In ‘Merchants of AI’, the author Anees Merchant, Global Head of Innovation, IP, and Analytics Consulting at C5i, explains why true transformation isn’t about automation or efficiency; it’s about building a new kind of partnership between human creativity and machine intelligence, says Amber Dias.
What do you mean by “intelligence transformation”?
Digital transformation was about doing the same things faster — email, cloud, automation. Intelligence transformation is about augmentation, not automation. It’s rethinking work when you have a thinking partner that never sleeps. Like a woodworker who uses AI for design consultations, not craftsmanship. The goal isn’t “AI will take your job,” but “AI can take the parts you don’t want anyway.” Businesses need to ask: What requires human empathy, creativity, and judgment? Protect that, and let AI handle the rest.
How do companies go wrong with AI?
By treating it like previous tech adoptions. AI isn’t software; it’s intelligence, which needs relationship, not implementation. Three big mistakes — focusing on tools over communication, delegating to specialists instead of democratising fluency, and optimising for efficiency instead of augmentation. The winners will treat AI fluency as a cultural shift, not a technical rollout.
Do creativity and empathy still matter?
More than ever. AI amplifies the lack of humanity — generic prompts create generic results. When humans bring emotional and creative specificity, AI becomes a true collaborator. The future belongs to those who stay deeply human while AI handles the rest
What’s your advice to those overwhelmed by AI?
Don’t ‘learn AI’. Talk to it. Start a conversation — write, revise, clarify. Fluency comes from dialogue, not perfect prompts. The overwhelm fades once you stop treating AI like software and start treating it like a partner.
