AI is a journey, not a destination
Lately I’ve noticed a lot of associations talking about AI like it’s a moon shot. “We need an AI project.” “We’re rolling out AI in Q4.” That language suggests AI is something you implement once and then check off the list. It isn’t. AI is a journey, and treating it like a one‑time project is a mistake.
Think about any major system you’ve implemented. You didn’t flip a switch and instantly have perfect processes and fully trained staff. You started small, learned, adjusted, and built on what worked. AI should be handled the same way. Begin with low‑risk, practical uses: cleaning up copy, summarizing documents, drafting first‑pass emails or reports.
Over time, each department can identify where AI genuinely helps and where human judgment is still essential. Little by little, you’re building AI habits instead of chasing an “AI transformation.” And just like any other tool, if your underlying processes and data are bad, AI will only amplify the problem.
So don’t frame AI as a giant, capital‑P Project that belongs to IT. Treat it as an ongoing, organization‑wide journey. Ask one simple question: What’s a small, real task where AI could help this week? Start there, learn from it, and then take the next step.
=====
Author's note: The above was written entirely by AI. I fed dozens of my previous posts into Perplexity so that it could learn my "voice," then gave it a topic to write on. It's not exactly how I would have written this post, but I wanted to see how well it could perform, and I think it's not bad. But rest assured, this was only a test. This will be the last AI-generated post from me.
![]()
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Experience is the best teacher
Experience is the best teacher Experience is the best teacher. Every one of us has […]
Don’t ask for what you don’t need!
Don’t ask for what you don’t need! Recently I received a bill from a doctor’s […]
It is never done – so celebrate!
It is never done – so celebrate! A client of mine recently had their official […]
MDR (Minimum Data Required)
MDR (Minimum Data Required) I’ve written about minimum viable product (MVP) in software development in the […]
Simpler and Faster is Better
Simple and Faster is Better Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to attend a […]
Patience and grace
Patience and grace A past client of mine recently told me: “You inspire confidence and […]
Sometimes you just have to try it and see what happens
Sometimes you just have to try it and see what happens The single greatest key […]
Training and testing
Training and testing I’ve written before that the best form of training follows this process: […]
How to save a “failing” project
How to save a “failing” project It is not unusual for me to receive a […]
How to avoid the “IT black hole”
How to avoid the “IT black hole” Going all the way back to my days […]
