What I Read This Month: July Edition
#68: 📚 Top 10 Must-Read Articles for Tech-Strategic Thinkers
This month, the readings converged on a strategic crossroads: Can organizations evolve their operating models fast enough to match the growing autonomy of their technologies?
From agentic AI systems and decentralized AI governance to blockchain-enabled compliance and cognitive augmentation, the recurring theme is unmistakable: the enterprise is becoming a network of adaptive agents, not just departments. July’s picks explore how to shape that transition with foresight, layered governance, and real-time strategic feedback.
Michael Watkins opens the month with a provocative challenge—will we use AI to think better, or let it think for us? AWS’s new suite of agentic tools signals the next leap in enterprise automation, while Lightchain AI’s upcoming mainnet launch marks a bold step toward decentralized AI infrastructure. Meanwhile, pieces from arXiv and modern diplomacy frame blockchain and AI not just as tech stacks—but as systems of trust, resilience, and strategic leverage.
“Will You Use AI to Think Better—Or Let It Think For You?” – Michael D. Watkins
📍 IMD
Why it matters: As AI becomes embedded in strategic workflows, leaders must distinguish between leveraging AI as a thinking enhancer versus surrendering cognitive agency. This reflection is central to building high-agency teams capable of critical synthesis in an AI-saturated world.
📖 Read: IMD
Various – Crescendo AI
📍 Jul 16
Crescendo and Amazon deliver breakthrough in voice AI for customer service
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: Launch of 24/7 voice AI for personalized phone support with seamless handoffs.AWS Unveils Agentic AI Tools
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: Amazon introduces "agentic AI" for automating multi-step enterprise workflows.Google’s “Big Sleep” AI Detects Dormant Domains at Risk
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: Google's tool targets web domains vulnerable to phishing/malware.EU Faces Backlash Over AI Guidelines
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: Critics say new EU rules stifle innovation and overwhelm startups.Lloyds Bank Launches Generative AI Assistant “Athena”
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: Athena helps with customer service, financial reports, and compliance.AI Detects Diabetic Eye Disease Early
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: AI screens for diabetic retinopathy before symptoms arise.Legal Framework Proposed for Ethical AI
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: Study recommends transparency audits and enforceable safety standards.Bloomberg Debuts AI Tool for Federal Budgeting
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: Tool simplifies budget tracking and improves government reporting.SoundHound Expands Voice AI into Healthcare
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: AI assistants streamline clinical intake and scheduling.Grok AI Issues Apology for Antisemitic Responses
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: X’s AI under fire; company pledges safety system updates.AI Misses Texas Floods; NOAA Cuts Blamed
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: AI failed to predict floods; experts warn of reduced forecast reliability.Tool Launched to Cut ChatGPT Emissions
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: New tool trims response lengths to lower carbon impact.Microsoft Rolls Out Copilot Vision AI
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: AI scans desktop to automate user tasks; privacy concerns raised.China Accelerates AI Amid Sanctions
Date: July 16, 2025
Summary: China innovates around chip restrictions, aiming for AI self-sufficiency.
Why it matters: Various
📖 Read: Crescendo AI
“Blockchain for Cross-Border AI Compliance” – Vikram Kulothungan
📍 arXiv
Why it matters: This paper outlines a decentralized compliance layer for international AI deployment. Its value lies in aligning policy with programmable enforcement—making global AI strategies more adaptive, trustworthy, and interoperable.
📖 Read: arXiv
“Blockchain as a Backbone for AI Transparency” – Afroja Akther et al.
📍 arXiv
Why it matters: Positions blockchain not as financial tech—but as a strategic enabler for AI accountability. Especially relevant for regulated industries, where auditable transparency is not optional, but foundational.
📖 Read: arXiV
“Why AI Metrics Are Misleading—and What That Means for Strategy” – Torsten Sløk (via TomsHardware)
📍 Jul 18
Why it matters: Echoing Benedict Evans’ earlier warnings, Sløk argues that current AI valuation models resemble dot-com era overreach. For strategy leaders, it’s a sobering call to scrutinize both performance metrics and macro signals before scaling AI bets.
📖 Read: Tom’s Hardware
“Governance for Autonomous Tech: Tax AI to Fund Resilience” – Laurence Tubiana (via The Guardian)
📍 Jul 17
Why it matters: Tubiana argues for taxing AI and crypto to fund climate initiatives. More than policy, it reflects a growing strategic narrative: that next-gen tech must internalize its externalities to earn its social license to scale.
📖 Read: The Guardian
“Fusion AI Summit: Decentralized AI Meets Generative Design” – Times of India
📍 Jul 25–26, Visakhapatnam
Why it matters: India positions itself at the forefront of decentralized generative AI. The summit highlights emerging open architectures that allow AI systems to evolve across geographies without central bottlenecks—hinting at a new global map of innovation.
📖 Read: TOI
“Smart Cities 2.0: NYC’s AI + Blockchain Public Service Pledge” – Eric Adams Campaign
📍 Jul 19
Why it matters: Adams’ re-election bid brings blockchain and AI to the civic forefront—from real-time translation to digital document interoperability. For strategy teams, it's a sign: smart city infrastructure is entering the phase of political, not just technical, commitment.
📖 Read: NY Post
“Trump’s $90 Billion AI & Infrastructure Plan” – Reuters
📍 Jul 15
Why it matters: Politics is now strategy. Trump’s plan, set to be unveiled at CMU’s Energy & Innovation Summit, positions AI not only as a tech agenda—but an industrial policy lever. Every strategy leader should be watching where federal funds are pointing.
📖 Read: Reuters
Other interesting developments…
On X…
Taken together, these July readings make one thing clear: the AI era is moving from acceleration to architecture. Systems are becoming self-organizing, governance is becoming embedded, and strategy must evolve accordingly—not just to keep up, but to shape outcomes with intent.
If June was about learning faster than change, July is about designing systems that reflexively govern and evolve themselves. That shift—from control to choreography—is what the next generation of strategy must master.
Let me know which of these insights resonated most with you in the comments 👇
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A. Pawlowski | The Strategy Stack
Thank you, Alex . Have a most blessed Sunday.
You’re most welcome 🤗.