AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand

AI is going to change brand strategy and marketing forever. Are you ready?

What does the rapid rise and astonishing rate of improvement of AI mean for brands in the next five years? Listen to what OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told authors Adam Brotman and Andy Sack when he met them: "It will mean that 95 percent of what marketers use agencies, strategists, and creative professionals for today will easily, nearly instantly, and at almost no cost be handled by AI. No problem."

Upon hearing that astonishing statement, the authors began a journey of discovery to understand what the transition to an AI first world would mean. You'll hear from a who's who of tech visionaries who spoke with the authors, including Altman himself, Bill Gates, and Reid Hoffman, sharing how they're thinking of the transition to the new reality. You'll also hear from practitioners bold enough to be surfing this tidal wave of change, including one who audaciously mandated experimentation with AI for all his employees.

Brotman is the former chief digital officer at Starbucks, pivotal in the development of the coffee giant's mobile payment and loyalty programs. Sack is a legendary tech visionary and former adviser to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Together, they formed the strategic consultancy Forum3 to take on every aspect of the challenge of becoming an AI first organization, including how you think about the design of jobs, what skills you need to develop within your organization, what your customers will expect from your brands, and how you can achieve early wins. In the AI first arena, where almost anyone can build creatively engaging brands quickly and cheaply, you need to know how to compete.

It's time to get ready for a brand-new world. Start here.

© 2025 Harvard Business Review Press (Ebook): 9781647829667

Release date

Ebook: 24 June 2025