Not "adopt AI" but "solve a problem"

Mistake #1 is adopting AI for the hype. The right question isn't "where to apply AI" but "what expensive routine do we have, and will AI remove it". Technology is a means, not a goal.

Signs of a good candidate

• Happens often: dozens to hundreds of times a week.
• Lots of manual time: people spend hours on repetitive work.
• Works with text/data: emails, documents, requests, reviews.
• Errors aren't instantly critical: there's room for a human check.

Typical quick wins

• First-line support replies and ticket triage.
• Drafts of emails, proposals, product descriptions.
• Summaries of meetings and long documents.
• Analysis of reviews and feedback.

Exercise

List 5 routine tasks in your company. Rate each on three axes: frequency, manual time, tolerance for a "text" format. The top of the list is your first candidates.

Start with the pain, not the technology. AI pays off where it removes expensive, frequent routine.