Opportunity Knocks: A Systems Based Planning Process to Embrace the Promise of AI
- andrewfirth892
- Apr 12
- 1 min read
Presented by Aperture at the 29th International Command and Control Research and Technology Conference in September 2024
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Andrew, Jason and Patrick,
A very well-considered and timely essay.
I share your concern about the British Army’s institutional orientation toward closed-system thinking; a tendency reinforced by ever-increasing doctrinal rigidity and societal norms that favour control over complexity. This mindset is not limited to operational planning but permeates all levels of military thinking. I fear we tacitly exclude, or even discourage, the open-minded, artistic and creative thinkers who are naturally inclined toward open-systems thinking.
Officers are not being sufficiently developed - culturally or educationally - to embrace ambiguity and build strategic coherence iteratively. In fact, the system may actively disincentivise such thinking.
The paper’s parallel with societal governance is striking: just as governments struggle with complexity, so too does the…