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AI leader John Larson shares his journey with dyslexia

Booz Allen Executive Vice President John Larson has university degrees in economics, history, and public policy. He has built machine learning models to spot fraud in the mortgage market, helped auto companies market their goods, and addressed challenges in the financial, renewable energy, and maritime sectors. Today he leads Booz Allen’s artificial intelligence (AI) practice. It’s the largest single provider of AI services to the federal government, with more than 160 projects across the public sector.

But if not for John’s personal determination and a remarkable set of educators, this impressive career might have been cut short before it even started. As a teen with dyslexia, John struggled with reading and writing, and due to a gap in his education, he needed to advocate for accommodations to help him succeed.

Booz Allen is proud to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with a look at John’s journey—including where he discusses what receiving the inaugural Dyslexic Edge Award by SDSquared means to him. The firm, which recently received a perfect score for the ninth consecutive year on the Disability Equality Index, understands the importance of neurodivergent talent. It is a subject that John is passionate about—personally and professionally—as he works to build the future AI workforce.

Finding the Support to Thrive

Dyslexia is a form of neurodiversity that involves difficulties with language skills such as reading, spelling, writing, and pronouncing words. This makes support throughout an individual’s schooling particularly important.

“Our education system—in the early years—is centered around developing reading and writing, so you can fall behind at a young age if you're dyslexic,” John explains. “And even though neurologically diverse individuals tend to be very good at math, they’re often not making it through that third- or fourth-grade matriculation because they're seen as learning-disabled or don't have the reading and writing skillsets.” This challenge is often compounded for neurodivergent individuals as they eventually leave special education programs and enter the general student population.  

John experienced this firsthand. “My personal journey was the most difficult between middle school and high school,” he shares. “As I moved from a special education program that helped individuals with dyslexia into a more regular kind of school experience, I found myself struggling.”

After a challenging freshman year, John realized that he simply was not being sufficiently challenged or allowed to play to his strengths with math, science, chemistry, engineering, and technology. He presented his situation to school leaders and received the accommodations he needed, flourishing while remaining challenged in his studies.

“You've got to push yourself; you've got to advocate for yourself,” he advises to others in similar situations. “You've got to find pathways where you can thrive.” 

The Generational Changes—and Opportunities—of AI

John’s latest challenge is global in scope: helping Booz Allen and its clients navigate the world of AI, which he calls “the single most transformative technology in a generation.”

“AI is going to fundamentally change the way we work, the way we live, and how we think about national security, in areas like intelligence, warfighting, and homeland security,” he says. “It’s also going to significantly and generationally shift our entire economy.” - John Larson, Executive Vice President at Booz Allen

AI is also spurring innovations in education, including solutions for people with dyslexia.

“There are some really interesting applications being explored now where AI is going to adaptively adjust to your native capability levels and then help you along by exposing you to the right content,” he says, “This dynamic learning helps you become stronger in the areas where you need support and enables you to develop those skillsets.”  

On a broader scale, AI’s ascendance is a pivotal opportunity for businesses and the United States as a nation. 

“AI is going to be an engine of growth in the world, and we must be at the forefront to continue to be a world leader,” he says. “And if we lead in this space, if we're setting the tone because we're at the forefront of how the technology is unfolding, it can happen in a way that comports with our democratic values.” 

Bringing Neurodivergent Talent into the AI Workforce—and Future

To become an AI leader, however, the U.S. needs to build the AI workforce of the future. According to John, this is where the neurodivergent community has an edge.

“One of the most important components of successful artificial intelligence is human intelligence,” John says. And many aspects of neurodiversity are particularly well-suited to such human-machine teaming. One example is pattern recognition, an area where many neurodivergent individuals possess above-average capabilities. This plays a big role in machine learning testing, modeling, and data science. Others are strong math, memory, and quantitative abilities—highly sought-after STEM skills.

“If we’re going to create the talent that’s going to build and develop the AI of the future, there are vast numbers of people who have incredible STEM capabilities that we need to reach out to,” John says.  

“This is one of the reasons I was so honored to be recognized with the Dyslexic Edge award and why I'm so passionate about it,” John says. “I think this community is a vast untapped resource.” 

“As AI changes everything in terms of our society and how we're going to go about our business and daily lives, we want to make sure everybody in society is a part of it and enjoys AI’s benefits—including individuals who identify as neurodivergent.”