Select Page

Global Advisors | Quantified Strategy Consulting

Andrew Ng
Quote: Andrew Ng – AI Guru

Quote: Andrew Ng – AI Guru

“For the majority of businesses, focus on building applications using agentic workflows rather than solely scaling traditional AI. That’s where the greatest opportunity lies.” – Andrew Ng – AI Guru

Andrew Ng is widely recognized as a pioneering figure in artificial intelligence, renowned for his roles as co-founder of Google Brain, former chief scientist at Baidu, and founder of DeepLearning.AI and Landing AI. His work has shaped the trajectory of modern AI, influencing its academic, industrial, and entrepreneurial development on a global scale.

The quote “For the majority of businesses, focus on building applications using agentic workflows rather than solely scaling traditional AI. That’s where the greatest opportunity lies.” captures a key transformation underway in how organizations approach AI adoption. Ng delivered this insight during a Luminary Talk at the Snowflake Summit in June 2024, in a discussion centered on the rise of agentic workflows within AI applications.

Historically, businesses have harnessed AI by leveraging static, rule-based automation or applying large language models to single-step tasks—prompting a system to generate a document or answer a question in one go. Ng argues this paradigm is now giving way to a new era driven by AI agents capable of multi-step reasoning, planning, tool use, and collaboration—what he terms “agentic workflows”.

Agentic workflows differ from traditional approaches by allowing autonomous AI agents to adapt, break down complex projects, and iterate in real time, much as a human team might tackle a multifaceted problem. For example, instead of a single prompt generating a sales report, an AI agent in an agentic workflow could gather the relevant data, perform analysis, adjust its approach based on interim findings, and refine the output after successive rounds of review and self-critique. Ng has highlighted design patterns such as reflection, planning, multi-agent collaboration, and dynamic tool use as central to these workflows.

Ng’s perspective is that businesses stand to gain the most not merely from increasing the size or data intake of AI models, but from designing systems where AI agents can independently coordinate and accomplish sophisticated goals. He likens this shift to the leap from single-threaded to multi-threaded computing, opening up exponential gains in capability and value creation.

For business leaders, Andrew Ng’s vision offers a roadmap: the frontier of competitive advantage lies in reimagining how AI-powered agents are integrated into business processes, unlocking new possibilities for efficiency, innovation, and scalability that go beyond what traditional, “one-shot” AI can deliver.

Ng continues to lead at the intersection of AI innovation and practical business strategy, championing agentic AI as the next great leap for organizations seeking to realize the full promise of artificial intelligence.

read more
Quote: Andrew Ng, AI guru

Quote: Andrew Ng, AI guru

“In the age of AI, strategy is no longer just about where to play; it’s about how to adapt.” — Andrew Ng, AI guru

This quote from Andrew Ng captures a profound shift in how organizations and leaders must approach strategy in the era of artificial intelligence. Traditionally, strategic planning has focused on identifying the right markets, customers, or products—the “where to play” aspect. However, as AI rapidly transforms industries, Ng argues that the ability to adapt to ongoing technological changes has become just as crucial, if not more so.

The background for this perspective stems from Ng’s deep involvement in the practical deployment of AI at scale. With advances in machine learning and automation, the competitive landscape is continuously evolving. It is no longer enough to set a single strategic direction; leaders need to develop organizational agility to embrace new technologies and iterate their models, processes, and offerings in response to rapid change. Ng’s message emphasizes that AI is not a static tool, but a disruptive force that requires companies to rethink how they respond to uncertainty and opportunity. This shift from fixed planning to adaptive learning mirrors the very nature of AI systems themselves, which are designed to learn, update, and improve over time.

Ng’s insight also reflects his broader view that AI should be used to automate routine tasks, freeing up human talent to focus on creative, strategic, and adaptive functions. As such, the modern strategic imperative is about continually repositioning and reinventing—not just staking out a position and defending it.

About Andrew Ng

Andrew Ng is one of the world’s most influential figures in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Born in 1976, he is a British-American computer scientist and technology entrepreneur. Ng co-founded Google Brain, where he played a pivotal role in advancing deep learning research, and later served as Chief Scientist at Baidu, leading a large AI group. He is also a prominent educator, co-founding Coursera and creating widely popular online courses that have democratized access to AI knowledge for millions worldwide.

Ng has consistently advocated for practical, human-centered adoption of AI. He introduced the widely referenced idea that “AI is the new electricity,” underscoring its foundational and transformative impact across industries. He has influenced both startups and established enterprises through initiatives such as Landing AI and the AI Fund, which focus on applying AI to real-world problems and fostering AI entrepreneurship.

Andrew Ng is known for his clear communication and balanced perspective on the opportunities and challenges of AI. Recognized globally for his contributions, he has been named among Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and continues to shape the trajectory of AI through his research, teaching, and thought leadership. His work encourages businesses and individuals alike to not only adopt AI technologies, but to cultivate the adaptability and critical thinking needed to thrive in an age of constant change.

read more
Quote: Andrew Ng, AI guru

Quote: Andrew Ng, AI guru

“AI is like teenage sex—everyone talks about it, nobody really knows how to do it.” — Andrew Ng, AI guru

Andrew Ng, captures the sense of hype, confusion, and uncertainty that has often surrounded artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years. Delivered with humor, it reflects the atmosphere in which AI has become a buzzword: widely discussed in boardrooms, newsrooms, and tech circles, yet rarely understood in its real-world applications or complexities.

The backdrop to this quote is the rapid growth in public and corporate interest in AI. From the early days of AI research in the mid-20th century, the field has experienced cycles of intense excitement (“AI springs”) and subsequent setbacks (“AI winters”), often fueled by unrealistic expectations and misunderstanding of the technology’s actual capabilities. In the last decade, as machine learning and deep learning began to make headlines with breakthroughs in image recognition, natural language processing, and game-playing, many organizations felt pressure to claim they were leveraging AI—regardless of whether they truly understood how to implement it or what it could achieve.

Ng’s remark wittily punctures the inflated discourse by suggesting that, like teenage sex, the reality of AI is far less straightforward than the bravado implies. It serves as both a caution and an invitation: to move beyond surface-level conversations and focus instead on genuine understanding and effective implementation.

About Andrew Ng

Andrew Ng is one of the most influential figures in artificial intelligence and machine learning. He is known for his clear-eyed optimism and his ability to communicate complex technical ideas in accessible language. Ng co-founded Google Brain, led Baidu’s AI Group, and launched the pioneering online machine learning course on Coursera, which has introduced AI to millions worldwide.

Ng frequently emphasizes AI’s transformative potential, famously stating that “AI is the new electricity”—suggesting that, much like electricity revolutionized industries in the past, AI will fundamentally change every sector in the coming decades. Beyond technical achievement, he advocates for practical and responsible adoption of AI, striving to bridge the gap between hype and meaningful progress.

His humorous comparison of AI discourse to teenage sex has become a memorable and oft-cited line at technology conferences and in articles. It encapsulates not only the social dynamics at play in emerging technological fields, but also Ng’s approachable style and his drive to demystify artificial intelligence for a broader audience

read more
Quote: Andrew Ng

Quote: Andrew Ng

“We’re making this analogy that AI is the new electricity. Electricity transformed industries: agriculture, transportation, communication, manufacturing.”

-Andrew Ng

read more

Download brochure

Introduction brochure

What we do, case studies and profiles of some of our amazing team.

Download

Our latest podcasts on Spotify

Sign up for our newsletters - free

Global Advisors | Quantified Strategy Consulting