In What If Knowledge Was Free? I explored the idea that AI may be dramatically changing the economics of knowledge. The article was really a thought experiment. If knowledge becomes increasingly abundant, where does value move? If organisations no longer need to pay primarily for access to knowledge, what are they actually paying for?

This blog explores how AI and networks may be changing the way organisations access external capability. As AI makes knowledge more accessible and networks make expertise and experience easier to share, organisations may increasingly gain access to capability through connected ecosystems rather than traditional proprietary models. The diagram poses a simple question: What if knowledge was free? and explores the potential shift from ownership to access.

Most organisations treat AI productivity, experimentation and transformation as separate strategies. I believe they're different stages of the same journey, and the organisations making the leap are the ones that find a way to bridge the Missing Middle between them.