The Great Synchrony Deception - Why AI Pilots Fail

Greg Twemlow argues that the overwhelming failure rate of AI pilots stems from a deep-seated reliance on "synchronous" work models established over the last 250 years. He suggests that most executives mistakenly use technology to merely speed up traditional human relays and meetings rather than fundamentally redesigning their firms. This "Great Synchrony Deception" blinds leaders to the potential of asynchronous operations, where machines handle coordination while humans focus on defining problems and owning consequences. Twemlow warns that simply hollowing out middle-management layers to gain efficiency risks destroying the very apprenticeships required to develop future judgment. Ultimately, he advocates for an agentic asynchronous firm that protects the human capacity for deep reflection and accountability. Successful AI adoption requires moving beyond trivial acceleration to embrace a model where truth moves through the organisation without constant human intervention.  Read the article.About the Author - Greg Twemlow writes and teaches at the intersection of technology, education, and human judgment. He works with educators and businesses to make AI explainable and assessable in classrooms and boardrooms — to ensure AI users show their process and own their decisions. His cognition protocol, the Context & Critique Rule™, is built on a three-step process: Evidence → Cognition → Discernment — a bridge from what’s scattered to what’s chosen. Context & Critique → Accountable AI™. © 2025 Greg Twemlow. “Context & Critique → Accountable AI” and “Context & Critique Rule” are unregistered trademarks (™).