executive-level managers, helping them understand AI’s business value. The authors supply a detailed, economics-based framework that factors in everything from cost efficiency to new business opportunities. The book helps leaders make informed decisions as they move toward the future with dependable technology like AI assisting them.
7. “AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order” by Kai-Fu Lee
“When Chinese investors, entrepreneurs, and government officials all focus on one industry, they can truly shake the world,” Kai-Fu Lee says in his book “AI Superpowers.”
As he explores the global race for AI dominance, he informs readers that China once considered a runner-up in technological innovations, is now toe-to-toe with Silicon Valley. This book not only offers you a lesson in history and current affairs but also enlightens you about AI’s benefits for organizations.
Lee believes that AI could potentially disrupt and displace a few repetitive jobs. However, it will also lead to the creation of new jobs that require human creativity and intelligence. The author emphasizes that governments and businesses must prepare for the job disruption that AI will eventually cause.
“AI Superpowers” is also ideal for global-minded executives looking to understand AI’s impact on international business. The U.S. is a pioneer in innovation and research, while China stands strong with its massive database and ability to implement technology faster.
8. “The Fourth Industrial Revolution” by Klaus Schwab
Artificial intelligence is bringing change. “The change is so profound that, from the perspective of human history, there has never been a time of greater promise or potential peril,” Klaus Schwab says in this book. AI is part of a more significant technological revolution blurring the lines between life’s physical, digital, and biological spheres. The book focuses on this fourth industrial revolution and how it disrupts already established business models. It also reveals how businesses must innovate and adapt rapidly to fight these disruptions.
Schwab highlights AI’s societal impact by addressing potential job displacement, changes in labor markets, and the dire need for reskilling or upskilling workers. He explores how businesses can innovate and thrive while using AI strategically.
9. “The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity” by Amy Webb
“AI is the technology upon which our future is being built because it intersects with every aspect of our lives,” according toAmy Webb in her book “The Big Nine.” She examines how nine dominant tech companies (Amazon, Google, Apple, Facebook, IBM, Microsoft, Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent) are shaping the future of AI.
These companies are accelerating AI innovations to gain an advantage over intense corporate competition and increase shareholder value. As a result, these tech titans control the future of AI as they oversee and govern platforms and tools that other businesses and individual users rely on.
If you’re a business leader, “The Big Nine” is not just a book; it is also a guide to gaining a competitive advantage using artificial intelligence. The author lays down a path for you to adopt AI ethically and identify potential risks and problems you may face.
You will learn how to make your business relevant and be equipped with AI to stay ahead of others in the market.
Ready to Give AI a Shot?
These books provide invaluable insights into the power of AI, offering practical strategies to drive efficiency, enhance decision-making, and elevate your business’s success.
If you’re exploring AI for your business, consider how Nextiva’s unified customer experience platform can transform your customer interactions. With features like AI-driven sentiment analysis, automated workflows, and predictive analytics, Nextiva enables your team to anticipate customer needs, resolve issues faster, and create personalized experiences that leave lasting impressions.
Discover how Nextiva’s AI capabilities can empower your business to deliver exceptional customer experiences and achieve new levels of success.
Your AI-Powered Contact Center
50% reduction in wrap-up time with generative AI-powered agent assist and summarization.
