Generative AI – The Potential for Business Development

Generative AI has the potential to significantly accelerate business growth, and it already features prominently in almost every strategic plan. However, leveraging its full potential requires more than enthusiastic individuals or granting system access for workplace use.

Using AI on an Individual Level

Individual employees can easily adopt generative AI applications and improve their efficiency with minimal effort in a short time. The results vary depending on skills, experience, and tasks. For instance, in customer service, AI has been shown to resolve issues up to 34% faster.

However, in an organizational context, this 34% improvement is only part of the picture. If AI usage remains limited to individual experimentation, its impact will remain superficial—similar to any mediocre technology that fails to significantly enhance productivity or competitiveness.

Using AI to Strengthen Shared Understanding

The real value emerges when AI is used to build shared understanding and improve organizational processes. Companies that have successfully employed AI to bridge gaps between individuals and operations have gained a substantial competitive advantage.
However, AI alone cannot solve problems. Shared clarity on work goals and purpose continues to motivate teams, enhance quality, and foster innovation—just as it would without AI.

Transforming Work with AI

The key is not merely teaching employees to use AI but creating a shared language about its possibilities. The true power of AI lies in enabling entirely new ways of working for organizations.

Once companies have redefined their internal processes with AI, they can transform how they interact with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders—opening the door to entirely new products and services. At this stage, AI can fundamentally revolutionize business and rewrite the rules of the game.

According to new research, generative AI can significantly accelerate innovation. However, it has also been noted that employees report dissatisfaction due to reduced creativity and underutilized skills. This highlights the importance of training and task redesign during AI implementation.

Scaling Customer Value

When companies shift their focus from improving individual efficiency to creating scalable customer value, they begin to think bigger. The most successful organizations are those that effectively use technology to strengthen collective capabilities and deliver meaningful value.

The AI revolution is not just a technological change—it’s a human story about equipping people to serve stakeholders in groundbreaking ways.

For more insights on AI implementation and the mentioned research, refer to HBR’s article “How to Create Value Systematically with Gen AI” (HBR, Dec 6, 2024: Todd McLees, Nicole Raziwill & Greg Satell).
Read the article here.