In the late 1990s-early-2000s timeframe, the term “creative destruction” came into vogue, as digital-native businesses swept away cobwebs in their respective markets, spurring an ensuing wave of re-invention across established companies.
Now, some say artificial intelligence is ushering in a new era of creative destruction – but what exactly is being creatively destroyed, and what’s replacing it? And is it on the level of the digital and e-commerce wave of the 1990s and early 2000s?
We are entering a new period of creative destruction, claim the authors of a recent study of 2,000 business leaders by the IBM Institute for Business Value. As AI proliferates, “it’s burning away outdated habits that suffocate growth,” they noted. “While it’s unclear what exactly will emerge from the ashes, this reset makes room for fresh ideas to flourish.”
Tellingly, 68% of leaders say AI changes aspects of their business that they consider “core,” the survey finds.
As a result, leaders are rethinking everything—”from the products and services they offer to how they run their business. And this creative destruction is redefining entire markets,” the IBM authors stated.
“Manufacturers aren’t just making things anymore,” they explained. “They’re retooling their operations to become software companies – developing AI-powered predictive maintenance solutions that optimize product performance and customer outcomes. Retailers aren’t just selling products. They’re asking their teams to sell experiences—making AI-enabled immersive and personalized engagement essential.”
A number of industry leaders aren’t just concurring with the IBM report’s conclusions – they are living them. Jim McCullen, chief technology officer at Century Supply Chain Solutions, for example, is seeing a shift away from an emphasis on AI productivity and toward autonomous decision-making, negotiation, and self-evolving logistics ecosystems across trading networks.
Imagine, for example, self-reconfiguring supply chains that can reroute around global trouble spots, tariff zones, or weather events. “Instead of tweaking existing logistics networks, AI could design entirely new trade routes, distribution hubs, and manufacturing locations based on real-time market shifts, bypassing traditional constraints,” McCullen predicted.
Another example of creative destruction is autonomous negotiation systems, McCullen continued. “AI-powered agents could handle contract negotiations between shippers, carriers, and suppliers without human intervention. Freight rates, capacity planning, and even trade agreements could be optimized dynamically, shifting logistics from a reactive to a predictive model.”
There will likely be three distinct stages of the AI-driven creative destruction process that will extend over the next decade, said Amir Barsoum, founder and managing partner at InVitro Capital, an AI-focused venture studio:
- Currently: autonomous AI agents taking automation to a new level: Agents are moving AI “beyond repetitive tasks into sophisticated roles involving problem-solving and complex decision-making,” Barsoum said. Expect to see innovations such as “AI fundraising agents capable of independently crafting compelling investment pitches, coordinating investor outreach, responding to complex queries, and autonomously closing deals, alongside human supervision. These types of agents will swiftly move beyond simple tasks, reshaping roles previously thought secure from automation.”
- Next 1-3 years: AI innovation will integrate into the physical world. “Autonomous technologies – such as highly sophisticated self-driving vehicles – will become abundant, significantly outperforming today’s capabilities,” said Barsoum. “Practical robotic solutions will emerge, seamlessly handling complex household chores and property maintenance tasks. These technologies will not only perform tasks efficiently but also make decisions in real-time, learning and adapting continuously.”
- Next decade: Artificial general intelligence integrated seamlessly into everyday life. “AI will transition from task-oriented agents to human-like multi-tasking companions,” said Barsoum. These include “robots capable of managing entire household operations, engaging in meaningful conversations, writing emails or creative documents autonomously, cooking sophisticated meals, managing household finances, and more. These AGI-driven robots will understand nuanced context, interpret human emotions and preferences, and perform tasks traditionally reserved exclusively for humans, operating seamlessly across physical and digital domains.”
At the same time, much of the creative destruction ahead may not be loud and attention-grabbing –rather, it may take the form of a more “quiet evolution,” said Bryan Sapot, vice president of smart factory at Nulogy. Make sure there is a well-designed replacement before tearing down older technology and processes, he urged. “AI is overhyped and due for a reset in which manufacturers recognize it isn’t a magic solution,” he said.
“AI isn’t going to design your ERP from scratch and it isn’t going to take over factories,” Sapot continued. “But it can quietly make individual processes — maintenance, quality, diagnostics — smarter and faster.” This takes the right data, and building a supportive framework is going to take a number of years, he added.
Business leaders in the IBM report also signaled caution before leaping into AI transformation, with only 25% of AI initiatives having delivered expected ROI over the last few years. A majority, 64%, acknowledge that the risk of falling behind drives investment in some technologies before they have a clear understanding of the value they bring to the organization. Only 37% say it’s better to be “fast and wrong” than “right and slow” when it comes to adoption.
The IBM report’s authors urged leaders of even the most established organizations to think like start-ups. “Be willing to break with the past. Lean into what you want your business to look like in three years – even if it seems impossible today.” Part of this involves taking a product development approach to transformation, “encouraging teams to quickly adopt new strategies, measure their success, and then iterate based on what they’ve learned to avoid executing on outdated long-term plans.”
