Buyer question 01
When AI does not belong
AI is not the answer when the work is unstable, the evidence is unavailable, or a simpler correction produces the result with less risk. A credible advisor should be willing to stop the build.
The workflow is not stable enough to automate.
If capable people cannot describe the current process consistently, automation hardens confusion. Standardize ownership, inputs, and exceptions first.
- No clear process owner
- Inputs change unpredictably
- Exceptions are the rule rather than the edge case
The data cannot support the decision.
A model cannot repair missing definitions, inaccessible records, or disputed sources of truth. Data work may be the real project.
- No usable baseline
- Critical information is unavailable
- Quality cannot be checked by a human
The economics do not clear the threshold.
If the cost of integration, oversight, and change exceeds the recoverable value, the disciplined answer is no build—even when a demo looks impressive.
- Low volume or low consequence
- A rules-based fix solves the problem
- Adoption cost exceeds credible benefit
Continue the decisionSee what the Opportunity Map includes