BRENDAN KING.
    Book Brendan

    02 / The Evolution of AI

    Seven shifts. This one generates the software.

    I have worked through seven technology shifts. Here is the timeline, one line each.

    The Evolution of AI is my framework for the shift from software that assists a human operator to AI that owns ongoing work under human direction.

    By Brendan King · Last updated:

    Key points

    • Three steps: AI makes people more productive, does jobs when asked, then owns ongoing work.
    • Five autonomy rungs run from Macro Recorder to Autopilot Employee.
    • Humans assign outcomes, preserve business logic and re-test when models change.
    1. 1989. Personal computing.

      From recycling toner cartridges to building PC clones.

    2. 1999. SaaS.

      Hosted, self-serve software, before the model had a name.

    3. 2008. The zero moment of truth.

      Mobile broke advertising. Reputation and social mattered.

    4. 2014. The ecosystem era.

      A platform and a marketplace for partners.

    5. 2020. Remote and digital.

      E-commerce and remote tools.

    6. 2023. AI arrives.
    7. 2026. The seventh shift.

      The earlier shifts changed how we distribute and access software. This one changes how we generate it.

    Three steps of AI at work

    1. AI makes you more productive. Copilot. Drafts. Faster humans. Necessary, but not the product.
    2. AI does jobs when asked. Book the appointment. Answer the phone. Write the reply. This is software with a chat box.
    3. AI owns ongoing work. It holds a job, not a prompt. It runs whether or not someone is at the keyboard. This is delegation.

    From ask to do

    Ask culture has a ceiling, and the ceiling is the number of humans you have. Do culture assigns the outcome. Stop asking. Start assigning.

    The autonomy ladder

    Five rungs.

    1. Macro Recorder.

      The human clicks and confirms.

    2. Copilot.

      The human decides, then hits Run.

    3. Coworker.

      The human pre-approves rules and spot-checks the output.

    4. Agent.

      The human watches the numbers and steps in on alerts.

    5. Autopilot Employee.

      The human sets strategy and manages a fleet of AIs.

    We rent the model. We own the logic.

    Models change under you with no version bump. Capture the business logic. Compile it to whatever prompt the active model needs. Re-test on every swap.

    Liquid Software The Dark Factory

    Questions about The Evolution of AI

    What changes in this technology shift?

    The earlier shifts changed how we distribute and access software. This shift changes how we generate it. I trace that progression through seven shifts, beginning with personal computing in 1989.

    What is the difference between asking AI and assigning work?

    Asking AI means a person starts each task. Assigning work means defining an ongoing job and its outcome. The AI runs that job while the human directs it and handles exceptions.

    What are the five levels of AI autonomy?

    My autonomy ladder has five rungs: Macro Recorder, Copilot, Coworker, Agent and Autopilot Employee. Human involvement shifts from clicking and confirming to setting strategy and managing a fleet of AIs.

    Why stay model-agnostic?

    Models change. I want the business logic captured independently of the model, compiled into the instructions the active model needs, and re-tested whenever that model changes.