The Great One and the Generative One
Why is Wayne Gretzky known as "The Great One"? Ask most, and they will likely recall his famous maxim: “I skate to where the puck is going to be”. This statement, often linked to his astounding 894 career goals, suggests a genius residing solely in foresight. Yet this line, while memorable, offers only a glimpse, perhaps even misdirecting from a deeper source of his dominance.
Will the great ones in this age of AI be the ones to skate to where AI is going to be? Two key forces are shaping the AI economy: Intention and Augmentation. Each, on its own, can yield remarkable results, but their true power lies in their interplay. When combined effectively, they enable individuals and organizations to achieve transformative outcomes.
True mastery often lies beyond the obvious. Consider Gretzky's record again. The 894 goals are indeed legendary. But look further: even more telling are his 1,963 assists, an astonishing 669 more than any other NHL player. Add the most career goals and assists in the playoffs, and four Stanley Cup championships. These aren’t just statistics; they reflect a profound intention that extended well beyond personal scoring. While Alex Ovechkin recently surpassed Gretzky’s individual goal-scoring record, a comparison highlights Gretzky's broader impact: Ovechkin ranks significantly lower in career assists (56th) and playoff metrics (39th in goals, 78th in assists), alongside one Stanley Cup. Gretzky didn’t merely anticipate where the puck would go; he often orchestrated where it needed to be for the team to win.
Visualizing effective AI strategy: Human Insight (intent, experience, purpose) collaborates with Artificial Intelligence (augmentation, possibility, probability) to determine where the puck truly needs to be for success.
His greatness wasn’t based solely on raw talent or predictive skill. It stemmed from combining his clear intention (engineering a win) with an unparalleled grasp of the game's unfolding possibilities (where the puck could and likely should go). This allowed him to determine, moment by moment, how to augment his team’s ability to score and achieve victories often beyond what individual scoring could accomplish.
Gretzky’s success was collaborative. His brilliance was amplified by those around him, many of whom built Hall of Fame careers within that shared framework. The numbers illustrate this interplay:
| Name | Goals | Assists | Years | Years with Gretzky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 894 | 1,963 | - | - |
| Mark Messier | 694 | 1,193 | 25 | 11 |
| Jari Kurri | 601 | 797 | 17 | 10 |
| Paul Coffey* | 396 | 1,135 | 21 | 7 |
| Glenn Anderson | 498 | 601 | 16 | 11 |
| *(Coffey’s stats reflect his position as a defenseman) | ||||
This dynamic provides a useful lens for understanding how to interact effectively with AI. Relying only on AI’s predictive capabilities(e.g., where the puck can or should go based on data) or focusing entirely on human desire (e.g., where we want the puck to go) falls short. The most powerful outcomes emerge when human intention is combined with AI's capacity to augment, converging on where the puck needs to be.
Operating at this intersection of intention and augmentation is essential to navigating today’s AI-integrated workplace. It allows organizations to protect performance, preserve human ingenuity, brand integrity, and ensure alignment with ethical, legal, and stylistic expectations. Governance frameworks define boundaries, but everyday fluency depends on how people actually use AI in practice.
What, then, truly "moves the puck" in an AI-driven environment? Our upcoming book, Practical AI Style, explores that question in detail. It outlines the skills needed to ‘skate’ effectively and offers a practical guide for thriving in this generative era.
This article is adapted from Chapter 8, "Augment," of Practical AI Style, which will be available this June in print, eBook, and as an AI Agent.