Jack Dorsey (yes, from Block and Twitter fame) and Roelof Botha‘s article, “From Hierarchy to Intelligence” (link in comments below), is one of the most thoughtful perspectives on hierarchy and organizational structure I’ve read in a long time.
Perhaps that’s because it wasn’t written by an academic or consultant. It was written by leaders actively experimenting with new ways of organizing work in the age of AI.
It starts with a fundamental question few people ask: Why does hierarchy exist in the first place?
The authors argue that hierarchy emerged to solve an age-old information-routing problem–and that AI may fundamentally change that equation.
They’re asking an excellent question.
Where I differ is this: reducing the need for hierarchy and improving communication does not eliminate the need for structure.
Structure isn’t just about information flow. It’s about accountability, ownership, resource allocation, and performance.
The goal is not to eliminate hierarchy altogether, but to ensure that every layer creates more value than friction.
AI may reduce the need for layers. It does not reduce the need for organizational design.
That’s a distinction leaders will need to understand as they rethink their organizations for the AI era.
