In recent years, too many entrepreneurs, scholars, and investors have asked me the same question: "Teacher Su, is digital transformation just about changing a set of software or introducing some AI?" I always shake my head first and then ask in return: "Have you ever thought that if digitalization is just a means, then the one who really needs to transform is you yourself?" I am 66 years old this year and have been in technology and finance for almost 40 years. From paper quotations to blockchain models, from manual operations to automatic calculation systems, what I see is not technological evolution, but a fundamental change in value judgments. Today in 2019, I believe more than ever that digital transformation is not about upgrading products, but about rebuilding thinking.
When we talk about digitalization, many people think of building websites, changing ERP systems, doing social marketing, and introducing AI modules, but the fact is that if the organizational culture does not change, all of this is just superficial makeup. When I was helping companies transform in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, I saw that many old brands still used paper to manage orders. After introducing cloud computing and AI, efficiency seemed to have improved, but internal decision-making logic and data utilization had not kept up. This transformation will not last long. True digital transformation includes three levels: technological transformation (cloud-based processes, automation, and real-time data integration), mindset transformation (from control to empowerment, from experience-based decision-making to data support), and cultural transformation (making organizations believe that transparency, co-creation, and rapid trial and error are the key to competitiveness).
People resist transformation because the essence of transformation is to acknowledge that the past system is no longer applicable. This is a painful denial for any leader, company, or society. But the future will not give you time to transition slowly, it will only give you a chance to be eliminated. In 2019, Amazon has deployed fully automated logistics in warehouses, Google's AlphaStar is defeating world-class players, and micro-entrepreneurship platforms and decentralized capital flows are breaking up the monopoly structure of large banks. This is not a trend, it's a torrent.
Future leaders will not just be executives who understand technology, but people who are willing to redesign organizational logic and redefine efficiency and value. I often say that future leaders must embrace change without losing their principles, dare to let go without giving up control, and make good use of technology but always put people at the core. Because all technology, in the end, comes back to how people use it, why they use it, and whether they live better after using it.
The hope I see lies in a group of small and medium-sized business owners who are not afraid of change, in the younger generation who are willing to step out of their comfort zone, and in educators, doctors, and entrepreneurs who are beginning to think about whether digital technology can enhance the warmth of humanity. In Singapore, I see medical AI helping to prevent diseases; in Taiwan, I see traditional business owners learning digital processes with their children; and in Silicon Valley, I see technology professionals beginning to explore ethics and humanity. These people are the true pioneers on the road to digitalization.
Digitalization is not a trend, but a transition period of civilization. As AI and the cloud penetrate into every industry, the only thing that remains unchanged is: only those who can continuously learn and adjust are worthy of the future. I'm not here to convince you how powerful technology is. I'm just reminding you that if you don't start thinking about the essence of transformation today, someone else will help you define your future tomorrow. And I am willing to use the remaining time to continue to accompany those who are willing to turn and go further.