MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Build a Diverse Team to Solve the AI Riddle

The term artificial intelligence describes algorithms that run on powerful computers to solve complex tasks, and computer scientists are indeed the most skilled at writing such algorithms. Yet systems designed by narrowly focused technical experts — such as computer scientists, engineers, and mathematicians — can produce disappointing results, as each expert sees every problem through the lens of his or her respective discipline. Mathematicians, for instance, attempt to solve every problem with statistics.

While it’s natural to assume that computer scientists play the lead role in AI development, not every problem lends itself to such obvious solutions. Systems that actually get the job done are in fact built by better-rounded teams. A diverse approach can maximize a project’s chance of success.

About the Author

Joseph Byrum is chief data scientist at Principal, a global financial investment and insurance company based in Des Moines, Iowa.

Learn more about MIT SMR.