N47's Lak Ananth Bets Firms Must Be Rebuilt Around AI, Not Bolted To It

Lak Ananth, founder and global managing partner of the $2 billion venture capital firm N47, will publish a book arguing that companies cannot capture the value of artificial intelligence by adding tools to existing structures, according to an announcement distributed by PR Newswire on October 6, 2026.

The book, "The Human-Machine Company: Reimagining Businesses in the Age of AI," is co-written with author and former USA Today technology columnist Kevin Maney and goes on sale December 1, 2026, from Ideapress Publishing. The publisher distributes its titles through a partnership with Simon & Schuster.

The authors contend that firms thriving over the next decade will be rebuilt as hybrid systems combining human and machine intelligence across functions from hiring to manufacturing, and that human judgment and creativity gain value as AI spreads. The book draws on case studies and interviews with about two dozen chief executives, founders and researchers.

Ananth, who previously worked at HP and Cisco, sits on the boards of VAST Data and Verkada. His earlier book was "Anticipate Failure." Endorsements came from figures including Oren Etzioni, founding chief executive of the Allen Institute for AI.

This story was first reported by PR Newswire.