(By Claudio Muruzabal*) When I speak to CEOs and business leaders, my advice is simple: Don’t get lost in visions of AI reshaping the entire world.
In the rapidly evolving world we live in, the constant chatter about artificial intelligence can sometimes feel overwhelming. While experts predict the advent of super-intelligent systems and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) soon, governments are racing to establish new regulations and data sovereignty rules. At the same time, AI experts and scientists are being courted with employment offers never seen in the tech world. Yet, despite all this momentum, AI models still face challenges when it comes to complex tasks and truly sophisticated reasoning.
According to the Stanford University Human Artificial Intelligence 2025 Index Report, private AI investment in the US reached an impressive $109.1 billion in 2024, about a third of this investment went to genAI. Yet, most AI projects struggle to move beyond the pilot phase and deliver concrete returns. A recent MIT study found that 95% of organizations have yet to see positive ROI from their AI initiatives. This leaves many business leaders asking: What does AI genuinely mean for us, and how can it enhance performance today?
When I speak to CEOs and business leaders, my advice is simple: Don’t get lost in visions of AI reshaping the entire world. Instead, focus on how AI can drive real, practical value for your stakeholders right now. The greatest opportunity isn’t just about gaining a competitive edge but about using AI to increase efficiency and reduce costs immediately.
Kathy Kay, CIO of Principal Financial Group, wisely notes, “It is essential to first ground yourself in the problems you’re trying to solve and the outcomes you want to achieve before getting swept up in the promise of AI. The opportunities are remarkable, but AI isn’t always the right answer as many challenges can be addressed through simpler automation.” She is absolutely right—AI isn’t a universal solution. In many instances, established software tools are the right answer, avoiding the need to start with AI from scratch. Kathy adds, “When AI is the right fit, and is implemented with strong governance and accountability, it has the potential to deliver meaningful, sustainable results.”
With this pragmatic mindset, let’s set aside philosophical debates and paradigm shifts. Instead, focus on actionable steps that drive business efficiency today—the so-called “low-hanging fruit”, that can lead to early wins. Business leaders should ensure the following areas are addressed:
• AI-driven software development: Modern AI tools have democratized coding, making it accessible beyond professional developers. Now is the time for businesses to review their technology stacks and leverage these tools for immediate productivity improvements.
• AI-powered customer engagement: Enhance traditional marketing and service platforms—often reliant on offshore or nearshore providers—by integrating AI automation, augmentation, and chatbots. These solutions elevate efficiency, boost customer satisfaction, and lower costs.
• AI-powered meeting effectiveness: Collaboration is at the heart of any successful organization, and effective meetings play a central role. With AI, managing agendas, transcripts, action items, and records is easier and more reliable than ever.
• Applying AI to recruiting: While AI-assisted CV management is well established, generative AI now brings added versatility to recruiting analytics. It helps organizations learn from their hiring successes and failures-a critical advantage for companies with high-volume recruiting or persistent turnover.
• Personalized learning and development: Generative AI is revolutionizing employee training, development and career growth through platforms that offer accelerated, customized learning. Susie Lee, Advisor & Chief Learning Officer at Degreed, a leader in learning experience technology, observes, “AI transformation isn’t just about technology—it’s about people. Personalized learning and development are key to shifting mindsets and driving real change and value.”
• AI agents for routine tasks: AI agents today can independently handle a variety of repetitive tasks, reducing the need for traditional process management software. However, it is important not to replace proven traditional systems without good reason; instead, focus AI deployments on automating routine, time-consuming work.
Finally, it’s time to rethink business investments in traditional management consulting. With the readily available AI-powered research and analytics tools, businesses can reevaluate the scope of consulting engagements—only deploying consultants for advisory work based on quantitative analysis provided by AI.
Before diving into complex, innovative transformation projects using generative AI, organizations should first embrace these straightforward, value-driven opportunities. Today’s CIOs and IT leaders face unprecedented challenges, serving as critical intermediaries between evolving business needs and the rapidly expanding potential of technology and particularly AI. Their mission is to deliver practical solutions that create value now, while remaining vigilant for new, grounded advancements in AI. In this thrilling era of technology, the goal is to be bold, yet prudent—always keeping value creation at the forefront of every decision.
*Board Member & Advisor
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