A few days ago, I was thinking about how AI (Artificial Intelligence) is changing the business world. Previously, decision-making was based on experience, knowledge, and intuition; the process was basic and clear. Often, important data arrived after the damage had already been done, haha.
But now, AI has changed the landscape, and at a frightening pace.
Before, there were long work meetings where reports, which by then were already outdated, were analyzed, and decisions were made blindly, relying completely and absolutely on the experience and input of a team, turning the process into a kind of lottery.
Today, the use of AI allows us to obtain data in real time, predict trends, and even tell us the best move to make with an almost nonexistent margin of error.
It's like having an oracle ready to give us an answer whenever we need it.
A close friend, the CEO of a small executive delivery company, told me over lunch that he had decided to invest in a custom AI system that optimized and adjusted his drivers' delivery routes.
I asked him why he had paid for it when he had Google Maps and other free traffic assessment and route control platforms available, but he clarified that the one he purchased was adjusted to how each driver in his company drove, taking into account age, visual range, and even the speed at which they normally drove, as well as weather and even local events. This had saved him thousands of dollars in fuel and overtime.
Eso si que es una apuesta a ganador, pensé.
Pero ojo, tampoco es que la IA es un ser mágico que todo lo puede ni nada por el estilo, ella nos entrega opciones, análisis y todo lo que necesitamos, pero la decisión final siempre sigue siendo nuestra, yo lo veo de la siguiente manera:
La IA nos entrega la brújula, pero somos nosotros quienes debemos decidir hacia donde caminar.
Lo que me parece absolutamente brutal, es que el uso de la IA no se queda en decisiones operativas del tipo de que ruta tomar o como ahorrar costos, sino que desde hace bastantes años las empresas han estado entrenando modelos predictivos para que influyan en las decisiones estratégicas cruciales.
Como por ejemplo en mercados involucrarse, el comportamiento psicosocial de nichos para crear productos que representen perdidas y hasta como ajustar los precios en tiempo real según el comportamiento de micronichos.
Lo que antes tomaba semanas y hasta meses ahora se hace en minutos.
El punto álgido de la situación radica en entender que la IA es una herramienta, que el toque humano no se puede perder bajo ningún concepto, y es aquà donde se separan los que leen datos de los lideres estratégicos.
That's a sure bet, I thought.
But be careful, AI isn't a magical being that can do everything or anything like that. It gives us options, analysis, and everything we need, but the final decision always remains ours. I see it this way:
AI gives us the compass, but we are the ones who must decide which way to go.
What I find absolutely incredible is that the use of AI doesn't stop at operational decisions like which route to take or how to save costs. For many years, companies have been training predictive models to influence crucial strategic decisions.
Such as, for example, in markets, the psychosocial behavior of niches to create loss-making products, and even how to adjust prices in real time based on the behavior of micro-niches.
What used to take weeks or even months is now done in minutes.
The crux of the situation lies in understanding that AI is a tool, that the human touch cannot be lost under any circumstances, and this is where data readers separate from strategic leaders.
La IA nos entrega la brújula, nosotros decidimos el camino
AI gives us the compass, we decide the path
Un lÃder toma decisiones basadas en datos pero también, y esto es lo más importante, es capaz de leer entre lÃneas, entiende el contexto y asume riesgos calculado. El lÃder interpreta lo datos de la IA y conecta puntos obvios detectando oportunidades donde otros solo ven números y barras.
El lÃder estratégico tiene ese toque sobrenatural de saber cuando hacerle caso a la IA y cuando seguir su corazonada, que no tiene sentido pero que al final será la clave del éxito.
Lo que si es cierto es que al final la IA esta cambian el juego mas rápido de lo que nosotros somos capaces de adaptarnos, por lo que debemos jugar con sus cartas pero reservarnos la ultima decisión para no perder el juego.
Es allà donde se define quien es un lector de datos y quien esta jugando en las ligas mayores.
A leader makes data-driven decisions, but also—and this is most important—is able to read between the lines, understand the context, and take calculated risks. Leaders interpret AI data and connect obvious dots, spotting opportunities where others only see numbers and bars.
Strategic leaders have that supernatural ability to know when to listen to AI and when to follow their hunch, which makes no sense but will ultimately be the key to success.
What is certain is that, in the end, AI is changing the game faster than we can adapt, so we must play its cards but reserve the final say so as not to lose the game.
This is where the definition of who is a data reader and who is playing in the big leagues is determined.
