If AI can do so much of our strategic planning work, will there still be a need for consultancy services and strategic planning software?
I've spent a lot of time thinking about the impact of AI on our day to day work, particularly strategy and planning. I started thinking about how people might be using AI today:
* producing AI generated content such as presentations, charts, reports and document summaries * using AI as a connector between apps to enable data flow and information sharing * obtaining insights, generating ideas and asking for advice * gathering information from disparate sources
But I then started to think about the areas where AI currently struggles, and where I would perhaps not trust it to give me the best outcome:
* AI producing individual plans and content: would it produce a consistent message and reuse the relevant information and insights correctly? * Orchestrating and capturing the information. Can AI really mine local file systems and derive relevant information with the correct context, as effectively as humans could? * Coordinating plans across an organisation: Would AI be able to determine interdependencies around strategies and how they are progressing through implementation? * Tribal knowledge and the market pulse: could AI effectively capture the business specific insights that should drive strategy, especially as we move into more niche markets? * Facilitation. Strategy needs to be built through conversation, and someone has to draw out views and get people to agree
I'm doubtful about these which brings me to the idea of AI-assisted rather than AI-produced strategy.
I'd be interested to hear how others are using AI, how it helps with strategic planning, and where you've stopped trusting it.
*Full disclosure: I'm building a strategic planning tool, so I'm biased, which is partly why I'm asking.*