GenAI is primarily a strategic challenge before becoming an execution one

Most corporations have been asking - "What can Gen AI do for my business?" But is that the right question to ask?

There's a sense of urgency to tap into Generative AI advancements. Its potential is undeniable: from gaining efficiencies to transforming the product landscape.

However, in my opinion, rushing into GenAI without a clear strategy can lead to wasted investments, haphazard implementations, and even unintended ethical consequences. Instead of focusing on the technology's capabilities in isolation, we need a reframing.

The Right Questions to Ask

I think a strategic approach to GenAI begins with the following critical questions:

• Business Alignment: How does the adoption of GenAI tie into our overarching business goals? What specific problems are we looking to solve or opportunities are we aiming to capitalize on?

• Data Foundation: Large language models used in GenAI are data-hungry. Is our data infrastructure robust enough? Do we have the mechanisms to ensure data quality, bias mitigation, and privacy safeguards?

• Impact and Adaptation: Which jobs or workflows could be positively transformed by Gen AI? How can we prepare employees for this transformation, providing upskilling opportunities to collaborate with AI tools rather than being replaced by them?

• Evaluation: How will we measure the success of GenAI initiatives? What return on investment metrics should we establish?

Call to Action

Answering these questions requires a collaborative effort from business leaders, technology teams, and subject matter experts across the organization. Building an internal consensus on these strategic points creates a solid foundation upon which to deploy GenAI initiatives.

By prioritizing our business goals and layering the Gen AI capabilities on top of them, we can tailor GenAI solutions to maximize our needs. This shifts the focus away from a reactive, capabilities-driven approach and towards a proactive one that maximizes benefits.

Therefore, as leaders, the most important shift in thinking is a move away from "What can Gen AI do for my business?" and instead asking a more strategic and action-oriented question: "What do I want Gen AI to do for my business?". The difference is subtle, but the latter question, puts the onus on you, the business leader, to do what's best for the business, and I think that's as it should be.

How are you approaching Gen AI in your organization?

The most important question business leaders should be asking is "what do I want Gen AI to do for my business" rather than "What all can Gen AI do".

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