AI Insights

When organisations begin their AI journeys, the focus is on productivity gains; how can we reduce effort and deliver faster, how can we do more with the same resources? These questions are focused on making what the business already does more efficient. The usual ways of working are being improved, but not enough thought goes into the possibilities that lie ahead.

AI is discussed when a business wants to work faster or automate processes. Forward thinkers are approaching the technology differently, and rather than asking what can be improved, they’re looking at what might be created. Products, services and experiences that would previously have been commercially, operationally or technically unfeasible suddenly become possibilities. In a nutshell, AI is opening the door to untapped innovation for those brave enough to dream about what they can achieve.

The greatest value doesn’t come from doing today’s work more efficiently; the more profound change will be in creating entirely new ways of delivering value. Across the market, as organisations invest heavily in AI tools and platforms, the productivity improvements and operational efficiencies will almost become the new standard. It’s only then that CTOs will wonder why ‘success’ hasn’t become a reality overnight. But in truth, if everyone’s reality is the same, it’s no longer a differentiator. The productivity gains eventually become normal, and they pretty quickly stop being a competitive advantage.

When AI becomes less about automation and more about innovation, it requires a different type of leadership conversation. Understanding what technology can do is no longer a challenge – but understanding what the business could become because of it is a much bigger debate for a leadership team.

In my experience, very few organisations have reached that point. Most are still focused on adoption, governance, tooling and productivity – and are centred on the organisation as it exists today. This is where the next phase of AI adoption will emerge – in innovating and creating new products and services, or business models and customer experiences. This progression is possible now that some of the traditional constraints of technology have begun to disappear with AI.

The organisations that benefit most from AI won’t necessarily be the ones that automate the most; they’ll be the ones that recognise the technology is changing far more than the way work gets done. It’s not about reinventing the wheel; it’s about changing what becomes possible in the first place.

Joe Wolski, CTO

Posted 16 Jul 2026

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