In this bonus episode of The Evolving Leader, host Jean Gomes speaks with Damian Lowe, a senior software engineer at Symphony AI. They discuss how many of us have moved beyond the initial reactions to services like ChatGPT towards a current phase focused on experimenting, learning, and building. Damian shares that for programmers, AI tools like large language models (LLMs) are already providing a tangible 10-20% productivity gain for tasks like code suggestions and reviews, noting that both the technology and human adaptation are still maturing. However he adds that while AI excels at basic or medium tasks, its performance degrades quickly at higher complexity levels, often producing "nonsense," and he emphasizes that effective adaptation requires not just better prompting, but a crucial understanding of the difference between how machines "think" (based on probabilities) and how humans think.
Looking ahead, Damian is optimistic that within 3-5 years AI could make many jobs significantly easier, potentially reducing "grunt work" and fostering more creativity through effective human-machine collaboration. He underscores the importance for leaders in helping teams understand AI's capabilities and limits, encouraging experimentation, and stresses the need to maintain critical thinking and human skills alongside AI adoption.
Other reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading In A Non-Linear World (J Gomes, 2023)
The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence (S Allender, 2023)
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The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.
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After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think.
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