I’m currently reading Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Restacks the Economy by Sangeet Paul Choudary, and two of his metaphors have completely reframed how I see the AI revolution, one from history, the other from the modern workplace

Choudary compares today’s corporate approach to AI with one of the greatest strategic blunders of the 20th century: the Maginot Line. After World War I, France built a 450-mile wall of fortifications along its border with Germany, centralized, rigid, and seemingly impregnable

But when war returned, the Germans simply went around it

The Maginot Line failed because it was built for the last war, not the next one

Choudary argues we’re making the same mistake with AI

Too many leaders still ask: “Which tasks will AI automate?” or “Will AI replace humans?”, as if the structure of work remains static

It’s a framing error

Like blitzkrieg warfare, AI isn’t just a faster tool, it’s a new system of coordination

It replaces slow, centralized command structures with distributed, real-time intelligence

Firms that treat AI as an add-on, plugging it into existing workflows, are building digital Maginot Lines

They may win small efficiency gains but will be blindsided by those who redesign the entire architecture of work: agile, adaptive, and coordinated through intelligent systems

And that brings us to Choudary’s second insight: “Do you work above or below the algorithm?”

In the new economy, those above the algorithm, like Uber’s data scientists, use AI to amplify their effectiveness

Those below the algorithm, like Uber drivers, are managed by it

The difference lies in control, creativity, and understanding how the system works

But there’s still hope for humanity

Think of the sommelier

Their value isn’t in knowing tasting notes (an algorithm could do that)

It’s in storytelling, connection, and trust

Diners don’t just buy wine, they buy human authenticity

Conclusion:
The future of work belongs to those who stop fortifying the old system and start reimagining it

AI is not a faster horse; it’s the invention of the engine

To thrive, we must learn to work above the algorithm, leveraging it for insight and scale, while doubling down on what machines can’t replicate: empathy, creativity, and human connection

The winners in the AI economy won’t just automate tasks, they’ll elevate humanity