The Boardroom Epidemic of AI Theater
Walk into any boardroom today, and you’ll spot the signs of “AI theater”, glossy slide decks, excited chatter about the latest pilot project, and a parade of use cases with little to show for them. Everyone wants an AI pilot, but not everyone wants to talk about its actual business value. The result? Plenty of demos, very little impact.
- Prioritization matrices are your best friend. List out those dozens of use cases, but sort them by potential impact, feasibility, and strategic fit.
- Impact scoring helps separate the “cool” from the “crucial.” If it doesn’t move the needle on revenue, cost, or efficiency, why bother?
- Business alignment means asking: Does this pilot support our actual goals, or just make us look busy?
- ROI calculators reveal whether a use case is worth the investment, before you spend a dime.
- Scenario simulators show how AI solutions affect core business metrics in various real-world situations.
- KPI dashboards keep everyone honest by tracking results against targets, not hype.
- A retailer spent months piloting chatbot tech, only to realize customer service scores didn’t improve and costs ballooned.
- A manufacturer automated quality checks with AI, but missed the fact that throughput dropped because the pilot didn’t align with production targets.
- Countless hours and budgets lost to “innovation for innovation’s sake,” with little to show at the next quarterly review.
Stop Pilots, Start Building Strategic Roadmaps
- Pause the pilot parade. Demand a clear business case before greenlighting any AI project.
- Leverage impact matrices, ROI tools, and KPI tracking to build a strategic AI roadmap—one that delivers real value, not just headlines.
Getting Real About AI Value
AI pilots are cheap until you count the wasted time, money, and missed opportunities. Strategy teams win when they focus on business value, not just shiny use cases. With smart tools and ruthless prioritization, you can turn AI theater into real results. The choice is yours, keep chasing pilots, or build the roadmap that matters.
