About “The Athenian Intelligence” blog
Athenian Intelligence explores the impact of technology developments, and particularly AI, on our lives and work.
Technology is not only for technologists. Economics is not just for economists.
In true Athenian spirit, knowledge is power. And dialogue and conversation matters more than having all the answers. This is why in this newsletter we work through hard questions out loud, in dialogue, in public.
The inspiration for Athenian Intelligence
The public debate around AI is pushing us towards two extremes.
On one side, AI is framed as Pandora's box; a technology that, once opened, will bring irreversible harm: mass unemployment, algorithmic bias, concentration of power, existential risk. The solution from this camp is to contain AI, restrict it, or in some cases, outright ban it.
On the other side, AI is presented as a panacea that will solve humanity's toughest challenges: cure diseases, end poverty, unlock unlimited productivity, democratize expertise. The solution from this camp is speed, deploy it fast and have faith that benefits will outweigh risks.
But we have a third option. We can steer. AI is neither Pandora's box nor panacea. The outcome is not predetermined, contrary to what the Silicon Valley gurus would have us believe. The trajectory is not fixed. It is more like a ship in open water. You can be the wise captain who steers around the currents and obstacles you anticipate. AI is a powerful technology. But it’s the choices you make today about how to prepare yourself and your teams that will shape the outcome of AI.
The future is being written now and it needs you to act. You can start by reframing your own leadership.
About Athena
I am an economist and futurist, passionate about helping senior leaders adapt their leadership for the human + AI era.
My book, AI-Q: The New Leadership Imperative for the Human+AI Era (Practical Inspiration Publishing), is out in January 2027, and sets out how you can build the Mindsets, Abilities and Practices to lead with confidence.
Whether it is advisory work, writing or speaking, the theme that excites me is the same:
how AI and other emerging technologies are reshaping the future of work, leadership, and our economies.
I am a Director at Beacon Thought Leadership, a thought-leadership advisory firm, where I specialise in AI economic research, and Head of AI Research at BossUp.AI, a startup pioneering benchmarks for AI readiness. I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) and hold an MSc in Economics from the University of York. I live in London with my husband and son.
You can find a bit more about my advisory and speaking experience below or visit my website at athenapeppes.com
Advisory
More than 15 years of experience advising senior executives on emerging trends across industries including automotive, insurance, consumer goods, energy, consulting and government.
Spent over a decade at Accenture, advising Fortune 500 companies and public institutions.
Co-founded Accenture’s Business Futures workshop approach used at innovation hubs, inspiring executive teams into action and led to strategy engagements of at least $30m and helped a semiconductor company triple its revenue and profitability.
Contributed to 50+ reports, articles and points of views on topics related to the future of business.
Featured insights at global forums including the World Economic Forum, B20, W20, IBEC and the CBI.
Published in outlets including MIT Sloan Management Review, Harvard Business Review, Rotman Magazine, Thunderbird International Business Review and The European Business Review.
Speaking
Speaking engagements at international conferences and leadership forums, including:
SXSW
Global Marketing Summit
KIMRA Conference
The Forward Institute
Rialto Board Briefings
Audiences have included senior leaders from organizations such as BCG, BT, Bupa, Centrica, EY, Fortnum & Mason, Microsoft, Nationwide, Primark, Virgin, the UK Space Agency, and government departments.
Regular radio and business podcast guest, exploring what AI and emerging technologies really mean for everyday life and business.
If you are interested in advisory work or speaking engagements drop me a line.
About AI-Q: The New Leadership Imperative for the Human + AI era
My book “AI-Q: The New Leadership Imperative for the Human+AI era” will be published in January 2027.
AI-Q draws on 20 years of my cross-industry experience across Fortune 500 companies, a survey of 200 leaders, 150+ studies and reports and more than 20 interviews with senior executives.
It introduces AI-Q, your AI Quotient, as both the new benchmark for assessing readiness and the framework for building it. Using the AI-Q MAP (Mindset, Abilities, Practices) this book helps leaders assess where they are today, identify gaps, and build the capabilities to ensure their AI investments deliver returns.
Defining AI-Q
AI-QUOTIENT (also known as AI-Q)
1. A measure of a leader's capability to create value in a world where human and machine intelligence work together.
2. It reflects the mindsets leaders bring to AI, the abilities they apply to AI-enabled work, and the practices they use to deliver sustained impact.
This book is written for executives and senior leaders who sense that AI has fundamentally reshaped the business landscape, and are looking for practical ways to capitalize on this shift by adapting their own leadership. It is for those weary of overinflated claims and polarized narratives, who are seeking grounded, research-backed perspectives, and informed by the voices of other leaders dealing with the same reality but further along in their journey.
This is why you will hear from the lived experiences of leaders that were willing to share their journey with AI, not just the successes but what they learnt along the way. At first glance they look nothing alike: different industries, different scales, different stages of adoption.
What connects them is a common set of capabilities anyone can build:
AI-Q.
