AI Can Be a Great Ally, If You Use It Right

Today I attended an event on business and artificial intelligence. I went with two perspectives in mind: as a consultant at TOTEM Branding working on AI, and to explore the talks, projects and potential collaborations that can emerge with companies looking to apply AI in a practical way.

I came away with several reflections. Some relate to technology, but many more relate to judgment, humanity and ways of thinking.

Artificial intelligence is advancing at an impressive pace. Even so, I'm increasingly convinced that learning AI today doesn't depend solely on attending events or courses. YouTube, for example, is a goldmine. You can learn practically anything about artificial intelligence for free if you have dedication, curiosity and consistency.

But an in-person event offers something different. Listening to people who have spent 20 or 30 years working in business, technology, communication or psychology gives you a different perspective. Today there was something I particularly appreciated: AI was discussed with a great deal of humanity.

That resonates deeply with what I've learned following the journey of my father, Andy Stalman. He has spent years defending the idea that technology only makes sense when it amplifies the human. I believe many more people are now walking that same path.

AI demands knowing when to use it, and when not to

One of the ideas I took away most strongly from the event was the importance of deciding carefully what we use AI for.

Artificial intelligence can be very convenient. It can accelerate tasks, organise information, generate ideas, automate processes and help us work better. But that doesn't mean it has to be in everything.

One of the speakers talked about the need to develop a kind of "critical refusal": knowing when to say yes to AI for certain tasks and when to say no for others.

I think that's a powerful idea. Today it seems as though everything needs to be solved with AI. But there are tasks where human time, creativity, attention, sensitivity and independent judgment are still essential.

AI can help us enormously, but it shouldn't occupy every space. Sometimes the value lies precisely in thinking, observing, deciding and creating without delegating everything.

Thinking remains a competitive advantage

Another important lesson relates to thought itself.

Out of convenience, we can fall into the idea that AI thinks for us. And that's where the risk lies. Many AI-generated responses sound good, are fluent and appear correct. But that doesn't always mean they're useful, accurate or strategic.

A response can sound professional and still not deliver real value.

The problem doesn't arise from misusing AI once. The problem comes when it repeats. When a task seems done but actually needs to be redone. When someone trusts a response too quickly and later realises it wasn't fit for purpose.

At that point, AI stops saving time and starts generating invisible work.

That's why I believe the key isn't just in using AI tools, but in learning to think better with them.

AI facilitates the how: we decide the what

Another idea I found especially useful is understanding AI as a facilitator of know-how.

AI can help with the how: how to structure, how to research, how to automate, how to write, how to prototype or how to solve a specific part of a process.

But the what remains our responsibility.

What we want to build. What problem we want to solve. What judgment we'll apply. What decision makes sense. What value we want to deliver.

This connects with something I've experienced many times. When you try to create something with AI on a topic you know almost nothing about, it's easy to get stuck in a loop. You get stuck, correct, repeat, change the prompt, try another tool and end up thinking AI isn't that good.

But often the problem isn't the AI. The problem is that we don't have enough knowledge to guide it well.

You don't need to be an expert in everything. But you do need a minimum foundation to know where you're headed, detect errors and understand whether the result makes sense.

Artificial intelligence is a facilitator. But it facilitates far more for someone who already knows something about what they're trying to do.

Less hype, more judgment

Another reflection came from a more psychological angle: don't believe everything you read about AI.

We're living through a period of enormous hype. Every day a new tool appears, a new prediction, a new headline about how AI is going to change everything. And it's true that many things will change. Many industries, processes and ways of working are already changing.

But there's also a lot of noise.

Especially for those of us from Generation Z, being exposed to novelty all day can create a constant sense of urgency. It feels like if you don't try every tool, understand every model or apply every trend, you're falling behind.

And that's not always the case.

Keeping up with the evolution of AI is important. But living hooked on hype can make you lose focus. You have to stay alert, yes, but with your feet on the ground.

It's not about reacting to every piece of news. It's about understanding which changes are truly relevant and which can add value in your specific context.

AI will change brands, processes and relationships

Artificial intelligence will transform many industries. It will also change internal processes, business models and the way people interact with brands.

We used to talk about being visible on the internet. Now a new layer is beginning to emerge: being detected, interpreted and recommended by artificial intelligence agents.

The relationship will no longer be purely between person and brand. It will also be between people, agents, intelligent assistants and systems that filter information before it reaches the user.

This has enormous implications for brands. If a company can't clearly explain who it is, what it does, why it matters and what value it provides, it risks losing relevance in an environment where AI also plays a role in the decision.

I don't want to fall into a catastrophist view. But I do believe brands will need to adapt. AI doesn't just change tools. It changes behaviours.

And when behaviours change, the way value is built changes too.

An invitation to participate

These are some of the ideas I took from the event. I'm sure every person would have drawn different conclusions.

I'd love to know how you see it: are you using artificial intelligence as just another tool, as a genuine facilitator, or still with a certain distance?

In upcoming posts I'd like to share more perspectives on AI, business, brand and the future of work.

Thanks for reading, see you in the next one!