The COVID-19 pandemic has propelled businesses into a strange new reality. For many, the dynamics of virtually every aspect of operations have shifted overnight. Few have remained unscathed - organisations are faced with the need to scale back operations and cut costs, create and manage virtual workforces, or ramp up and adapt to sudden surges in demand for their products or services. Some organisations face all these challenges simultaneously.

“Inertia is a powerful force,” says Ron Cohen, M.D., CEO of Acorda Therapeutics. “Unless some disruptive energy is applied to change the trajectory of something you believe needs to be changed, you will wind up on the same trajectory forever.”

Some of the world’s biggest companies are relying on A.I. to build a better workforce. But be warned: The tech can create new problems even as it solves old ones.