Axios C-Suite: Post-processable velocity, part 2: Infinite chain reactions
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In August, I wrote that we've entered the age of post-processable velocity: a speed of change exceeding the ability of any individual, company, market or government to absorb, understand and respond to it in real time.
- Many of the subscribers to my C-Suite newsletter asked a smart follow-up: Why does this moment feel not just faster, but so much harder to read?
The reason: The four forces that shape our world are in constant collision.
- Tech, media, politics and business used to operate not just more slowly but more independently. Now, they constantly crash into each other, causing infinite — often instant — chain reactions.
Case in point: In February, Citrini Research posted a hypothetical scenario — not even a real forecast — imagining AI agents gutting white-collar jobs by 2028.
- It drew more than 22 million views on X and rocketed across media. Days later, software and payment stocks sold off, and IBM had its worst day in 25 years. Politicians pounced on this to hammer home the dangers of AI, escalating that public debate.
As you can see, business, tech, media and politics operate as one tangled system.
- Tech is media. Platforms and AI models now decide what most people see, read and believe.
- Media is politics. Leaders govern through feeds, podcasts and clips. Attention is power.
- Politics is media and tech. Algorithms to AI consume politics and policy. And the debates play out all day, every day across small screens.
- Business is all three. Every company is now a tech company, a media company and a political actor, whether it wants to be or not.
Between the lines: This is why velocity feels so disorienting. One event hits all four systems at once, and each one sets off and accelerates the others.
- This was true before AI. Now, velocity is hitting super speed thanks to super intelligence — making this feel almost impossible to process. Hence, post-processable velocity.
So what can CEOs do?
- Unfortunately, we need more awareness and expertise across more topics to make wise — and often faster — decisions. I'm trying to do this with this newsletter and Axios' coverage.
- We also need more people around us with similar skills to help recognize interlocking fact patterns. This group needs true AI, political and information-ecosystem expertise.
- We need to build AI systems internally to help monitor and process this. The current tech is more than sufficient to do this.
- We need to hard-wire quicker-twitch agility into our orgs and processes.
📈 If you're a CEO or on a CEO's team: Ask to join Jim's new weekly Axios C-Suite newsletter.
