Articles by Rishad
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Rishad Tobaccowala shared thisOn Machines. Art. Memory. Impermanence. Kunal Sen is a technologist and artist. He received a PhD. in AI in the 1980’s. He led digital evolution and technology initiatives at Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster as CIO. While he continued to work in technology , beginning in 2012, Kunal shifted his primary focus to visual arts and painting. Kunal joined me in a conversation Some key takeaways. Memory and Trust. In an age of AI, the Encyclopedia is grappling with how to leverage AI’s effectiveness in content production while retaining the trust and credibility of the brand which is based on human curation. The Encyclopedia Brittanica created was a tool for editors to write stories collaborating with AI. While there was efficiencies in the creation of the pieces the Editors found that fact checking and proof reading the AI took much more time than humans. The editors trusted the machine output less than human output. Humans have a much higher bar to tolerate mistakes from other humans than machines. An example is that today autonomous cars are much safer than humans but humans are far more skeptical about the abilities of the machines. Another example of trust is the importance of a formal account of record. Of trusted memory. When the Encyclopedia stopped publishing a print edition the Library of Congress which had bought a new edition every 3 years for over 200 years , called Kunal with a concern. Library of Congress had bough each new print edition because it allowed someone to check on the state of knowledge or culture over the decades by checking articles on the same subject across the years. A digital edition was not a static document changing in real time. What are the challenges when everything is impermanent and there is no shared memory? Art and Impermanence. Kunal believes that AI can be highly creative in that it can make things that are novel and useful. AI can make moves that no human would have conceived of such as move 37 when it played Alpha Go with the then world champion, Lee Sedol. After the game Lee said that he could not imagine any human making such a creative move. On AI making Art however Kunal was skeptical since he believes true art has three attributes. 1) Creativity 2) Intentionality and 3) Shared Experience. Machines can be creative but can they be intentional or is a human causing the intention? Even if machines had intention it is in the third attribute of shared experience that suggests machine generated creativity to fall short of being art. Because when we see a work of art we soon begin to imagine what the artist may have been feeling or seeing when he or she created it. There is no such “he” or “she” in AI art and this psychologically impacts us the viewer. Kunal reminds us that most literature and art is grounded in the passing of time and the impermanence of life. Machines do not grapple with death. More here: https://lnkd.in/gbcXeSSB
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Rishad Tobaccowala shared thisOnline influencers should take heed from developments in China Per Financial Times Chinese actors and online influencers have a new rival: cost-effective advanced AI video generation programmes that are threatening millions of jobs in a once-vibrant area of China’s gig economy. The release of powerful new AI-powered video software, such as tech group ByteDance’s Seedance 2.0 model, has allowed digital actors to replace humans, enabling the production of higher-quality original videos more quickly. The digital takeover intensified after this year’s release of Seedance 2.0, said Greg Wollner, a short-drama actor and producer in Beijing. Before its release, he was shooting three different productions a week. “And after that, everything just went.” Many of Wollner’s friends “had to quit doing what they love and change to something else”, he said. In May, 89 of the top 100 animated dramas on Douyin, ByteDance’s domestic Chinese version of TikTok, were AI productions according to DataEye, a marketing analytics company. In livestreaming ecommerce, AI-generated digital hosts can sell around the clock at roughly 10 per cent of the cost, according to estimates in China’s state-owned media. As of March, ecommerce platform JD.com’s digital hosts were being used by more than 70,000 merchants, according to the financial news outlet Yicai. A digital double of prominent human streamer Luo Yonghao outsold the real person in several product categories, generating Rmb55mn ($7.7mn) in just seven hours, according to Baidu. Whereas a three- to five-minute drama production would take five people three months to produce in 2024, according to Professor Shen Yang, director of the metaverse laboratory at Tsinghua University and director of AI animation firm Zeelin, today it takes a single employee one to two days. The average price was Rmb600-800 ($90-$120) per minute, 10 per cent of the cost of when humans were used. Zeelin published about 8,000 one-minute short-drama episodes in May.China’s actors written out of dramas as AI doubles ready to take their rolesChina’s actors written out of dramas as AI doubles ready to take their roles
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Rishad Tobaccowala shared thisMarian Goodell is the CEO of the Burning Man Project and in a conversation with Drew Ianni and I on the latest Unbossing podcast she provided a master class on leadership 1) Leadership styles need to evolve as the situation evolves. Great leaders adapt their style of leadership to the circumstances they face and the teams they lead. Some time one leads in a collaborative way and another in a command and control style. In today’s tectonic times where the foundations of many businesses are shaking the one size fits all model explains the rapid turnover of many leaders. 2) Community and Culture are the keys to organizational health. Every institution and organization succeeds and fails based on how well it understands and protects it’s culture while incorporating the input of its community. It is a balancing act between “a way” and “ a people”. The “way” of Burning man is that of decentralization, radical self-expression and participation. The “people” of burning man come from all over the world, include starving artists and technology billionaires who look to be transformed by being challenged by the environment, who seek to connect and find themselves by fusing with art and theater. To protect this culture and community Marion decided not to hold a Burning Man in 2021 since Covid was still in the air and there was not enough time to hold a safe and high quality event. But Marian also attended the “Renegade Burn” where 12,000 people created their own Burning Man putting into practice the cultural DNA of decentralization, self-expression and participation. Some things are never under one’s control and how one reacts to rebellion may determine the long term health and community of and culture 3) Burning Man provides lessons for the modern leader: Zone of Influence vs Zone of Control: In a distributed world with knowledge available to everybody a management style of command and control is being replaced by one of influence. The ideas of radical self-expression, decentralization and self-reliance seems to be a pre-cursor of the future of corporate design and career management. Importance of Generational Sensitivity: Today there is a huge rupture between the young and the old on issues from capitalism, the willingness to work in a corporation, risk taking and much more. Often people are speaking past each other. As the audience at Burning Man grew older the organization went out of its way to understand and welcome a new generation who in turn leveraged social media to promote the experience Instagram in particular). Listening has never been as critical. The future is about combining story and spreadsheet: Successful leaders balance art, play and creativity with operational and financial discipline. One without the other leads to genetically deformed firms that cannot navigate the tides of change. Listen and learn more here https://lnkd.in/gGGTJ_Pf Gayle Troberman David Alberts Bubbler Media
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Rishad Tobaccowala shared thisThe Future is here today via Ema Take a watch and ask if your organization is ready to leverage AI to satisfy customers more while spending less Just one way that Ema is making tomorrow tangible today for world class companies that drive growth and margin Specifically NTT DATA runs IT service desks for some of the world's largest enterprises. Their old model was rigid chatbots with too many escalations. But now Ema solves tickets end-to-end—with upto 95% accuracy, and under 10% human escalations. 1M+ calls, 15+ languages, 90–95% resolution accuracy, under 10% human escalation. Fast, secure, enterprise-grade agentic AI in action. Learn how NTT DATA is using Ema's voice AI employees to rebuild the enterprise service desk — starting with a Fortune 100 global insurer. Surojit Chatterjee Swati Trehan Soumya RajaRishad Tobaccowala shared thisVoice is the most natural way people ask for help when something's broken. But IT service desks still run on rigid phone menus or rule-based interactions. NTT DATA is one of the world's largest application and infrastructure providers. Thye're now using Ema as a full-time Voice AI Employee at the front line for its enterprise clients' IT service desks — starting with a Fortune 100 global insurer. Their team had already tried the usual AI chatbots and found them unnatural. But Ema’s HR & ITSM AI employees work differently: Ema starts with the right follow-up questions to find the root cause, then executes the fix herself — in 15 languages, with up to 95% accuracy. The result? 1M+ calls and 90–95% of queries resolved end-to-end, with fewer than 10% of callers asking for human escalation. This is what fast, secure, enterprise-grade agentic AI looks like in action. Read our full case study at the link below. Abhinav Rajan S Karen Bryant Edoardo Tealdi Sujay Bhattacharya Tom Winstanley Tanvir Khan Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor Rishad Tobaccowala Ateet Jayaswal Wayne Butterfield Doug Robinson Jason Averbook J.J. Malfettone Sarah Masek KPMG Barbry McGann Workday Douglas Benowitz Victoria Grace Colle Capital Spencer Foust Sozo Ventures Gayathri Radhakrishnan Hitachi Ventures Sheena Jindal Sugar Free Capital Neil Tiwari Magnetar Biplab Adhya Wipro Ashutosh Sharma Prosus Ventures Andrew Harrison S32 Ben Fletcher Accel Subrata Mitra Anagh PrasadHow NTT Data transformed HR with Ema's AI employeesHow NTT Data transformed HR with Ema's AI employees
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Rishad Tobaccowala shared thisToday's Substack post revisits book Rethinking Work, 18 months after publication. A book that originally was rejected by HarperCollins three years ago ( they changed their mind and decided to publish it after McGraw-Hill bought it) because they believed it was a work of "science fiction" has now proven to be more prescient than anything written on the future of work. More importantly it is filled with actionable insights. The post shares the five forces changing work ( AI is just one) including societal change, new mindsets, the rise of a new type of worker and a plethora of marketplaces. Read why 1) Jobs are a silly phase work is going through 2) Covid was not about where we work but why we work 3) How the age of debossification is here and challenging leadership 4) Why most employees will not be full-time before the end of the decade 5) How we are moving to a company eco-system of whales and plankton 6) Why many of the financial metrics of a firm need to be changed The handbook for your company's future but more importantly for yours Work will change more this decade than it has in the past 50 years Also a SXSW video of my interview with Fortune whose first five minutes will change your perspectives. https://lnkd.in/g3WtEZtj
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Rishad Tobaccowala shared thisA free event with amazing speakers and everybody gets books and more Chicago Sept 9 Paul KurchinaRishad Tobaccowala shared this📅 REGISTER TODAY — DATA IN THE AI ERA: CONNECTING THE DOTS 🎟️ COMPLIMENTARY ONE-DAY MASTERCLASS — SEPTEMBER 9 | CHICAGO On September 9 in Chicago, six exceptional speakers will take participants through six Learning Modules, each building on the one before it, connecting leadership, data, trust, context, AI, and enterprise architecture into one coherent story. 📘 SIX LEARNING MODULES. SIX SPEAKERS. ONE CONNECTED LEARNING JOURNEY. 1️⃣ Leadership must evolve before technology creates value. Why AI is a business and leadership transformation—not just another technology cycle. 🎓 Rishad Tobaccowala Advisor & Author Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data 2️⃣ Better decisions begin with better thinking about data. Moving beyond dashboards toward truly data-inspired decision making. 🎓 Dr. Sebastian Wernicke Decision Architect & Author Data Inspired 3️⃣ We don’t just move data; we move human possibilities—and in the agentic era, we move consequences. Why trust, accountability, and governance are prerequisites for letting AI act on your behalf—not afterthoughts we address once something has already gone wrong. 🎓 Harveer Singh Former Chief Data Officer & Author When Data Moves 4️⃣ Context transforms trusted data into enterprise intelligence. How contextual intelligence is becoming the operating system for enterprise AI. 🎓 Kash Mehdi Field CTO & VP Reltio 5️⃣ Agentic Intelligence: Strategy at the Speed of Data. How to make your data work together—and work fast—as organizations move toward agentic AI. 🎓 Manish Sood CEO Reltio & Author Agentic Intelligence: Strategy at the Speed of Data 6️⃣ Enterprise Architecture connects it all. Connecting data, business context, applications, and AI into a coherent foundation for the autonomous enterprise. 🎓 Harish Parmar Principal Enterprise Architect SAP 💬 And the learning doesn’t end with Module Six. We’ll close the day with an interactive Speaker Conversation, bringing our speakers back together to field questions and help participants consider what all of this means for their own organizations. Conversation. Community. Connection. 📚 THE LEARNING CONTINUES BEYOND THE MASTERCLASS Participants will also take home four books from our Masterclass speakers as learning resources. 🤝 NETWORKING RECEPTION We’ll extend the learning beyond the sessions with a Networking Reception as an opportunity to continue the conversations, connect with fellow participants and speakers, and build new relationships. 📅 September 9, 2026 📍 The Forum at 110 N. Wacker Drive, Downtown Chicago ��� 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM (includes Networking Reception 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM) 🎟️ Complimentary Registration Space is limited to keep the Masterclass engaging, conversational, and interactive, so I encourage you to register today. For the complete program, speaker details, and registration: https://lnkd.in/gvNRWzJV I hope you’ll join us in Chicago!
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Rishad Tobaccowala shared thisDo you want to be inspired on how you can reinvent yourself even after a seasoned career , take away at least 3 ideas to use in your job and another 3 as you forge your career to be more successful and gain insights on the world of firms and how marketing really works? Do you have 39 minutes? Then ladies and gentlemen I give you Lou Paskalis in conversation with me We cover a) what to do now when you have a high powered job to prepare for when you do not ( hone a craft, invest in people and be kind to them, build a reputation ) b) Why not knowing the difference of how (optimizing) and the what ( marketer mindset) causes a lot of trouble and how to bridge the gap between signal and meaning. c) Why the science of marketing will finally show how important the art of marketing is which in turn will create a real renaissance in the field d) How to learn, the importance of presence and why embracing the chaos monkey is the dance to the future e) Relationships. Why they are key and how to build and nurture them f) Running a one person company. Key ways to make sure you get bought versus having to sell and how not to run out of cash. g) Why optimization is the enemy of innovation and why innovation is the only moat Thats just a bit. Take a listen and you will be better for it. And its ad free too! Here are the YouTube and Apple and Spotify links: YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gca77Fze Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gRQDa6Jm Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gQ5574ZT Ria Tobaccowala
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Rishad Tobaccowala shared thisTomorrow's marketing leaders are preparing today. Join me on September 17 for ANA’s Global Day of Learning as the marketing industry comes together to explore The Future of Marketing Work. It is virtual and global. Featuring live master classes, workshops, and world-class training; ANA's Global Day of Learning is the cornerstone of ANA's investment in the future of our industry. This is an opportune moment for the entire marketing org to invest a day in learning, connecting, and preparing for what's next. With session topics spanning across the ANA Industry Growth Agenda, there is something for every marketer. I will be doing a featured keynote on Rewiring Marketer Relevance for Tectonic times which is just one of many great elements of progamming! More here: ana.net/globalday and https://lnkd.in/gQqG8Kfw Association of National Advertisers
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Rishad Tobaccowala shared thisI will be doing both a workshop on "Upgrading Your Mental Operating System" and a Keynote on " How to thrive in Tectonic Times" on September 17 at the Insight Association Corporate Researchers Conference in Chicago. More information here: https://lnkd.in/g4b2tkur Insights Association Art Flanagan
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Rishad Tobaccowala liked thisRishad Tobaccowala liked thisMy new book, Profiles in Cowardice is out Sept. 15. It's about the epidemic of capitulation -- in law, academia, media, tech, finance, and politics -- to Donald Trump's authoritarian overreach. Our civic institutions must defend democracy, and I have some ideas about how they can do it.
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Rishad Tobaccowala liked thisRishad Tobaccowala liked thisAfter seven incredibly rewarding years, I am stepping down from my role as Associate Dean of IMC at Medill. It is difficult to capture seven years in a few paragraphs. When I look back, what I feel most is a tremendous sense of gratitude and pride in what we were able to build together. During these years, we welcomed an exceptional group of new faculty and colleagues, refreshed our curriculum to reflect a rapidly changing marketing and communications landscape, repositioned our graduate programs for the future, and launched Executive Education. We navigated our share of change and uncertainty, always intending to make our programs stronger and create the best possible experience for our students. But the accomplishments are only part of what I will remember. What made this role truly special were the people. I have had the privilege of working alongside extraordinarily talented faculty and staff, and I am deeply grateful for their ideas, commitment, patience, friendship, and willingness to work together to move things forward. To our students and alumni - thank you for continually reminding me why this work matters. Your ambitions, successes, questions, and occasional challenges 😊 made the role both meaningful and memorable. I am especially pleased to congratulate Jeffrey Treem as he takes on this role. Jeff is a thoughtful leader, a trusted colleague, and someone who cares deeply about our students, faculty, and the future of IMC. I could not be happier to see him take the reins. Thank you to everyone who was part of these seven years. It has truly been a privilege.
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Rishad Tobaccowala liked thisRishad Tobaccowala liked thisHow should writers and creative professionals think about AI? Instead of starting with the technology, Sally Ann O'Dowd, a MSJ alum from Northwestern University Medill School, started by listening. She went on a listening tour with marketing and communications leaders to understand how AI is changing their work. Roy Wollen sat down with Sally at Medill to hear what she learned... One of the most interesting conclusions: AI may actually *increase* the value of skills journalists and writers already have — asking good questions, communicating clearly, citing credible sources and telling compelling stories. And her advice for writers, content developers and journalists was especially compelling: in the age of AI, we need to invest in human creativity, lived experience, expertise and judgment — because those are the things that ultimately make AI better. That’s a conversation worth having at Medill. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIandCreativity #Medill #MedillExecEdSally O'Dowd shares what she learned about AI and creativity, after talking with Comms leadersSally O'Dowd shares what she learned about AI and creativity, after talking with Comms leaders
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Rishad Tobaccowala liked thisRishad Tobaccowala liked thisO primeiro palestrante do Universo TOTVS 2026 foi revelado: Rishad Tobaccowala. 🚀 Autor de “Restoring the Soul of Business” e “Rethinking Work”, Rishad foi eleito pela BusinessWeek um dos principais líderes empresariais por sua inovação pioneira, e já passou pelos maiores palcos do mundo, como o SXSW. No palco principal do Universo TOTVS 2026, Rishad vai analisar como a inteligência artificial e a capacidade humana se multiplicam quando trabalham juntas para transformar os negócios, a liderança e as novas formas de trabalho. Fique de olho no perfil da TOTVS, no LinkedIn, para saber os próximos nomes que estarão no maior evento de tecnologia e negócios do Brasil. Dias 13 e 14 de outubro, no Expo Center Norte, em São Paulo. As vagas para o Universo 2026 são limitadas. Link: https://lnkd.in/eh2rAcFp #UNIVERSOTOTVS2026 #VEMPROUNIVERSO #TOTVS
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Rishad Tobaccowala liked thisRishad Tobaccowala liked thisNobody starts a career dreaming of copying and checking. Of following up. Of doing the same thing, again and again. Somewhere along the way, work buried the part that made it worth doing. Tomorrow, Ema gives it back. Stay tuned. Surojit Chatterjee Swati Trehan Jason Averbook Rishad Tobaccowala Ateet Jayaswal Amee Desjourdy Kathi Enderes Kenny Kesar Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor
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Rishad Tobaccowala liked thisRishad Tobaccowala liked thisThe value of media isn’t just about who you reach, but the experience you create for them. That’s one thought shared by marketing leader, author and speaker Rishad Tobaccowala at AAM’s recent board of directors meeting where he challenged media organizations to consider how they fit into what he calls the “experience stack.” As audiences engage with media across more channels and touchpoints, Rishad argued that publishers should think beyond readership and consider how each interaction contributes to the overall experience and value they provide. In this clip, he explains why creating meaningful experiences should be an important part of how publishers think about engaging their audiences. #publishing #media #audience
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Rishad Tobaccowala liked thisRishad Tobaccowala liked thisTariq H. has about as varied a background as any C-suite would want. After cutting his teeth on the agency side in the ’90s at shops including Leo Burnett, Hassan has held senior marketing roles at HP, Bank of America, Petco, and most recently, McDonald's. That varied résumé is likely to serve the exec well because the challenges he faces at The Wendy's Company are just as assorted.Wendy’s New Marketing Chief Tariq Hassan Has 3 Big Problems to SolveWendy’s New Marketing Chief Tariq Hassan Has 3 Big Problems to Solve
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Rishad Tobaccowala liked thisRishad Tobaccowala liked thisVem saber mais sobre o Humanship Festival. Dois dias, dois formatos completamente diferentes: para quem atua em RH dentro de empresas, de quem já lidera times a quem está construindo sua carreira agora. No Dia 1, Teatro das Artes: Rishad Tobaccowala, autor de Rethinking Work e uma das maiores referências globais em futuro do trabalho. Julissa S. Germosén, speaker internacional e referência em conexão humana na era da IA. Maíra Blasi e Alexandre Pellaes, dois dos nomes mais relevantes em futuro do trabalho e novos modelos de gestão no Brasil. No Dia 2, Expo Center Norte: 8 arenas, 32 sessões paralelas. Você escolhe o seu caminho. 16 e 17 de outubro — sexta e sábado — em São Paulo. Participação por convite validado. Demonstre interesse: https://lnkd.in/ekQsx6k9
Projects
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A Company of One
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University of Chicago Booth School of Business Write Up
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Advertising Hall of Fame Write Up
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Rishad is only one of 300 people nominated to the Advertising Hall of Fame in over 75 years.
Honors & Awards
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Advertising Hall of Fame
AAF
One of fewer than 300 recipients in 74 years of the highest award to those in the Marketing, Media and Marketing Services Industry
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Silver Medal Award
Chicago Advertising Federation
Organizations
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Abundant Ventures
Advisor
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Greycroft Ventures
Advisor
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Kristian May Stewart, Ph.D.
CMOs Are More Focused On Growing Revenue Than Brand Awareness https://lnkd.in/g8jyVmuY Chief marketing officers are increasingly prioritizing direct revenue outcomes over traditional brand awareness efforts, influenced by economic pressures, performance measurement demands, and AI‑enabled tracking. This shift reflects a need for more measurable impact on business performance, with revenue growth becoming a leading strategic metric for modern marketing leaders. #CMOInsights #RevenueGrowth #MarketingStrategy #BrandVsPerformance #BusinessImpact #DataDrivenMarketing
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