Artificial Intelligence
AI starts in the boardroom!
Do you remember the Nokia 110? While some of us may, younger generations likely don’t! Although Nokia successfully navigated the shift from basic mobile phones to camera-equipped devices, it missed the game-changing revolution that Apple’s iPhone brought to the market in 2007.
This example showcases how companies who can adapt to change thrive, while others might struggle to keep up. The same is true for AI today.
AI initiatives have in the past been mostly a topic of R&D. Companies ran Proof-of-Concepts, some successful, others not. While these early efforts showcased the potential of AI, scaling these projects has often proven challenging or even undesirable for many organizations.
But now, the AI revolution is here, and its impact is undeniable. It all began with the rise of Large Language Models powering products like ChatGPT, LeChat Enterprise, or Microsoft Copilot, and has only continued to evolve with advancements in agentic systems. These systems go beyond simple workflow automation to create truly intelligent agents capable of performing tasks autonomously, pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve. This accelerated performance, although still not fully understood by experts, is transforming the technology from a tool for experimentation into a strategic asset with the power to reshape entire industries.
As we move forward, AI’s transformative potential lies not in automating tasks, but in enhancing decision-making and driving deeper organizational change. While operational teams can experiment with various AI tools or develop their own systems to improve efficiency and productivity, it is the boardroom that holds the key to unlocking AI’s full potential.
The true opportunity lies in leveraging AI-human collaboration, where hybrid teams of humans and AI agents work together to solve complex problems, innovate faster, and create more value for the organization. Current digital technology allows us, for perhaps the first time in history, to think beyond processes and workflows and unlock new value by relying on collaborative AI-human intelligence. This means that problems such as contract drafting, customer service, complex planning operations etc, which could not be solved with a process based approach, are now in the scope of what is technologically feasible.
This is an enormous opportunity for business! It allows us to rethink and reshape the way they do business in ways which are more productive, efficient and resilient, and not simply “sprinkle” AI on top of the status quo.
To make this work, it is not enough to look at technology alone. AI is transversal. It affects all aspects of your business and everyone who is a part of your organisation. Change management, governance, system design and adoption are all aspects that have to fall in place together with technology.
Rules of traditional digital transformation won’t work, as AI technology, our relationship with it and the way we interact with it are fundamentally different. You already know this, although you may not realise it. When you interact with Microsoft Word, you are interacting with it as a digital tool. It is there to make you more efficient by allowing you to write and format text faster. The value of the text depends completely on you, the human user. Conversely, when you interact with ChatGPT for instance, the interaction resembles the way you would interact with a colleague or an employee: you don’t use AI, you work with it.
The value of the deliverable is a result of a collaborative intelligence effort between you and AI. Now imagine the world where multiple AI systems and multiple humans interact and collaborate as a team. This is the new reality, but the rules of how we design and implement such systems requires a new AI transformation paradigm!
The era of seeing AI merely as an automation tool that replaces employee tasks, with ROI measured solely by FTEs saved, is behind us. The future is about leveraging AI-human collaboration to bring out the best in both. It’s about combining the agility, creativity, and intuition of humans with the power and efficiency of AI to drive unprecedented levels of competitiveness and innovation within your organization. The AI revolution is no longer a distant concept, it’s happening now, and those who embrace it strategically will be the ones leading the way.
So yes, AI today starts as a strategic discussion in the boardroom, where decisions are made to chart the course for your company's AI transformation. This is where the vision for leveraging AI to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and enhance competitiveness begins—paving the way for a future where AI and human collaboration redefine how your organization operates and competes in the market.
Mihailo Backovic
Ready to start shaping the business of tomorrow?
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