When NOT to Use AI (A Guide for Honest Leaders)

Sometimes the best AI strategy is no AI. Here's when to put the algorithms away and focus on simpler solutions.

Don't use AI when: Basic automation will do the job. The problem is actually a people or process issue. You're trying to fix bad management with technology. The juice isn't worth the squeeze (ROI < 3x). Your team isn't ready to support it.

I recently told a client to cancel their AI project. They wanted to use machine learning to predict project delays. The real problem? No one was updating project status in the first place. They needed project management discipline, not artificial intelligence. Six months later, they're seeing better results from basic process improvements than they ever would have from AI.