Insights · AI strategy

You're using AI. But is your business?

Jeff Herbert

Your business is probably already using AI — at least, that's how it feels. Your people use ChatGPT or similar tools every day, and the productivity gains are real.

But that AI sits with the individual, not the business. When a staff member leaves, the capability walks out with them. The business never owned it, never paid to develop it, can't audit how it was used, and can't reproduce the result without that person.

AAAWgmp1bWIAAAAeanVtZGMycGEAEQAQgAAAqgA4m3EDYzJwYQAAABZcanVtYgAAAEdqdW1kYzJtYQARABCAAACqADibcQN1cm46YzJwYTpkZDVjZGZiMS04MmU0LTQwNDQtOGNlYS05YzUyNTYzZGJhZjAAAAADl2p1bWIAAAApanVtZGMyYXMAEQAQgAAAqgA4m3EDYzJwYS5hc3NlcnRpb25zAAAAALxqdW1iAAAARGp1bWRjYm9yABEAEIAAAKoAOJtxE2MycGEuaW5ncmVkaWVudC52MwAAAAAYYzJzaMKA5el1Yit8bgbUPL1A7NYAAABwY2JvcqNpZGM6Zm9ybWF0bWltYWdlL3N2Zyt4bWxqaW5zdGFuY2VJRHgseG1wOmlpZDpiMTU1YzViMC0yMWE1LTQ2MDMtYTQ3Yy0zYWJhODFiMTJiZGJscmVsYXRpb25zaGlwaHBhcmVudE9mAAAB4mp1bWIAAABBanVtZGNib3IAEQAQgAAAqgA4m3ETYzJwYS5hY3Rpb25zLnYyAAAAABhjMnNoXg2y1Ea7993VOrypwcHvXgAAAZljYm9yomdhY3Rpb25zgqJmYWN0aW9ua2MycGEub3BlbmVkanBhcmFtZXRlcnOha2luZ3JlZGllbnRzgaJjdXJseC1zZWxmI2p1bWJmPWMycGEuYXNzZXJ0aW9ucy9jMnBhLmluZ3JlZGllbnQudjNkaGFzaFggVnt2gSfWDR4C+jB3OC3cgJXh08UzbHAa/77s7NDVR7ikZmFjdGlvbngdY29tLmFudGhyb3BpYy5jbGF1ZGUucHJvdmlkZWRqcGFyYW1ldGVyc6F4H2NvbS5hbnRocm9waWMub3JpZ2luLWNvbmZpZGVuY2VndW5rbm93bmtkZXNjcmlwdGlvbnhmQ2xhdWRlIHByb3ZpZGVkIHRoaXMgZmlsZSBhdCB0aGUgcmVxdWVzdCBvZiBhIHVzZXIgYW5kIG1heSBoYXZlIGNyZWF0ZWQgb3IgbW9kaWZpZWQgdGhlIGZpbGUgY29udGVudHMubXNvZnR3YXJlQWdlbnShZG5hbWVmQ2xhdWRlcmFsbEFjdGlvbnNJbmNsdWRlZPUAAADIanVtYgAAAEBqdW1kY2JvcgARABCAAACqADibcRNjMnBhLmhhc2guZGF0YQAAAAAYYzJzaDQidVN8hFcdk3bZ0EMBEngAAACAY2JvcqVjYWxnZnNoYTI1NmNwYWRNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGRoYXNoWCBW2QrKDZx+2ww24XvpPW+AQCX0hAoz10H2c+OMvRwSxGRuYW1lbmp1bWJmIG1hbmlmZXN0amV4Y2x1c2lvbnOBomVzdGFydBjCZmxlbmd0aBkeBAAAAj5qdW1iAAAAJ2p1bWRjMmNsABEAEIAAAKoAOJtxA2MycGEuY2xhaW0udjIAAAACD2Nib3KlY2FsZ2ZzaGEyNTZpc2lnbmF0dXJleE1zZWxmI2p1bWJmPS9jMnBhL3VybjpjMnBhOmRkNWNkZmIxLTgyZTQtNDA0NC04Y2VhLTljNTI1NjNkYmFmMC9jMnBhLnNpZ25hdHVyZWppbnN0YW5jZUlEeCx4bXA6aWlkOjg3M2JjNzczLTM2MDUtNGQzYy1hNTk5LWU3NTliZWNkNzE2NnJjcmVhdGVkX2Fzc2VydGlvbnODomN1cmx4LXNlbGYjanVtYmY9YzJwYS5hc3NlcnRpb25zL2MycGEuaW5ncmVkaWVudC52M2RoYXNoWCBWe3aBJ9YNHgL6MHc4LdyAleHTxTNscBr/vuzs0NVHuKJjdXJseCpzZWxmI2p1bWJmPWMycGEuYXNzZXJ0aW9ucy9jMnBhLmFjdGlvbnMudjJkaGFzaFggqKNvFckstpvuymDEjwokbqDjU6BKTvmAUe0wmuUP0CeiY3VybHgpc2VsZiNqdW1iZj1jMnBhLmFzc2VydGlvbnMvYzJwYS5oYXNoLmRhdGFkaGFzaFggEQDa3xPJhpTlgnIbEIZHN2GEyJaVv0+vPSPNkQMZr6F0Y2xhaW1fZ2VuZXJhdG9yX2luZm+jZG5hbWVvQW50aHJvcGljIEZpbGVzZ3ZlcnNpb25lMS4wLjBrc3BlY1ZlcnNpb25lMi40LjAAABA4anVtYgAAAChqdW1kYzJjcwARABCAAACqADibcQNjMnBhLnNpZ25hdHVyZQAAABAIY2JvctKEWQISogEmGCFZAgowggIGMIIBjaADAgECAhRA5aAK7sI50L64g/oGQgU9Z1UTADAKBggqhkjOPQQDAzBJMRcwFQYDVQQKEw5BbnRocm9waWMsIFBCQzEuMCwGA1UEAxMlQW50aHJvcGljIENvbnRlbnQgQ3JlZGVudGlhbHMgUm9vdCBDQTAeFw0yNjA4MDcxODQzNTZaFw0yODA4MDYxOTQzNTZaMEQxFzAVBgNVBAoTDkFudGhyb3BpYywgUEJDMSkwJwYDVQQDEyBBbnRocm9waWMgQ2xhdWRlIENvbnRlbnQgU2lnbmluZzBZMBMGByqGSM49AgEGCCqGSM49AwEHA0IABJh6CmvLUBgFFNU0vUKlOVtE6djd17L5SuwX0LemFisBM3dkd/3cyjxFA3Qo5S46fX0/ihY0VZ7mfb9KF703t5OjWDBWMA4GA1UdDwEB/wQEAwIHgDAVBgNVHSUEDjAMBgorBgEEAYPoXgIBMAwGA1UdEwEB/wQCMAAwHwYDVR0jBBgwFoAUzlHiBIFOZFsj+OPEz5o+nMHXXMIwCgYIKoZIzj0EAwMDZwAwZAIwMXMdFJ4BetLLVY7ORuE9noqbbAZOZn/aArXyTwFAZfKrPzxF2vPoJNf1+UCdg1XGAjBwX1zd9WGqYkqmL5SFqw1QySjr1zJfpJM9+1rdDwSPLMOPOjKuiXjoU/pUUeG9RwmhY3BhZFkNngAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPZYQH+UcVTjWmWMs1wDzy5iNAn6sYPxODts44diIKuzzrZIjj9s/GQ4RC+AyNzBT7XC3pIK4GW7wDxs2vCtpZ7qEs4= Personal AI sits with the individual Leaves when they leave Not owned or audited Can't be reproduced Real productivity — no durable value Business AI owned by the organisation Built deliberately, documented Governance and audit trails Named human accountability Scales beyond any one person Durable value the business keeps

Business AI is different

Business AI is owned by the organization, built deliberately, documented to a standard the business can run on, and designed with governance, audit trails and named human accountability from day one. It scales independently of any one person.

If your business uses AI only through your people's personal tools, it is not yet using AI in ways that create durable value.

Where to start

The right place to start is rarely the obvious one. It isn't always the function with the loudest pain or the most enthusiastic sponsor. It's the place where AI compounds what you already have — your customer base, your operating data, your know-how, your brand — and where the move is hardest for a competitor to copy or reverse.

Finding that place is the first job of an AI strategy.

Talk to me about your AI strategy