As AI (Artificial Intelligence) became a familiar tool in daily work, many businesses realized they had a great opportunity to accelerate their growth. However, alongside this opportunity came a less-discussed risk: using AI in the wrong role. Many businesses have applied AI to strategic planning, business planning, and critical decision-making with the expectation of reducing reliance on human resources, but the results have not been as expected. The problem is not that AI is not good enough, but rather that businesses have assigned AI tasks that it was not designed to handle. This article aims to help the business community clearly identify what AI excels at and what tasks, if delegated to AI, would weaken rather than strengthen the business.
The issue isn’t about using too much or too little AI, but about using it in the right place.
In reality, very few businesses fail because they use too little AI. Most problems arise when businesses use too much AI in inappropriate places. When AI is empowered to replace human thinking, businesses inadvertently eliminate the most crucial element of strategy: accountability.
AI isn’t accountable for decisions. Businesses are. Therefore, the core question isn’t “Can AI do this?”, but “Does this need an entity to be accountable?”.
Things Businesses Should Start Using AI For As Soon As Possible
From a business perspective, AI is a very useful tool for fundamental and repetitive tasks. AI can help businesses save time, reduce errors, and broaden their perspective without altering the fundamental nature of decisions.
AI is particularly well-suited for synthesizing market information, reviewing industry trends, examining the logic of a plan, or building initial analytical frameworks. In these cases, AI acts as a highly responsive assistant, helping businesses see the big picture before delving into the details.
Additionally, AI can assist businesses in simulating different scenarios, thereby helping decision-makers better understand the potential consequences of choosing a particular direction. However, it is crucial for businesses to understand that simulation does not equate to a definitive decision.
Things businesses shouldn’t delegate to AI for decision-making
The most common mistake is giving AI decisions that involve trade-offs. For example, deciding whether to expand into a new market, significantly increase the marketing budget, or change product positioning during a critical period.
These decisions are not only about data, but also about the company’s risk tolerance. AI doesn’t know if the company can withstand a losing quarter, if the current team can handle the added pressure, or how quickly or slowly brand reputation can recover if mistakes occur.
By delegating such decisions to AI, businesses not only lose control but also lose the ability to understand why they might fail if the results aren’t as expected.
“AI” doesn’t understand the invisible limitations of businesses.
Every business has limitations that aren’t explicitly documented. These could be relationships with strategic partners, the trust of long-term customers, or the mental stability of key personnel. These factors are difficult to quantify, but they directly impact the survival of a business.
AI cannot fully recognize these intangible limitations because they are not contained within the data. Only humans, through operational experience and engagement with the business, can truly perceive and assess their importance.
Therefore, decisions that directly impact these intangible factors should not be entirely entrusted to AI.
How Businesses Can Effectively Combine AI and Humans
Instead of placing AI and humans on opposing sides, businesses should view AI as a tool to help humans make better decisions. AI can provide information, analysis, and suggestions, but humans remain the ultimate decision-makers.
One effective approach is to use AI to re-examine assumptions. Once a business has a clear direction, AI can be used to ask counter-questions, identify risk scenarios, or point out blind spots in the plan. However, accepting or rejecting these suggestions still requires human consideration based on the specific context.
Why Smaller Businesses Need to Be More Cautious When Using AI
For large businesses, strategic mistakes can be compensated for with abundant resources. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), every mistake can have long-lasting consequences. Therefore, giving too much decision-making power to AI can leave businesses unprepared and vulnerable.
Small businesses should use AI to accelerate support tasks, but need to maintain tight control over decisions that directly impact cash flow, reputation, and people.
In conclusion: AI doesn’t weaken businesses; how you use AI is the deciding factor.
AI is not a threat to the business community, nor is it a panacea for all problems. AI is a tool, and its value depends entirely on how businesses use it.
When given the right role, AI helps businesses save time, broaden their perspectives, and make more informed decisions. When given the wrong role, AI can lead businesses astray without them realizing it.
Ultimately, strategic planning is not just about writing a logical plan; it’s a process where humans choose the path a business will take, along with all the risks and responsibilities that come with it. That’s the part where, until now, AI should remain in the background, not replace it.
