(Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash)

When I look at AI's risk landscape, I see something interesting: a lack of balance.

I'm not talking about the companies selling AI solutions. They're all-in. Leaning hard on the "AI is magic" message. Fine.

I'm talking about the companies that adopt AI solutions, ostensibly in the hopes of improving their business. They either overdo it (haphazardly diving in head-first) or they underdo it (sitting on the sidelines).

Both groups are acting on emotion and gut feel, rather than reason and fact. And both create unfavorable, imbalanced risk/reward tradeoffs for themselves as a result:

• Diving in without a plan is a great way to encounter needless frictions and preventable problems. You'll probably miss worthwhile pursuits as you chase far-flung ideas.

• Sitting it out means that you pass up on meaningful opportunities. What if AI can indeed help your company, but you don't use it?

My take: your best bet is to follow a structured, methodical approach. You want to sit down and build a plan. A realistic plan that accounts for your business model, your goals, and your challenges.

That's how you spot the AI projects worth chasing. You'll surface opportunities and steer clear of needless dangers. And when you do that, you'll maximize your returns on AI.

(Need help building that plan, and tuning your AI risk/reward tradeoff? Contact me for details.)