Generative AI (GenAI) is one of today’s most exciting technologies, offering potential to improve productivity, creativity, and customer service. But for many companies, it becomes like a forgotten gym membership, enthusiastically started, but quickly abandoned.
So how can businesses make sure they get real value from GenAI instead of falling into the trap of wasted effort? Success lies in four key steps: building a strong plan, choosing the right partners, launching responsibly, and tracking the impact.
1. Set Up a Strong Governance Framework
Before using GenAI, businesses must create clear rules and processes to use it safely and responsibly. This is called a governance framework. It helps prevent problems like privacy violations, data leaks, or misuse of AI tools.
This framework should be created by a group of leaders from different departments—legal, compliance, cybersecurity, data, and business operations. Since AI can affect many parts of a company, it’s important that leadership supports and oversees these efforts.
It’s also crucial to manage data properly. Many companies forget to prepare their data for AI tools. Data should be accurate, anonymous where needed, and well-organized to avoid security risks and legal trouble.
Risk management must be proactive. This includes reducing bias in AI systems, ensuring data security, staying within legal boundaries, and preventing misuse of intellectual property.
2. Choose Technology Partners Carefully
GenAI tools are not like regular software. When selecting a provider, businesses should look beyond basic features and check how the provider handles data, ownership rights, and ethical practices. A lack of transparency is a warning sign.
Companies should know where their data is stored, who can access it, and who owns the results produced by the AI tool. It’s also important to avoid being trapped in systems that make it difficult to switch vendors later. Always review agreements carefully, especially around copyright and data rights.
3. Launch With Care and Strategy
Once planning is complete, the focus should shift to thoughtful execution. Start with small projects that can demonstrate value quickly. Choose use cases where GenAI can clearly improve efficiency or outcomes.
Data used in GenAI must be organized and secured so that no sensitive information is exposed. Also, employees must be trained to work with these tools effectively. Skills like writing proper prompts and verifying AI-generated content are essential.
To build trust and encourage adoption, leaders should clearly explain why GenAI is being introduced and how it will help, not replace employees. GenAI should support teams and improve their performance, not reduce jobs.
4. Track Success and Business Value
Finally, companies need to measure the results. Success isn’t just about using the technology— it’s about making a real impact.
Set clear goals and use simple metrics, like productivity improvements, customer feedback, or employee satisfaction. GenAI should lead to better outcomes for both teams and clients, not just technical performance.
To move beyond the GenAI buzz and unlock real value, companies must approach it with clear goals, responsible use, and long-term thinking. With the right foundation, GenAI can be more than just hype, it can be a lasting asset for innovation and growth.
