Don’t Wait for the Perfect AI Strategy

The talk about AI is everywhere. We hear a lot of excitement, worry, and pressure to do something with this technology that’s changing so quickly. For CIOs and tech leaders, it can be hard to know what to do and avoid mistakes. But I think the biggest risk isn’t making the wrong choice; it’s waiting for a “perfect” AI plan while everyone else moves forward. Real results with AI don’t come from perfect plans. They start with giving people access, building trust, and being willing to learn by doing.

I’ve always been interested in new technology. Even before my career, I learned that new things frequently enough face resistance. I remember working on early expert systems, and even building a program to help people pick out clothes. When we showed it to investors, they didn’t believe people would ever buy clothes online! This, and other experiences, taught me a valuable lesson: people frequently enough underestimate new technologies.

This happened again when I became a CIO in government. People naturally wanted to be careful and avoid risks. But I also saw the cost of waiting – missing chances to learn, slowing down innovation, and struggling to create a culture that looks to the future. When we wait too long to understand and use new technologies, we risk falling behind. I frequently enough think about how skeptical people were about online shopping or SaaS when I talk to other leaders about AI. We’ve seen this before. It’s time to embrace the huge potential of AI and not let fear slow us down.

From control center to innovation enabler: IT’s evolving role

The role of IT leadership is changing a lot. We used to control all the technology. Then SaaS came along and gave employees more direct access to powerful tools. AI is an even bigger change. It can be scary, and as leaders, we need to make it easier to understand and use. Like the dot-com boom, this is a big moment, and IT leaders must use this prospect to drive innovation.

Consider how Workday is adopting AI – we’re being careful and taking things one step at a time. We didn’t wait for a complete strategy. Rather, we started by focusing on building awareness and