Where does AI fit in your workspace? How do you see it adding value, now and in the future?

There is a lot of ‘noise’ around AI in the business community.  Most employees have been told to embrace the technology but few firms are seeing clear returns from it.

The number of companies with fully AI-led processes has nearly doubled in the last year and its use at work has doubled since 2023. Yet a recent MIT Media Lab report found that 95% of businesses see no measurable return on their AI investment..

So, we have a conundrum – plenty of activity and enthusiasm but little return? How can this be?

Here’s a thought – what if AI is being used to produce quick, passable work that lacks depth?   It may look fine at first glance but often needs more thought, review or even redrafting, shifting the burden to someone else.

It’s easy to see the signs. Many AI-generated documents look polished but when read closely, they lack real insight, personalisation or practical use. The result? More work, not less.

Here’s how that happens:

• AI tools let workers quickly create ‘polished’ output for example – well-formatted slides, long, structured reports, seemingly articulate summaries of papers by non-experts, and usable code.
• But while some employees are using this ability to produce good work, others rely on them too much and create content that is incomplete or unhelpful

This shifts the burden of the work to someone else to fix meaning no productivity gain   Have you ever felt confused after opening such a document, followed by frustration before you begin to wonder if the sender simply used AI to generate large blocks of text instead of thinking it through? Lots of words to read which could, if thought through by the ‘creator’, have been minimised

As the old saying goes ‘why use a thousand words when 100 will do?’ This unsatisfactory outcome is so easy to create from AI.

So, what should/ can leaders do?

There’s always been sloppy work. AI just makes it easier to do it faster. The goal isn’t to ban it, but to set boundaries that create value rather than busywork.

 Now with the added cost of creating more work for our colleagues down the line, this undermines collaboration and team spirit as a result.

Here’s how to get real ROI

Be specific about when to use AI

Don’t use it for everything. Define where it helps most – data analysis, first drafts, summaries – and where human judgment must lead.

Recognise that AI is not appropriate for all tasks

AI can’t read minds. It needs direction, feedback and context to produce useful results. Provide clear guidance.  Tell people how AI fits your business goals and where it adds value. Make your expectations explicit.

Remember that creativity matters

Creativity and the power of human imagination are the real game changers. AI can help with the heavy lifting, but it can’t replace imagination or original thought. Encourage people to use it as a tool, not a crutch.

 Think about collaboration and workflows

Teach teams how to blend AI into their work so it speeds progress rather than passing the problem to someone else.

Lazy use of AI is easy but costly.  It creates extra work, confusion and weak results. Lead by example. Show that AI is there to support thinking, not replace it. Set the same high standards for AI-assisted work as you would for anything else. Used well, AI can save time and spark ideas. Used badly, it just shifts the problem down the line. Finally uphold the same standards of excellence for work done by the combination of human-AI duos as by humans alone. This way AI creates real value add and repays your investment.

David Turner
MD Tinderbox and Director of The Growth Experts