3 Innovative Ways to Use AI During Uncertain Times

Young entrepreneurs and experienced leaders understand that artificial intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool, with 82 percent of CEOs and senior leaders expecting AI to impact their businesses significantly, according to a Korn Ferry survey.

Yet many have not spent enough time envisioning how AI could be transformative. To succeed in the age of AI, Brian Solis, author of Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation, and Reshape the Future, suggests constructive ways for leaders to utilize AI to shape a better future.

Solis shared examples from Mindshift of how leaders can embrace change and get “comfortable with being uncomfortable” around the transformative power of AI. Mindshift offers insights into transformative leadership at Disney/Pixar, Apple, and other innovative organizations, which all leaders can learn from to maximize AI’s potential for innovation during uncertain times.

Too often, AI’s potential is siloed within specific departments, Solis says, adding that decision-makers miss opportunities for cross-functional AI applications to yield greater returns. Many overly frugal managers limit AI’s potential by wielding it solely as a replacement for people rather than as a tool to augment and enhance human capabilities. 

Solis argues that the potential for meaningful growth is stifled when leaders view AI solely through this lens of automation. “However, when we also approach AI as a tool for augmentation–where human and machine capabilities work together–the technology transforms from a cost center into a growth engine to enhance human creativity, decision-making, and problem-solving,” he says. The result: New products, services, customer experiences, and, yes, revenue streams that might otherwise be impossible.

Solopreneurs to board chairs all struggle to justify investments in Generative AI, which uses tech to create new content, like text, images, music, audio, videos, and more, with The Economist observing,  “There is little sign AI is having much of an effect on anything” and “so far the technology has had almost no economic impact.”

Business leaders must set their fears aside and invest more financial and intellectual capital in AI. They should embrace authentically disruptive strategies to enhance existing lines of business and identify AI-driven revenue streams. Executives should ask “what if?” questions to challenge traditional ways of thinking.

The antidote to complacency? Become a disruptor, Solis says. In an era of AI disruption, the ability to ask different questions is one of the most powerful tools leaders can use. He emphasizes that leaders must cultivate curiosity, which starts with the simple but powerful act of asking “what if.” Instead of accepting existing assumptions or playing it safe, bold leaders encourage their teams to think beyond current boundaries and explore new possibilities.

Solis explains, “When you stop asking ‘what if,’ you cease to innovate. Your mind becomes locked in the present and blind to the future.” This shift in perspective allows business leaders to envision new opportunities that were previously unimaginable. By challenging old standards, businesses can unlock creative solutions and innovative pathways that optimize AI’s potential far beyond automating the status quo.’

“Disruption happens because of bold leadership. It’s a choice, and starts with a mindshift,” Solis says. “By leading with curiosity and imaginative questions, executives can develop visionary strategies that inspire their teams and set the stage for true innovation. To truly harness the power of AI, leaders need to nurture curiosity and find the courage to create new visions for the future.”