Why AI Lacks the Vision Needed to Shape the Future

Ueno, who has spent four decades at the Japanese conglomerate, utilizes AI as a high-speed research tool to bypass hours of manual record-searching. This efficiency supports his management philosophy of immediate decision-making, allowing him to resolve issues on the spot rather than allowing administrative back-and-forth to linger. However, he warns against relying on algorithms for strategic foresight. After testing AI for high-level decision-making, he dismissed the output as unusable, noting that the technology merely synthesizes historical patterns rather than generating original concepts.

Developing kosoryoku does not demand the invention of revolutionary products from thin air. Ueno suggests that employees can cultivate this vision by iterating on existing frameworks and refining them through a unique lens. To maintain this creative clarity, he prioritizes complete disconnection from work during weekends, asserting that mental rest is a prerequisite for generating fresh ideas. Ultimately, while AI may master the task of understanding the past in seconds, the responsibility for defining the trajectory of the future remains a strictly human endeavor.