I'm Seeing a Pattern CEOs Should Know About
AI productivity is moving from the IT department to every desk.
This article was originally posted on LinkedIn. It is the result of conversations with my Substack community, so I decided to share it with you.
Most business leaders I talk to have invested in digitalization and automation, but a shift is underway that many are missing:
AI productivity is moving from the IT department to every desk.
The companies gaining ground aren’t the ones with the fanciest enterprise AI tools. They’re the ones where individual team members can automate their own workflows - safely, without disrupting existing processes.
The Gap
Here’s what I’m seeing across organizations:
Junior team members can use AI tools, but lack the domain expertise to apply them effectively
Senior team members have deep expertise, but haven’t developed the skills to leverage AI for their specific workflows
The technologies are evolving so rapidly that even early adopters are struggling to find solid ground. As my work in this field deepens, I’m seeing clear patterns emerge about which approaches create real competitive advantages.
There’s no time to wait for consensus on AI - the field shifts too fast. The better strategy: experiment, learn, and adopt what serves your strategic objectives.
Why This Matters Now
Software development is no longer exclusive to the IT department. The edge of productivity now depends on each team member’s domain experience, combined with their ability to automate their own work independently.
This isn’t urgent in the sense of a crisis, but it is strategically important. The companies that figure this out early will have a significant advantage as these capabilities become table stakes.
What I’m Exploring
My background in technology and community building gives me a unique lens on how organizations can implement these changes effectively - not just the technical side, but how to make adoption work across different teams, skill levels, and organizational cultures.
I’m exploring how different organizations are approaching this challenge. If you’re thinking about this at your company, I’d welcome a conversation.
Best regards,
Jose Antonio Morales.
Super important take! I see this a lot. The people who know what needs to happen can't make the AI do it, and the people who can make the AI do things don't know what's worth doing.
The idea is to bridge that, but most orgs are just waiting for it to resolve itself? It won't. Thanks for naming this clearly Jose :)