Are you in control of your AI?
Updated: Aug 15
For my second post, I’m moving on from “who's accountable?” to “do organisations even know what’s happening?”, where I think the real tension is likely to be sitting.
It's very likely that you already have AI in your business. You just might not know where. And you can no longer assume it sits under the purview of IT, as shadow AI becomes the norm rather than the exception.
It's very likely to be in tools your business teams are experimenting with.
It'll have been embedded in the software you’ve already bought – just look at how much of what we buy is now “powered by AI”.
It’s quite likely to be recording, storing, transcribing and summarising important conversations.
It's very likely to be quietly influencing decisions across your organisation.
That’s powerful … and to me, a bit risky.
AI is very likely driving efficiencies and better decisions, but I’m not convinced that organisations have worked out how to measure that value properly. I still sit in many conversations about digital transformation, guiding businesses to focus on value creation and a clearly stated outcome, rather than on the technology itself. I’m certain that right now, AI isn’t yet embedded in those sorts of conversations.
At the same time:
AI outputs can be wrong, but go unchallenged and trusted
Bias can creep in unnoticed
Potentially sensitive or confidential data can be exposed without realising it
Decisions can be influenced without clear accountability … or even awareness that AI was involved
I’m seeing a pattern. Organisations aren’t struggling with AI adoption as much as they’re struggling with AI visibility.
Quick test:
Can you confidently answer:
Where AI is being used today?
What decisions it’s influencing?
What value it’s delivering, measured through a formal approach such as ROI or benefits realisation, rather than gut feel or finger-in-the-air estimates?
What risks is it introducing to your business?
If not, you’re not alone.
This is where I’ve decided to focus more of my time and energy. You can find a lot of people out there ready to help you choose and implement AI tools in your business. The benefits are clear. The hype's giving you FOMO. I feel from many, many conversations I'm having that it’s a little harder to find someone that can help you do it in a thoughtful and ethical way that doesn’t harm your business.
Following my recent studies in AI ethics, regulation and audit, I’m looking to help organisations get a clear view of:
What’s really happening
Where the value is
And where the risks sit
No heavy frameworks. Just clarity, control and confidence.
AI isn’t coming. It’s already here.
The question is … are you confident that you’re in control of it?
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