Lauri draws from a background in organizational philosophy, research, and corporate life. In his writing and talks, he challenges narrow views of human work and opens space for a fuller understanding of how humans bring the new into being both individually and together.
His writing offers language and concepts for countering AI anxiety and cultivating confidence in human contribution amid rapid technological change.
Topics
Why does the rise of AI make us question what it means to work, create, and lead? How do we organize so that the human side of value actually gets to work?
In his talks and research, Lauri examines how genuine innovation and value arise within and between people, through their sense of meaning and shared creation. Moving beyond superficial appeals to “creativity” or “caring,” he invites leaders to recognize what is distinctly human in their work and to organize in ways that let that potential unfold.
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​Example talk titles​
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The premises of human contribution in the age of AI
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The impossibility of automating innovation
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Generative collaboration through actively shared principles
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Constructive authority in times of change
Selected writing and research
What the worldview driving the AI era currently gets plainly wrong about human life, innovation, and societal flourishing (with Jukka Luoma and Matt Statler).
Instead of rendering consultants obsolete, AI presents an opportunity for humans to return to areas where relationship, judgment, and trust remain indispensable (with T. Alexander Puutio and Matt Statler).
How Nordic software companies sustain collaboration amid tensions in shared principles (with Frank Martela).
About
Based in New York, Lauri Pietinalho is a writer, speaker, and organizational philosopher whose work bridges philosophy, research, and practice. Building on a background in management consulting and corporate strategy, he has spent the past decade studying how humans engage with uncertainty and create value together. His research draws on a set of intertwined perspectives, including Edmund Phelps’ theory of economic dynamism, in-depth studies of Nordic models of flat organizations, and philosophical traditions such as American pragmatism and existentialism.
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​Lauri holds a Ph.D. in Applied Philosophy and Organizational Research from Aalto University, Finland. He is currently a Visiting Postdoctoral Scholar in the Business and Society Program at New York University’s Stern School of Business and was previously a member of Columbia University’s Center on Capitalism and Society. Earlier in his career, he worked as a team leader at Booz & Company and in strategy development at Nokia.
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​His current work is animated by the seemingly pervasive idea that humans will be replaced by artificial intelligence. He examines why this belief has taken hold and what it conceals about the real sources of value in human work.
Contact me to discuss opportunities for
Selected collaborations
