(Photo by Maico Amorim on Unsplash)

More than 20 years ago, a friend passed me a copy of Robert Cialdini's "Influence: The Power of Persuasion." Some parts of the book have stuck with me.

I think about one part in particular when it comes to AI. Loosely paraphrased: Good marketing gets you to react before you've had a chance to think it through.

And this notion of an "AI arms race" is good marketing, indeed. Companies are convinced that not using AI somehow represents an existential threat – that they will be "left behind" (a phrase I have been hearing since the early days of data science) and/or devoured by the competition.

You're not doing it on purpose. Every company exploring AI envisions a favorable outcome. But you're thrown off by a cacophony of AI vendor pitch materials, as well as news about other companies' AI successes. You've become convinced that AI is something you can just plug into your business and see benefits. You feel you're getting left behind. So you dive head-first … into the shallow end of the pool.

The simple truth is that AI will help some companies and it will not be as useful for others. Additionally, some companies that could benefit from AI will take the hard road and possibly harm themselves in the process.

When it comes to implementing AI, remember that you are only in competition with yourself. You need to find what works for your company and your goals.

And to get there, you'll need a measured approach. Something that surfaces meaningful opportunities and steers clear of needless risks.

If that sounds more your speed, reach out. I can help.