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Forbes
2 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Original Internet: Maritime Networks Predict AI's Impact On Work
Introduction: The Original Internet of Maritime Networks When we think about today's digital transformation, powered by artificial intelligence, we often imagine it as unprecedented. In reality, humanity has been here before. In the 15th and 16th centuries, maritime networks functioned as the 'original internet.' Caravels, carracks, compasses, and portolan charts connected continents, accelerated commerce, and transformed how people worked and created value. Much like our cloud servers and undersea cables today, these maritime innovations formed a global communications network. They reduced the time it took for information, goods, and people to cross the world—from years to months—and in the process unleashed profound changes in economics, governance, and human capital. The lesson for us in the AI era is clear: technology alone is never enough. Value creation depends on the systems, governance, and workforce skills that surround it. How Maritime Innovation Transformed Work and Value Creation Between 1400 and 1700, trade volumes increased tenfold. European prices for Asian spices dropped by as much as 70% because shipping routes became faster and more efficient. Port cities like Amsterdam grew by 400%, becoming thriving economic hubs. This boom reshaped the workforce. Navigators, cartographers, naval architects, and insurance underwriters became essential professions. Traditional roles—local traders, craftsmen, and feudal lords—had to adapt or risk irrelevance. Guilds and new institutions such as Portugal's schools of seamanship and Spain's Casa de Contratación standardized skills and created certification pathways. These were the original workforce development programs. At the same time, new business models emerged. The Dutch East India Company, often described as the first 'tech unicorn,' scaled global operations by pioneering standardized processes, inventing modern stock exchanges, and compensating employees with a mix of wages and profit shares. Maritime networks were not just about ships—they redefined work and value creation at every level. From Ships to Servers: Parallels With Today's AI Revolution Fast forward to today. Undersea cables now carry 95% of international data traffic, acting as the backbone of the digital economy. Cloud servers process information at a speed unimaginable in the maritime era. And artificial intelligence is becoming the new foundational technology, with McKinsey estimating AI could add between $2.6 and $4.4 trillion in global economic value annually. The parallels are striking. Ships connected continents; AI connects data and decisions. Maritime technology reshaped global trade; AI is reshaping industries from finance to healthcare. The same pattern holds: foundational technologies create waves of reinvention across business models, organizational structures, and workforce skills. Ecosystems, Not Tools, Drive Lasting Transformation The Portuguese had superior ships, but it was the Dutch who built the most resilient ecosystem—financing mechanisms, legal codes, insurance markets, and training institutions—that enabled them to dominate global trade. Similarly, AI adoption will not depend solely on deploying powerful models. Organizations need ecosystems: governance frameworks that manage ethical risks, data infrastructure that ensures reliability, and workforce training that builds human capability. Forbes recently noted that companies succeeding with AI are those that treat it as an ecosystem investment—integrating governance, skills, and cross-functional leadership rather than a technology project alone. Balancing Policy, Risk, and Opportunity in the Age of AI Thriving maritime nations balanced disruption with opportunity. England's Navigation Acts protected domestic shipping while supporting global trade expansion. Dutch financial innovations allowed risk management while fueling new ventures. The same balance is required today. Overregulation could slow innovation, while under-regulation risks ethical lapses and reputational damage. Board members and policymakers face an urgent responsibility: establish frameworks that both protect traditional industries and enable AI-driven reinvention. As Forbes has highlighted, AI governance is fast becoming a board-level imperative, with investors demanding greater transparency on both risks and opportunities. Systematic Skills Development: From Navigators to AI Specialists Just as navigators and cartographers emerged as new professions in the maritime era, AI specialists, prompt engineers, and risk auditors are becoming indispensable today. Navigational academies and apprenticeships were the maritime bootcamps of their time; today, companies like Google, Microsoft, and AWS are offering AI certification programs to accelerate workforce readiness. The economics mirror history. Skilled navigators once earned three to four times the wages of artisans. Today, AI talent commands wage million dollar premiums above traditional technical roles. Organizations that systematize workforce reskilling—rather than leaving it to individual initiative—will capture the largest productivity and financial gains. Measuring Transformation: Metrics Across Centuries We can quantify the similarities across technological revolutions: Then (1400–1700): Now (2020s):The pattern is unmistakable: early adopters rarely dominate. Systematic adapters—those who integrate technology into workforce strategy, governance, and operations—become the long-term winners. Why Systematic Adapters Win the AI Race The Portuguese were first movers, but it was the Dutch who sustained dominance. Their edge wasn't technology but systems: education, finance, governance, and human capital development. Today's lesson for AI is the same. Early experimentation—what McKinsey calls 'copilot mode'—is not enough. Companies that adapt their operating models, governance structures, and workforce programs systematically will outperform those who only pilot new tools. The Leadership Imperative: Linking AI, Work, and Value Creation History shows that ships alone didn't change the world—people, institutions, and governance did. AI will be no different. For CHROs, CFOs, and board members, this is not just about adopting a technology; it's about aligning ecosystems of governance, human capital, and finance to unlock sustainable value. The maritime revolution reminds us that the winners of technological disruption are those who build resilient systems around innovation. Today, AI may be the engine, but leaders must design the ship. If we get it right, the greatest value won't come from the technology itself—it will come from how we integrate AI into the human and organizational capabilities that power long-term growth.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
Laid-back Noord: a scenic antidote to the crowds of central Amsterdam
The evening sun glints across the quiet marina, and the wooden gable ends of the houses lean gently into a street whose silence is broken only by the trundle of an occasional bicycle. I'm having a glass of inexpensive, decent wine in a waterside bar: and even on this picture-perfect night it's quiet, with every customer around me speaking Dutch. This can't be Amsterdam, can it? A city that's overpriced, heaves with tourists, and is awash with busy canals and traffic. It feels a million miles away. In fact, the city centre is just 20 minutes up the road, because this is Nieuwendam, whose houses date from as long ago as the 16th century, built atop the dyke that kept the sea at bay from the pasture land that grew the crops to feed the city. I'm drinking in Cafe 't Sluisje, which for the last decade has been run by local residents. This is the most scenic quarter of Noord, the Amsterdam on the other side of the water from Centraal station. Noord is my home for the summer: my daughter and her Dutch partner live in Nieuwendam and I'm here to help with their baby, my first grandson. My childcare days are spent in leafy Noorderpark, or pushing the buggy through the shady woodland of Vliegenbos to the canal. A century ago this was Amsterdam's industrial heartland, and the streets are lined with the uniform, steep-roofed houses built for the workers. Today, almost in response to the excesses on display down the road, the area is flexing its hippy, alternative, laid-back side: my walks take me past floating homes, the occupants of one of which keep goats and chickens in a repurposed fire engine. In summer, lives spill out onto the pavements: most houses have tables, chairs, even sofas outside their front doors, and a sunny evening quickly becomes a convivial street party. Down by the water, sculptures by local artists peek through the long grass, and you can jump into the canal for a swim. For visitors, nowhere sums up the vibe of Noord better than Cafe de Ceuvel, a former shipyard, now a collection of shabby-chic vintage houseboats permanently moored around a meandering boardwalk; they're now artists' workshops and a yoga studio. The cafe is a glorious, colourful hotchpotch of recycled furniture, with some tables right at the water's edge – it's the perfect place to while away an afternoon drinking organic beers and wine. And if you need somewhere to stay, the Ceuvel has rooms in moored boats – its Hotel Asile Flottant has doubles from about €150 a night. Noord's best-known area is another shipyard called NDSM, an open space larger than 10 football pitches that is home to myriad art galleries, museums and outdoor sculptures and installations. A free ferry transports you there in 15 minutes from Centraal Station – on the way, you get a good view of the futuristic, swan-like Eye Filmmuseum. This, along with the Nxt Museum of technology, are among the most-visited attractions in Noord. Also popular is Pllek, a collection of repurposed shipping containers where you can eat anything from a laid-back brunch to dinner, with meditation and yoga sessions and live music also on the menu. Movies are screened on its beach, which has stunning views over to the city. My advice, though, would be to venture a little further afield, to a street such as Johan van Hasseltweg, which stretches across the peninsula in the opposite direction from NDSM. This is the locals' Noord, with its corrugated iron warehouses. Tourism is beginning to make its mark here, but only just: wedged between the long-established family businesses and garages are places such as Oedipus brewery, where you can try the citrusy, bestselling Bride, or the Pais Tropical, and which serves a melt-in-the-mouth smash burger. Nearby is Chateau Amsterdam, an urban winery and restaurant (open Wednesday to Saturday) where grapes from across Europe are used to make sauvignons and chardonnays, pinots and fizz. And at the very end of the street, where you're again at the water's edge, is another beach restaurant – De VerbroederIJ, with its own food garden and pigsty. If you want to push the boat out, you won't need a boat at all: it's a few minutes' walk to Hangar, my favourite Noord restaurant. The food – mostly burgers and salad – and the wine are great. But it's the ambience that makes it spectacular, with tables right by the water, and meals punctuated by giant barges cruising slowly by. Best of all, unlike many of the eateries in the 'centrum', it's never packed. And beyond the area's cool restaurants and vibe is the countryside – surprisingly close since 2018, when the metro's line 52 expanded, making Noord station just a four-minute journey from Centraal. Take your bike (you can do this at off-peak times) and within a few minutes of arriving, you'll be pedalling through lush fields and picturesque villages. Pack a picnic, because there isn't much in the way of bars and cafes out here. But as an antidote to the overcrowded city, it's unbeatable.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Laid-back Noord: a scenic antidote to the crowds of central Amsterdam
The evening sun glints across the quiet marina, and the wooden gable ends of the houses lean gently into a street whose silence is broken only by the trundle of an occasional bicycle. I'm having a glass of inexpensive, decent wine in a waterside bar: and even on this picture-perfect night it's quiet, with every customer around me speaking Dutch. This can't be Amsterdam, can it? A city that's overpriced, heaves with tourists, and is awash with busy canals and traffic. It feels a million miles away. In fact, the city centre is just 20 minutes up the road, because this is Nieuwendam, whose houses date from as long ago as the 16th century, built atop the dyke that kept the sea at bay from the pasture land that grew the crops to feed the city. I'm drinking in Cafe 't Sluisje, which for the last decade has been run by local residents. This is the most scenic quarter of Noord, the Amsterdam on the other side of the water from Centraal station. Noord is my home for the summer: my daughter and her Dutch partner live in Nieuwendam and I'm here to help with their baby, my first grandson. My childcare days are spent in leafy Noorderpark, or pushing the buggy through the shady woodland of Vliegenbos to the canal. A century ago this was Amsterdam's industrial heartland, and the streets are lined with the uniform, steep-roofed houses built for the workers. Today, almost in response to the excesses on display down the road, the area is flexing its hippy, alternative, laid-back side: my walks take me past floating homes, the occupants of one of which keep goats and chickens in a repurposed fire engine. In summer, lives spill out onto the pavements: most houses have tables, chairs, even sofas outside their front doors, and a sunny evening quickly becomes a convivial street party. Down by the water, sculptures by local artists peek through the long grass, and you can jump into the canal for a swim. For visitors, nowhere sums up the vibe of Noord better than Cafe de Ceuvel, a former shipyard, now a collection of shabby-chic vintage houseboats permanently moored around a meandering boardwalk; they're now artists' workshops and a yoga studio. The cafe is a glorious, colourful hotchpotch of recycled furniture, with some tables right at the water's edge – it's the perfect place to while away an afternoon drinking organic beers and wine. And if you need somewhere to stay, the Ceuvel has rooms in moored boats – its Hotel Asile Flottant has doubles from about €150 a night. Noord's best-known area is another shipyard called NDSM, an open space larger than 10 football pitches that is home to myriad art galleries, museums and outdoor sculptures and installations. A free ferry transports you there in 15 minutes from Centraal Station – on the way, you get a good view of the futuristic, swan-like Eye Filmmuseum. This, along with the Nxt Museum of technology, are among the most-visited attractions in Noord. Also popular is Pllek, a collection of repurposed shipping containers where you can eat anything from a laid-back brunch to dinner, with meditation and yoga sessions and live music also on the menu. Movies are screened on its beach, which has stunning views over to the city. My advice, though, would be to venture a little further afield, to a street such as Johan van Hasseltweg, which stretches across the peninsula in the opposite direction from NDSM. This is the locals' Noord, with its corrugated iron warehouses. Tourism is beginning to make its mark here, but only just: wedged between the long-established family businesses and garages are places such as Oedipus brewery, where you can try the citrusy, bestselling Bride, or the Pais Tropical, and which serves a melt-in-the-mouth smash burger. Nearby is Chateau Amsterdam, an urban winery and restaurant (open Wednesday to Saturday) where grapes from across Europe are used to make sauvignons and chardonnays, pinots and fizz. And at the very end of the street, where you're again at the water's edge, is another beach restaurant – De VerbroederIJ, with its own food garden and pigsty. If you want to push the boat out, you won't need a boat at all: it's a few minutes' walk to Hangar, my favourite Noord restaurant. The food – mostly burgers and salad – and the wine are great. But it's the ambience that makes it spectacular, with tables right by the water, and meals punctuated by giant barges cruising slowly by. Best of all, unlike many of the eateries in the 'centrum', it's never packed. And beyond the area's cool restaurants and vibe is the countryside – surprisingly close since 2018, when the metro's line 52 expanded, making Noord station just a four-minute journey from Centraal. Take your bike (you can do this at off-peak times) and within a few minutes of arriving, you'll be pedalling through lush fields and picturesque villages. Pack a picnic, because there isn't much in the way of bars and cafes out here. But as an antidote to the overcrowded city, it's unbeatable.
