ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
An AI-native strategy firmGlobal Advisors: a consulting leader in defining quantified strategy, decreasing uncertainty, improving decisions, achieving measureable results.
A Different Kind of Partner in an AI World
AI-native strategy
consulting
Experienced hires
We are hiring experienced top-tier strategy consultants
Quantified Strategy
Decreased uncertainty, improved decisions
Global Advisors is a leader in defining quantified strategies, decreasing uncertainty, improving decisions and achieving measureable results.
We specialise in providing highly-analytical data-driven recommendations in the face of significant uncertainty.
We utilise advanced predictive analytics to build robust strategies and enable our clients to make calculated decisions.
We support implementation of adaptive capability and capacity.
Our latest
Thoughts
Podcast – The Real AI Signal from Davos 2026
While the headlines from Davos were dominated by geopolitical conflict and debates on AGI timelines and asset bubbles, a different signal emerged from the noise. It wasn’t about if AI works, but how it is being ruthlessly integrated into the real economy.
In our latest podcast, we break down the “Diffusion Strategy” defining 2026.
3 Key Takeaways:
- China and the “Global South” are trying to leapfrog: While the West debates regulation, emerging economies are treating AI as essential infrastructure.
- China has set a goal for 70% AI diffusion by 2027.
- The UAE has mandated AI literacy in public schools from K-12.
- Rwanda is using AI to quadruple its healthcare workforce.
- The Rise of the “Agentic Self”: We aren’t just using chatbots anymore; we are employing agents. Entrepreneur Steven Bartlett revealed he has established a “Head of Experimentation and Failure” to use AI to disrupt his own business before competitors do. Musician will.i.am argued that in an age of predictive machines, humans must cultivate their “agentic self” to handle the predictable, while remaining unpredictable themselves.
- Rewiring the Core: Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi noted the difference between an “AI veneer” and a fundamental rewire. It’s no longer about summarising meetings; it’s about autonomous agents resolving customer issues without scripts.
The Global Advisors Perspective: Don’t wait for AGI. The current generation of models is sufficient to drive massive value today. The winners will be those who control their “sovereign capabilities” – embedding their tacit knowledge into models they own.
Read our original perspective here – https://with.ga/w1bd5
Listen to the full breakdown here – https://with.ga/2vg0z
Strategy Tools
Strategy Tools: The 7S Framework – A Comprehensive Guide
By John Khova Global Advisors digital consultant Introduction The McKinsey 7S Framework is one of the most enduring and widely recognised management models in strategic consulting and organisational design. It posits that organisational effectiveness depends not on...
Fast Facts
Fast Fact: Great returns aren’t enough
Key insights
It’s not enough to just have great returns – top-line growth is just as critical.
In fact, S&P 500 investors rewarded high-growth companies more than high-ROIC companies over the past decade.
While the distinction was less clear on the JSE, what is clear is that getting a balance of growth and returns is critical.
Strong and consistent ROIC or RONA performers provide investors with a steady flow of discounted cash flows – without growth effectively a fixed-income instrument.
Improvements in ROIC through margin improvements, efficiencies and working-capital optimisation provide point-in-time uplifts to share price.
Top-line growth presents a compounding mechanism – ROIC (and improvements) are compounded each year leading to on-going increases in share price.
However, without acceptable levels of ROIC, the benefits of compounding will be subdued and share price appreciation will be depressed – and when ROIC is below WACC value will be destroyed.
Maintaining high levels of growth is not as sustainable as maintaining high levels of ROIC – while both typically decline as industries mature, growth is usually more affected.
Getting the right balance between ROIC and growth is critical to optimising shareholder value.
Selected News
Quote: Dario Amodei – CEO, Anthropic
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t build data centers in Africa. In fact, I think it’d be great to build data centers in Africa. As long as they’re not owned by China, we should build data centers in Africa. I think that’s a great thing to do.” – Dario Amodei – CEO, Anthropic
In a candid interview with Dwarkesh Patel on 13 February 2026, Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder of Anthropic, articulated a bold vision for expanding AI infrastructure into Africa. This statement underscores his broader concerns about securing AI leadership against geopolitical rivals, particularly China, while harnessing untapped opportunities in emerging markets.1,3,5
Who is Dario Amodei?
Dario Amodei is a leading figure in artificial intelligence, serving as CEO and co-founder of Anthropic, a public benefit corporation focused on developing reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. Prior to Anthropic, Amodei was Vice President of Research at OpenAI, where he contributed to the development of seminal models like GPT-2 and GPT-3. Before that, he worked as a senior research scientist at Google Brain. His departure from OpenAI in 2021 stemmed from a commitment to prioritise safety and responsible development, which he felt was not being adequately addressed there.3
Amodei is renowned for his ‘doomer’ perspective on AI risks, likening advanced systems to ‘a country of geniuses in a data centre’-vast networks of superhuman intelligence capable of outperforming humans in tasks like software design, cyber operations, and even relationship building.3,4,5 This metaphor recurs in his writings, such as the essay ‘Machines of Loving Grace,’ where he balances enthusiasm for AI’s potential abundance with warnings of existential dangers if not managed properly.6
Under Amodei’s leadership, Anthropic has pioneered initiatives like mechanistic interpretability research-to peer inside AI models and understand their decision-making-and a Responsible Scaling Policy (RSP). The RSP, inspired by biosafety levels, mandates escalating security measures as model capabilities grow, positioning Anthropic as a leader in AI safety.3
The Context of the Quote
Amodei’s remark emerged amid discussions on AI’s infrastructure demands and geopolitical strategy. He has repeatedly stressed the need for the US and its allies to build data centres aggressively to maintain primacy in AI, warning that delays could prove ‘ruinous.’1 In the same interview and related forums, he advocated cutting chip supplies to China and constructing facilities in friendly nations to prevent adversaries from commandeering infrastructure.3
This aligns with his recent essay ‘The Adolescence of Technology,’ a 19,000-word manifesto outlining AI as a ‘serious civilisational challenge.’ There, Amodei calls for progressive taxation to distribute AI-generated wealth, AI transparency laws, and proactive policies to avert public backlash-warning tech leaders, ‘You’re going to get a mob coming for you if you don’t do this in the right way.’2 He dismisses some public fears, like data centres’ water usage, as overstated, pivoting instead to long-term abundance.2
The Africa focus counters narratives of exclusionary AI growth. Amodei argues against sidelining developing nations, proposing data centres there as a win-win: boosting local economies while diluting China’s influence in critical infrastructure.7
Leading Theorists on AI Infrastructure, Geopolitics, and Development
Amodei’s views build on foundational thinkers in AI safety and geopolitics:
- Nick Bostrom: Philosopher and director of the Future of Humanity Institute, Bostrom’s ‘Superintelligence’ (2014) warns of uncontrolled AI leading to existential risks, influencing Amodei’s emphasis on interpretability and scaling policies.3
- Eliezer Yudkowsky: Co-founder of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, Yudkowsky’s alignment research stresses preventing AI from pursuing misaligned goals, echoing Amodei’s ‘country of geniuses’ concerns about intent and control.3,4
- Stuart Russell: UC Berkeley professor and co-author of ‘Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach,’ Russell advocates human-compatible AI, aligning with Anthropic’s steerability focus.3
- Geopolitical Strategists like Graham Allison: In ‘Destined for War,’ Allison frames US-China rivalry as a Thucydides Trap, paralleling Amodei’s calls to outpace China in AI hardware.3
These theorists collectively shape the discourse on AI as both an economic boon and a strategic vulnerability, with infrastructure as the linchpin.1,2,3
Implications for Global AI Strategy
Amodei’s advocacy highlights Africa’s potential in the AI race: abundant renewable energy, growing digital economies, and strategic neutrality. Yet challenges persist, including energy demands, regulatory hurdles, and security risks. His vision promotes inclusive growth, ensuring AI benefits extend beyond superpowers while safeguarding against authoritarian capture.7
References
3. https://www.cfr.org/event/ceo-speaker-series-dario-amodei-anthropic
4. https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/01/28/humanity-needs-to-wake-up-to-ai-threats-anthropic-ceo-says
5. https://www.dwarkesh.com/p/dario-amodei-2
6. https://www.darioamodei.com/essay/machines-of-loving-grace
8. https://time.com/7372694/ai-anthropic-market-energy-impact/
Polls
What determines your success?
We need your help!
We’re testing how people think about their successes and failures. It would be great if you would take 2 minutes to give a simple multiple choice answer and share the poll with your friends.
Take the poll – “What determines your success?”
Then read So You Think You’re Self Aware?
Services
Global Advisors is different
We help clients to measurably improve strategic decision-making and the results they achieve through defining clearly prioritised choices, reducing uncertainty, winning hearts and minds and partnering to deliver.
Our difference is embodied in our team. Our values define us.
Corporate portfolio strategy
Define optimal business portfolios aligned with investor expectations
BUSINESS UNIT STRATEGY
Define how to win against competitors
Reach full potential
Understand your business’ core, reach full potential and grow into optimal adjacencies
Deal advisory
M&A, due diligence, deal structuring, balance sheet optimisation
Global Advisors Digital Data Analytics
14 years of quantitative and data science experience
An enabler to delivering quantified strategy and accelerated implementation
Digital enablement, acceleration and data science
Leading-edge data science and digital skills
Experts in large data processing, analytics and data visualisation
Developers of digital proof-of-concepts
An accelerator for Global Advisors and our clients
Join Global Advisors
We hire and grow amazing people
Consultants join our firm based on a fit with our values, culture and vision. They believe in and are excited by our differentiated approach. They realise that working on our clients’ most important projects is a privilege. While the problems we solve are strategic to clients, consultants recognise that solutions primarily require hard work – rigorous and thorough analysis, partnering with client team members to overcome political and emotional obstacles, and a large investment in knowledge development and self-growth.
Get In Touch
16th Floor, The Forum, 2 Maude Street, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa
+27114616371