AI for Business

A Guide to AI Adoption

By: Jon Whittle

Empowers business leaders to adopt AI to create real, human-centred value in their organisation.

AI for Business is a practical guide for leaders who want to harness the power of artificial intelligence without getting lost in the hype. Drawing on decades of experience at the intersection of cutting-edge research, public policy and industry transformation, Jon Whittle shows how AI can create real, human-centred value in your organisation. + Full description

With clarity and pragmatism, the book demystifies AI for non-technical decision-makers. It offers a framework for thinking strategically about AI adoption, covering everything from defining the right use cases to building responsible governance, navigating ethics, understanding productivity impacts, and aligning AI with your values. Real-world examples bring the ideas to life and offer actionable insights you can apply right away.

Whether you are a CEO, policymaker, innovation lead or just AI-curious, this book empowers you to lead with confidence, curiosity and integrity in an AI-powered world. Because when AI works for people – not just profits – that’s when it really delivers.

“Jon Whittle is the ideal coach for any executive looking to navigate the AI revolution.”
– Robert Hillard, Consulting Businesses Leader, Deloitte Asia Pacific.

"Many leaders will try to use AI to cut costs, and this can be very effective in improving profitability, but you can’t cut your way to success or growth. Jon’s book teaches how to make AI a collaborator.
Whether you’re a CEO, Chairman, Manager, Scientist, or student you should be embarking on your own personal AI revolution but read this book before it’s too late."
– Dr Larry Marshall, former Chief Executive, CSIRO, Chair US Chamber of Commerce in Australia and of Fortescue Innovation.
- Short description

News

Sales in Australia and New Zealand only.

Publication date: 19 January 2026

Reviews

"Jon Whittle is the ideal coach for any executive looking to navigate the AI revolution. He did his PhD in AI in the 1990s, applied it at NASA in critical projects in the 2000s and has gone on to executive leadership roles in education and science. His mixture of deep knowledge with pragmatic management expertise means that AI for Business is exactly that, an AI manual for any business leader looking to cut through the hype and find a way to realise the potential of this technology."
Robert Hillard, Consulting Businesses Leader, Deloitte Asia Pacific

"Every technology has light and shadows. Exponential technologies like AI move with blinding speed and their impacts can be devastating. Is AI a ‘collaborator’ or a ‘Terminator’? Every business leader is faced with the choice between using AI to increase profitability by replacing people, or using AI to create new value, amplifying and accelerating their people.
Jon lived this choice through the Digital Transformation of CSIRO over the past decade, creating 10 billion dollars in new value which delivered the first growth in people in 30 years. His knowledge is as practical as it is theoretical. AI as collaborator grew CSIRO’s headcount consistently by creating more value than humans or AI could alone: we bred climate change resistant crop strains, discovered the human immunity gene, predicted disease X and enabled Australia to mass produce a vaccine within months of COVID, all using AI to shave years off the normal R&D times.
Many leaders will try to use AI to cut costs, and this can be very effective in improving profitability, but you can’t cut your way to success or growth. Jon’s book teaches how to make AI a collaborator.
Whether you’re a CEO, Chairman, Manager, Scientist, or student you should be embarking on your own personal AI revolution but read this book before it’s too late."
Dr Larry Marshall, former Chief Executive, CSIRO, Chair US Chamber of Commerce in Australia and of Fortescue Innovation.

Details

Paperback | January 2026 | $ 49.99
ISBN: 9781486321421 | 248 pages | 210 x 140 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Illustrations

Features

Cuts through the jargon and hype to give leaders everything they need to know about AI
Offers a science-backed account of business considerations of AI, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, productivity, risk, ethics and cybersecurity
Written in an accessible style so that time-pressed business leaders can dip in and out as they like
A 30-year veteran of AI shows how leaders, policymakers, innovators and the simply curious can further their understanding and realise the potential of AI

A note about the use of AI in writing this book
About the author
Acknowledgements

1 Introduction

PART I – CONTEXT
2 Is AI new?
3 What is AI?
4 How is AI used in practice?

PART II – WHY AI?
5 Will AI improve productivity?
6 What does AI cost?
7 Will AI bring value to my customers?
8 Can AI disrupt my industry?

PART III – AI STRATEGY
9 What should my AI strategy be?
10 How should I structure my organisation for AI success?
11 What is the role of my board in adopting AI?

PART IV – THE BIGGER PICTURE
12 What are the ethics of using AI in my organisation?
13 What is the impact of AI on the environment?
14 How does AI relate to ESG?
15 What are the cybersecurity implications of AI?

PART V – BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
16 A successful case study
17 A not so successful case study
18 If you remember only one thing …

Appendix
References
Index

Authors

Jon Whittle is a leading voice in applying AI to business, having worked in AI for 30 years. A former NASA technical lead, Jon directs CSIRO's Data61, the data and digital specialist arm of Australia’s national science agency. He hosted CSIRO’s successful podcast, Everyday AI, over two seasons.