AI, Autonomous Transformation And Business Strategy: Dinis Guarda Interviews Brian Evergreen, Founder Of The Future Solving Company

In the latest episode of the Dinis Guarda Podcast, Brian Evergreen, founder of The Future Solving Company discusses the evolving landscape of AI,  the concept of ‘Autonomous Transformation’, and how businesses can leverage AI agents for future growth, alongside his upcoming initiatives Snoop Dogg's summit & future solving world tour. The podcast is powered by Businessabc.net, Citiesabc.com, Wisdomia.ai, and Sportsabc.org.

Brian Evergreen is a recognised expert in artificial intelligence (AI) and strategy. He is the author of ‘Autonomous Transformation: Creating a More Human Future in the Era of AI’, which has been praised as a "Must-Read" by the Next Big Idea Club and named one of Thinkers50’s Top 10 Best New Management Books for 2024. 

He was also included in Edelman’s Top 50 AI Creators You Need to Know in 2025. Brian is also the founder of The Future Solving Company, where he helps organisations prepare for the future of AI. He has provided advice to over a dozen Fortune 500 companies, drawing on his experience at leading firms like Accenture, AWS, and Microsoft. At Microsoft, he served as the Global Head of Autonomous AI Co-Innovation and led AI Strategy for Microsoft US.

During the interview with Dinis, Brian discusses AI strategy for corporate transformation:

“The vast majority of organisations at the time were trying to figure out how to take the digital transformation Playbook and apply it to AI... and there's a number of reasons that was never going to work.

The goal was we needed to figure out why people didn't like the Microsoft AI stack at the time... and yet the amount of adoption that was anticipated, we felt like there was so much more opportunity to unlock.

What they need to actually be able to unlock the amount of opportunity that these Technologies present, that's why I started talking about autonomous transformation, now it's going from digital to autonomous, the new mile marker is autonomous.”

'Autonomous Transformation': Shaping purpose-driven leadership

As the interview continues, Brian discusses the core concepts of his book, ‘Autonomous Transformation’, which introduces frameworks designed to help leaders navigate the evolving landscape of AI, automation, and business transformation, he says,

"One key idea covered is systems thinking, which includes the concept of systemic design. 

‘Fire was not discovered; it was designed,’ this quote from Harold Nelson captures the essence of systemic thinking, where you don’t just follow a process, but actively design the future, even if it’s on a small scale, with the agency to improve systems.

We’re starting to move beyond digital transformation toward this era of autonomous transformation... Digital transformation involves improving processes without changing their nature, but autonomous transformation is fundamentally about changing those processes.

Digital reformation is the process of improving something from analog to digital without actually transforming it... It's about increasing efficiency but not changing the underlying nature of the process.

Problem-solving is about getting rid of what you don’t want, while future-solving is about getting what you do want. They’re not the same thing.

We have to protect our mental models from logical fallacies. Just because someone is an expert in one field doesn’t mean they’re an expert in AI or blockchain."

Talking about  the dangers of data-driven approaches, Brian says:

"Being data-driven is fundamentally unscientific. The scientific method involves conducting experiments, analysing results, and drawing conclusions, whereas in business we just gather data and make decisions based on it without real experiments.

Instead of measuring outcomes as pass or fail, we should measure whether a hypothesis is true or false and use that to make decisions.

We have to stop flattening everything to numbers and focus on what we’re trying to achieve as a company. It's not about the numbers, it's about the theory of what will make us successful.

If I say, 'I need groceries for a party,' and then the groceries show up without me needing to intervene, that’s the essence of autonomous transformation—where AI and agents are doing the work in a way we never imagined before."

The Future of AI: The potential of autonomous AI agents

Brian discusses his perspective on the future of AI, distinguishing between the hype surrounding LLMs and the true capabilities of AI agents:

"I do not think that we're on a path or that we've reached any form of AGI. I personally have not seen anything that would give me that impression. There's a lot of excitement, but I believe we're on an S-curve, and not everything is moving as quickly as some people think.

Generative AI, especially tools like ChatGPT, are exciting because they’re the first version of AI that anyone can easily access and experience. People who know nothing about AI can type into ChatGPT and see what it can do. That’s why it took off the way it did."

Talking about agentic AI and its potential, Brian says,

"People are getting excited about AI agents, especially with the focus on LLMs. However, I believe LLM-based agents are more like 'mouth-for-brain' AI because they lack true cognitive capabilities. It's not a brain; it's just a tool for decision-making.

Creating one AI agent to do everything is like a one-man band. It might impress in one context, but it’s not suitable for complex environments like enterprises where even 1% error can cause significant losses."

Brian discusses the evolution and application of AI agents in industries:

“First, you have AI systems that are a source of information, like a source in an intelligence community—providing answers, but they may need verification. Then, you have researchers who dig deeper, like generative models that find information. The third type is a trainer, where systems use expert videos to train users. The fourth is the true AI agent, which can make decisions autonomously and complete tasks like organising a party or shopping for you.

As a true AI agent, from my side as a consumer, I shouldn’t need to know how many agents are involved. I only care about the outcome: Does it do the thing well and on time, without making unnecessary purchases or mistakes?.”

On the potential of AI agents in business, Brian says:

“In the future, AI agents will interact behind the scenes, blurring the lines between organisations. For example, if two lumber companies are sending trucks across the country with the same goods, AI agents will allow these organisations to interact and trade resources seamlessly, making it more efficient and cost-effective.

We're headed toward a Symphony of Agents—where agents master individual skills. Just like a violinist or trombonist, agents will specialise in specific tasks, and our role as humans will be to compose the process and conduct the symphony, making it efficient and valuable.

We’re going to see more value creation through these AI agents, adding more value than we could have created with just traditional models.

AI agents will be microtransacting and negotiating across different agents, taking care of tasks behind the scenes without us needing to be involved in every transaction. It’s an interconnected system that’s more efficient than anything we’ve seen before.”

Brian also discusses building better AI agents:

"AI agents should have neural networks trained on deep reinforcement learning, either through data-driven simulation or first principles. The only time an LLM should be involved is during training or as a tool to interact with the agent, not as the decision-maker itself.

There's an S-curve in technological progress. It's easy to assume that because AI has advanced rapidly in the past few years, it will continue on the same path, but we must recognise the natural progression from digital to autonomous systems.

In an enterprise context, we cannot afford errors or hallucinations from AI agents, especially in high-stakes environments like manufacturing. AI agents need to be trained specifically to develop skills, using simulations to improve their decision-making."

The key to AI success in business

Brian emphasises the true impact of AI on business:

"I think that use cases are a distraction because a use case can make you feel like you're getting something done, but you might be making a process that you should actually have replaced altogether.

We have a vision gap where people need to have a vision for what it is they actually want to achieve in the first place based on their core competency. And you can't outsource that. It needs to come from within the organisation.

You need to be customer-first, and value-first. Think about what would make this process or this thing better, and then work backwards.

Focus on value first, not on the next flashy thing. Some software engineers at the University of Washington built an app that helped hair salons. It wasn't the most exciting thing, but it added incremental value and is now a multi-million-dollar business. It's those types of examples that excite me."

It’s about figuring out if AI plays a role in your vision or not. Start with value, then ask, 'How can AI help here?' rather than starting with AI and trying to fit it into something that doesn't need it."

Snoop Dogg's summit & future solving world tour

Concluding the interview, Brian shares exciting upcoming initiatives that blend innovation, business, technology, and culture:

“I'm co-hosting a summit with Snoop Dogg at his compound in Los Angeles. It’s bringing together business, tech, and Hollywood leaders for a nonpartisan conversation about the future.

We’ll have a series of Fireside panels, such as the future of music, future of AI, future of work, and more. Snoop will lead the conversation on the future of music."

Talking about the Future Solving World Tour, Brian says,

"The world tour aims to bring thought leaders together with senior executives. We’re focusing on the gap where senior executives often don’t have the opportunity to gather with others in similar roles in their local market.

We pair these leaders with thought leaders, like having someone like Rita McGrath join us for dinner or breakfast to hear from industry intellectuals.

We’re partnering with companies to choose the right cities, topics, and people to bring together. It's an exclusive, VIP experience for senior leaders in the industry.

If you’re a VP or a C-level executive and you’d like to participate in the world tour, you can sign up on our platform."