Some years ago, I published a white paper with research on how Boards were coping with the coming wave of AI.  No one believed the possible speed of progress – one Chairman said to me “I’ll be retired or dead before that happens”. When I last checked he was still breathing and chairing companies.

 I'm hoping he has changed his view because AI is not a coming wave, it's a wave that's crashing over us and the  good leaders are out there riding it.

Given that a lot of AI is still early stage why does it matter for business leaders?

The first answer to that is simple and eternal. Because it's there.

If as a business, if as a leader you are not researching and thinking about the things that will affect your business in the future then you are not fit to be leading.  Think of AI not as some technology that doesn’t really affect you and think of it as giving you access to all of the knowledge and information that has ever been created.

New technology always matters, if you don’t take notice of it, you risk missing threats and opportunities.  And this is true not just in business but in all areas of life – particularly if you are a parent or involved in training and development.  And this change is moving fast. 

 You need to develop a mindset of lifelong continuous learning to stay up to date.  If you don’t start using new AI tools as they become available you will not be able to engage with and make judgements about AI and its capabilities. 

Leaders in the future may well be measured by their ability to make use of AI for problem solving and organisational ability but leaders in the present need to have an understanding of it too.  

You must be ready to identify the next steps you need to take, for yourself, and for your business to take advantage of the opportunities AI offers and the risks it poses.  Run scenario planning sessions and think the unthinkable.

If you don't your competitors will.