Cassie Kozyrkov, Google’s first-ever chief decision scientist and founder of consulting firm Kozyr, is best known for championing decision intelligence—a field that helps leaders move beyond instinct and data overload toward clarity and structure. In an exclusive interview for Performance Magazine’s AI Edition, she argues that many leaders still get AI wrong by focusing on automation rather than decision quality.

Kozyrkov draws a sharp line between tool use and automation. She points out that the former empowers employees to use AI systems like ChatGPT or Claude to do better work, while the latter involves handing off decisions entirely to machines. Leaders often conflate the two, she warns, launching AI projects without asking whether they truly understand what outcomes they’re pursuing.

Instead of starting with data, Kozyrkov believes that a good AI strategy starts with intent. “The answers are cheap now,” she says. “It’s the questions that are valuable.” For her, prompting is a leadership skill—one that requires clarity about what success looks like and how to recognize it. Off-the-shelf metrics, like accuracy or speed, often miss the point if they’re not tied to the organization’s core priorities.

Kozyrkov also emphasizes the importance of technical fluency at the leadership level—not necessarily coding expertise, but enough knowledge to manage complexity and ask the right questions. She warns that a “non-technical leader who ignores the technology is a hazard” and that trust, especially in external vendors or automated systems, should always be earned—not assumed.

The conversation spans real-world examples, like AI-driven parking lot metrics and automation misfires, to broader themes of governance and accountability. Kozyrkov calls for what she terms a “new breed of leader”: someone who understands that in a world flooded with tools, what matters most is judgment.

Read the full interview in Performance Magazine – Print Edition, Issue No. 33 (The AI Edition), now available as a free digital download via the TKI Marketplace. Print copies can also be ordered through Amazon (standard printing and shipping fees apply).

Performance Magazine has released its newest print issue, and this time, it focuses on one of the most defining changes in today’s workplace: AI in strategy and performance. Performance Magazine Issue – Print Edition, Issue No. 33 (The AI Edition) explores how artificial intelligence is influencing not just tools and workflows but the deeper layers of how organizations plan, execute, and evaluate performance.

The cover story features Cassie Kozyrkov, Google’s first ever chief decision scientist. Rather than echoing the dominant automation narrative, Kozyrkov calls for a return to disciplined thinking. Her reflections point to a core concern in strategy work today: how to make better decisions, faster, with the support of AI—not at the cost of human oversight. She draws attention to the difference between replacing judgment and reinforcing it, which frames much of what the rest of the edition explores.

Among the features is a practical explainer on how machine learning works, covering its core structure, main types, and underlying learning processes. Another article offers historical context that traces how AI has developed over time, helping distinguish durable progress from hype.

One article takes a closer look at the role of AI in strategy and performance, showing how machine learning models are being used to assess current conditions, simulate future outcomes, and support strategic direction. It also explores how AI contributes to performance management by helping set more accurate targets, cascade KPIs across levels, and monitor progress with predictive insights.

Several articles explore how AI is embedded in the daily flow of work. These cover its integration into familiar tools and platforms, the rise of AI agents, and the increasing importance of prompt engineering as a technical skill. On the governance front, readers will find a scan of AI regulatory developments around the world, focusing on how companies are adjusting policies and compliance mechanisms to match legal expectations.

The Interviews section brings in a mix of technical, academic, and legal perspectives. Alongside Kozyrkov are voices like Tarry Singh, Professor J. Mark Bishop, Frank Naussbaum, and Dr. Jon Truby, who discuss the operational, ethical, and structural implications of adopting AI at scale.

Closing the edition is a contribution from guest editor Islam Salahuddin, a data consultant and facilitator at Systaems. He is certified as a data analyst and trainer by Microsoft and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in AI. In his essay, he explores how much of the confusion around AI stems from language itself. Even the term “AI” can mean entirely different things depending on background or experience. This confusion, he argues, is especially present in business conversations, where abstract terms often blur rather than clarify. 

Performance Magazine Issue – Print Edition, Issue No. 33 (The AI Edition) is now available as a free digital download via the TKI Marketplace. Print copies can be ordered through Amazon, with standard printing and shipping fees applied.