As AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools become increasingly powerful, creating a business strategy in minutes is no longer uncommon. Many investors, with a practical mindset and a desire to optimize resources, legitimately ask: if AI can perform SWOT analysis, budget planning, and build a complete and coherent growth roadmap, then what is the role of a strategic expert? This article does not aim to deny the capabilities of AI, nor to criticize the investor’s perspective. On the contrary, it calmly and realistically dissects the core differences between an AI-generated strategy and one built by an expert, to help investors understand what they are buying and who they are entrusting the responsibility to.
The issue isn’t whether AI can write strategies or not.
The question of whether AI can write strategies has actually been answered long ago. AI is perfectly capable of writing them. It can even write them quickly, concisely, and with the correct structure, and in many cases, better than some poorly written strategies by inexperienced humans. Therefore, the debate about whether AI can write strategies is no longer very relevant.
The more important question investors need to ask is: what is the purpose of this strategy, and who will be responsible when that strategy is implemented in real business operations?
Strategies written by AI: A correct map, but no human driver.
Strategies created by AI often share a common characteristic: high rationality and broad scope. Every factor is considered. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are all present. The proposals are usually comprehensive and consistent with proven models in multiple markets.
This makes the strategies written by “AI” very convincing to read. However, the biggest shortcoming of these strategies is not the content, but the lack of accountability for each specific choice.
“AI” is not a business entity. It doesn’t face cash flow pressures, employee turnover, shareholder failures, or decision-making in the absence of complete information. Therefore, strategies written by “AI” are like a detailed map, but without a real person steering the ship.
A strategy written by an expert: a series of deliberate decisions.
In contrast, a professional strategist doesn’t begin with the question “what should be done?”, but rather with the question “where can this business not go wrong?”. This is a significant difference, especially given that most Vietnamese businesses have limited resources and a low tolerance for mistakes.
In the hands of an expert, strategy isn’t a list of opportunities, but a series of deliberate decisions designed to avoid fatal risks before considering growth. Each decision comes with a specific sacrifice, and the expert is responsible for clearly explaining that sacrifice to the investor.
This is something that AI cannot do, not because it lacks intelligence, but because it lacks the position of accountability.
The most obvious difference lies in SWOTs and budgets.
If you compare two SWOT analyses, one written by AI and one by an expert, the difference isn’t in the number of bullet points, but in how the SWOT is categorized and used.
AI typically presents the SWOT as a comprehensive overview, where strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are described in a relatively balanced way. Experts, on the other hand, use the SWOT as a decision-making tool, where the line between internal weaknesses and external threats is clearly defined, as each group leads to a completely different course of action.
Similarly with budgeting. “AI” can create a reasonable budget, balancing income and expenses and allocating resources optimally. But a professional budgets as a strategic tool, reflecting the priorities and risk tolerance of the business. There are expenses that can be flexible, and there are expenses that absolutely cannot be exceeded, not because of a lack of money, but because there is no room for error.
Strategies written by “AI” often lack “order.”
Another crucial difference is the issue of implementation order. “AI” may suggest many correct actions, but it doesn’t truly understand which should be done first, which can be done later, and which actions, if done at the wrong time, will disrupt the entire strategic structure.
Meanwhile, experienced professionals are usually very cautious about the order in which things are done. There are things that, while correct, shouldn’t be done too early because the system isn’t yet strong enough to handle them. Therefore, strategy not only answers the question “what to do,” but also clearly answers “when not to do it.”
The True Role of AI in Strategic Planning
Pointing out the limitations of AI does not mean eliminating it from the strategic planning process. On the contrary, when given the right role, AI is a very powerful tool to support experts and investors alike.
AI can help test logic, broaden perspectives, synthesize data, and even challenge initial human assumptions. But the final decision, especially those involving taking risks and sacrificing opportunities, must rest with humans.
Strategy is not just an intellectual problem, but a problem of responsibility.
Should we ask, “Can AI replace experts?”
The right question for investors to ask is: in this strategy, which parts can be delegated to “AI” to speed up operations and reduce costs, and which parts must be handled by humans?
Should we ask, “Can AI replace experts?”
The right question for investors to ask is: in this strategy, which parts can be delegated to “AI” to speed up operations and reduce costs, and which parts must be handled by humans?
