Critical Thinking and O-rings!

~ Glenn Remoreras

Somehow, almost every chat these days leads to the topic of AI. Last Tuesday, I was on a Zoom call with my tax advisor, Kevin, and we ended up having a passionate discussion about AI. He emphasized the importance of critical thinking, especially in the future of AI. Critical thinking enables humans to solve complex problems, make ethical decisions, and foster innovation. As AI systems tackle increasingly intricate tasks, the human ability to understand, interpret, and creatively solve problems will remain indispensable.

This brought me to a concept discussed in my MIT AI course regarding the O-ring principle. The O-ring principle originated from the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. The catastrophic failure was caused by the malfunction of a small rubber O-ring in one of the shuttle’s solid rocket boosters, which led to the destruction of the shuttle and the loss of all seven crew members. This event highlighted the critical importance of even the smallest components in complex systems. The lesson is that in any complex enterprise, as you improve the reliability of all the pieces that go together, the reliability and function of the remaining components become even more central. In many of the things that we will do in the future of work, we will be the last piece that determines whether a particular mission or initiative will be successful. We will be the O-rings!

This ultimately brought me to my twin boys, who are 13 years old now and still passionate coders. They once asked me if they should continue coding, concerned about the future where coding might be fully AI-automated. I said, “Absolutely continue coding- first, you are good at it, and second, in the future, individuals like you who understand the inner workings of machines will have the know-how to critically challenge, prompt/ask questions, and improve missions, initiatives, and outcomes.” Talk about becoming the best of the O-rings!

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Published by Glenn Remoreras

Glenn is a seasoned business leader with international experience and a strong track record in senior IT leadership. He has led innovation, business integration, and digital transformation initiatives that drive growth and deliver enterprise value. Glenn recently joined Breakthru Beverage Group as EVP and Chief Information Officer. Previously, he served as Global CIO at Mark Anthony Group and, before that, as Vice President of IT for the Beer Division at Constellation Brands. Glenn began his IT career at CEMEX Inc., where he held various leadership roles across Asia Pacific, Europe, Mexico, and the United States. He is also a Board Member Emeritus of the BRM Institute and has held several volunteer leadership positions there, including Chair of the Knowledge Council and Chair of the Executive Council.

One thought on “Critical Thinking and O-rings!”

  1. I love the O-Ring analogy and that “we will be the last piece that determines whether a particular mission or initiative will be successful.” This couldn’t be further than the truth – and it goes way beyond what you, I or any one person will do individually; every person being an O-Ring in the positive sense is important. When all the technology and process stars align, it’s the collective human side of digital we must consider to either send a rocket soaring or lead to a catastrophic outcome; how we lead, communicate change, and drive behavioral adoption simply cannot be an afterthought!

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