Lak Ananth with Kevin Maney

The Human-Machine Company

“A must-read framework for thinking about business in the 21st century.”

Oren Etzioni

Founding ceo, The allen institue for ai

Available at

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Praise for The Human-Machine Company

“The Human-Machine Company is the antidote to today’s fears about AI. Lak Ananth and Kevin Maney show how machine intelligence and human intelligence can complement—rather than compete with—one another, unleashing breathtaking new opportunities and reimagining business in the age of AI.”

Joanne Lipman

Bestselling Author, Journalist, and Yale Lecturer

“A clear framework for leaders looking beyond mere adoption toward the intentional design of the next generation of enterprises.”

Gopal Srinivasan

Chairman & Managing Director, TVS Capital

“In moments of peak turbulence, asking the right questions is more important than locking in on temporary answers. The Human-Machine Company offers leaders navigating the AI revolution vital guidance for both immediate action as well as long-term strategy. Timely and thought-provoking.”

Ron Adner

Professor, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Author of the wide lens

About The Human-Machine Company

Artificial intelligence is not just another technological wave; it’s a fundamental shift in how companies are built, operated, and led. The Human-Machine Company argues that the organizations that thrive in the coming decades won't simply use AI tools more efficiently. They'll be redesigned from the ground up as hybrid systems where human and machine intelligence work together in new ways.

Drawing on historical parallels, contemporary case studies, and insights from the front lines of venture investment, the book explains why machine intelligence scales knowledge work, why human creativity and judgment become more critical, and why the most successful companies will be those that build blended cultures where people and intelligent systems collaborate seamlessly.

For more information, read the press release.

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Published by

Ideapress

Distributed by

Simon & Schuster

Additional praise for The Human-Machine Company

“A compelling guide for boards, business leaders, and organizational teams. The Human-Machine Company explores how enterprises can craft their unique strategies in the Age of AI by bringing together their data, methods, culture, and people with intelligent machines. With better outcomes for society at large!”

K. Ananth Krishnan

Former Executive VP & CTO, Tata Consultancy Services

“Machines master the past, humans make the future. That insight sits at the heart of this book, and it reaches far past music. Essential reading for any leader who wants to build with AI without hollowing out the thing that made their organization worth building.”

Panos A. Panay

President, The Recording Academy and Author of Two Beats Ahead

“Transforming a company with AI is multidimensional work. It takes technology, data, and above all, culture. We are living this transformation at Siemens every day, and The Human-Machine Company is the clearest guide I have seen to getting it right.”

Roland Busch

CEO, Siemens

“There are two ways to build a business in the age of AI: the wrong way, and the right way. This tour de force traces both paths through Meta, Siemens, Fannie Mae, and elsewhere, ending with a must-read framework for thinking about business in the 21st century.”

Oren Etzioni

Professor, University of Washington; Founding CEO of the Allen Institute for AI

Meet the authors

Lak Ananth

CEO and Managing Partner, N47

Lak Ananth is the global managing partner of N47, a $2 billion+ venture firm. A former dot-com-era engineer, he has backed category-defining companies including Verkada, Tractian, and VAST Data, and works daily with founders building AI-native companies. His first book, Anticipate Failure, was named one of Soundview's best business books of 2022. He lives in Silicon Valley.

Kevin Maney

Technology journalist and author

Kevin Maney is a technology journalist and historian, and co-founder of Category Design Advisors. He has authored or co-authored more than a dozen books, including Play Bigger and Red Bottom Line. His newsletter, Front Row Seat For a Revolution, focuses on tech history and its relevance today.