The Real Promise of AI Is Innovation -- Not Optimization

Let me start right off the bat: many incumbent organizations risk missing out on the strategic opportunity of AI -- instead focusing on tactical optimization initiatives. General purpose technologies like AI have the potential to change how companies operate and create value, disrupting entire industries along the way. History proves however that new paradigms are needed for new technologies to come to fruition. The good news is for AI that these paradigms are already emerging-- they are just unevenly distributed. Using AI for both short term gains and long term strategic value is not trivial and requires strong leadership skills: combining vision with experimentation and aiming for both optimization and strategic plays.