What Enterprises Get Wrong About AI Adoption - Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly



AI Summary

Summary of AI Adoption and Deployment Strategies

Core Thesis

  • Centralized AI management (AI Center of Excellence) is not effective in early stages.
  • Empower product teams to explore AI organically and decentralize AI deployment.

Crawl, Walk, Run, Fly Model

  • Crawl Phase:
    • Adopt an exploratory mindset without expecting immediate value.
    • Encourage curiosity and familiarity with AI without pressure.
    • Transition to the next phase when exploration leads to boredom.
  • Walk Phase:
    • Begin to seek value from AI by finding specific tools or uses that improve efficiency.
    • Focus on measurable gains in terms of better, faster, cheaper, or safer outcomes.
    • Example: Using AI for book cover art instead of human artists, which proved to be more effective and cost-efficient.
  • Run Phase:
    • Operationalize AI by expanding the use of tools that have proven valuable.
    • Systematize AI integration and measure its impact on processes and business.
    • Example: Automating IT backlogs or using AI for marketing materials and A/B testing.
  • Fly Phase:
    • Establish a Center of Excellence with in-house AI experts who understand both the business and AI.
    • Centralize best practices and authority on AI once maturity and expertise are developed internally.

Conclusion

  • The goal is to accelerate AI adoption in industry to enhance economic and scientific progress.