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Navigating AI: An AI Adoption Strategy that Works. Plus, AI-Washing is on the Upswing.

March 24, 2025

In this newsletter edition, we focus on AI adoption. While many have tried some sort of AI tech over the last year, the question still persists on how people should use it. Here is where the rubber hits the road. The promise of increased efficiency and productivity provided by AI is only fulfilled if it is adopted. But how do we do this? Who has done it? Is it fulfilling its promise? We explore this and more.

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Beyond the Buzz: How CEOs Can Actually Make AI Work in Their Companies

At the HumanX AI Conference, where cutting-edge AI advancements took center stage, bestselling author Chuck Bolton highlighted a critical issue—most companies are far from AI-ready. While tech giants push the latest innovations, fewer than 10% of knowledge workers are AI-proficient, causing implementations to stall or fail. Bolton’s The CEO’s AI Playbook offers a practical, human-first approach to bridging this gap, helping leaders drive real AI adoption instead of getting lost in the hype.

  • The AI Reality Gap in Business
    Despite the hype surrounding AI at the HumanX Conference, most companies struggle with basic AI adoption. Chuck Bolton highlights that fewer than 10% of knowledge workers are AI-proficient, leading to stalled or failed AI implementations. Experts emphasize the need to start small, train employees, and focus on practical wins before scaling AI initiatives.

  • Bolton’s Human-First AI Framework
    In his book The CEO’s AI Playbook, Bolton provides a five-step framework to help leaders adopt AI successfully. He argues that AI rollouts are 10% technology and 90% behavioral change, requiring strong leadership and proper training. His approach prioritizes human adaptation over chasing the latest AI advancements.

  • Keys to Successful AI Implementation
    Bolton outlines three critical factors for AI success: leaders must role model AI usage, companies must invest in workforce training, and AI initiatives must be executed with urgency. Without these elements, AI adoption stalls, leaving businesses behind. His framework helps organizations integrate AI smoothly while ensuring employees remain engaged.

  • Empowering CEOs for AI Success
    Through The Reinvention Solution, Bolton offers AI training and coaching for CEOs and leadership teams. His crash courses, Gen AI for CEOs and Gen AI for Boards, equip executives with the knowledge to lead AI transformation. By bridging the AI readiness gap, Bolton helps businesses create real value instead of getting lost in AI hype.

AI Trailblazer Takeaways: Mr. Bolton makes a very compelling case for AI adoption. Human adaptation is key but right now AI is a buzz word along with names such as Chat GPT and Gemini. Many have used it, but most don’t understand how to integrate it into their work and personal lives….and there lies the biggest hurdle. His approach to successful AI implementation makes a ton of sense. Training and demystifying the tech is key.

Balancing Innovation and Oversight: The AI Dilemma in Insurance

As artificial intelligence reshapes the insurance industry, it brings both opportunities and risks for underwriters, insurers, and corporate leaders. Insurance Business writes that while AI is improving underwriting efficiency and fraud detection, many professionals remain skeptical of its accuracy and reliability. At the same time, rising concerns over AI misrepresentation, data security, and regulatory challenges are forcing companies to rethink how they integrate and disclose their AI use.

  • AI’s Growing Role in Insurance & Underwriting Skepticism
    AI is revolutionizing professional and executive liability insurance, enhancing underwriting quality and reducing fraud. A Capgemini study found that 62% of executives see AI’s benefits, but only 43% of underwriters fully trust its decisions. This skepticism stems from AI’s evolving complexity and concerns over its accuracy in assessing risk.

  • The Rise of AI-Washing & Legal Risks for Companies
    Companies are exaggerating their AI capabilities in investor disclosures, leading to increased scrutiny. The number of securities class action lawsuits related to AI misrepresentation nearly doubled in 2024. Insurers warn that how companies disclose and manage their AI risk will become a crucial factor in legal exposure.

  • Open-Source AI: Balancing Innovation with Security Risks
    Insurers differentiate between open-source and closed-source AI models when evaluating risk exposure. Open-source AI, while fostering innovation, presents significant data security risks, especially in regulated industries. Companies must implement strict policies to safeguard proprietary data and mitigate competitive vulnerabilities.

  • Regulatory & Internal Challenges in AI Adoption
    Unauthorized AI use by employees is a growing concern, prompting companies to create strict internal policies. Insurers are also integrating AI into claims management, but over-reliance on automation could lead to flawed decision-making. With global AI regulations evolving, corporate boards must proactively monitor AI use to ensure compliance and minimize risk.

AI Trailblazer Takeaways: AI isn’t perfect and the assumption of accuracy is a presumption. Models are training using data sets and many data sets are inherently inaccurate and the plethora of false information out there is astounding. The fault is not in the AI software but the data itself. Perhaps a good next step would be to train AI LLMs on accuracy, let the debate begin.

Big Tech’s AI Obsession Is Killing Innovation

The tech industry promised a new era of AI-powered gadgets that would transform the way we interact with technology. Instead, companies have stalled innovation, delivering underwhelming products while waiting for AI to catch up. From Apple’s overhyped "Apple Intelligence" to Amazon’s lackluster Alexa revamp, consumers are left with devices that don’t live up to their promises. Meanwhile, The Verge reports that startups betting on AI hardware have largely flopped, proving that real innovation requires more than just slapping AI onto existing products.

  • The AI Gadget Hype Falls Flat
    AI was supposed to revolutionize gadgets, making them smarter and seamlessly integrated into daily life. Companies promised virtual assistants that would handle everything with natural language, but the reality has fallen short. Without truly functional AI, the expected gadget boom has turned into a disappointing fizzle.

  • Tech Companies Are Stalling Innovation for AI
    Many companies have slowed or halted hardware innovation, waiting for AI to catch up. Apple, Amazon, and startups alike have prioritized AI integration over meaningful product advancements. As a result, the latest devices feel like minor upgrades rather than groundbreaking innovations.

  • Apple’s AI Gamble Is a Letdown
    Apple has heavily marketed "Apple Intelligence" despite its limited functionality. Siri's promised overhaul remains missing, and new products are being sold on AI features that don’t yet exist. Consumers are frustrated, having been misled into buying devices that don’t deliver on their AI-driven promises.

  • Startups and Big Tech Bet on AI – and Lost
    AI-powered gadgets from startups have largely flopped, with products like Humane and Rabbit’s R1 failing to impress. Amazon also placed a massive bet on Alexa’s AI transformation, only to deliver underwhelming results. Instead of solving real consumer needs, the industry is stuck waiting for AI to become useful—at the cost of meaningful innovation.

AI Trailblazer Takeaways: It looks as though AI is starting to enter the next phase of the hype cycle - the trough of disillusionment. The pattern was always assured and the sooner we get through this, the sooner we can start to reap the benefits and impact change. Does anyone remember the dot-com crash of 2001? Did ecommerce vanish? Rest assured, AI is here to stay but now the hard part of integrating it into our lives begins.

Quote of the Week

“By next year, AI could be smarter than all humans.”  

- Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic

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