AI in the Real World: Why 90% of Businesses are Still Living in 2023
The “AI Bubble” is real, but perhaps not in the way you think. It isn’t a bubble of overvaluation; it’s a bubble of isolation.
By Voice of Experts
In our latest session of Voice of Experts, host Bruno Gavino sat down with Ben Udell, a leading voice in digital innovation and AI strategy for the financial sector. The core takeaway? While power users are living in 2026, the vast majority of the business world is still stuck in January 2023, cautiously poking at ChatGPT without a clear flight plan.
Here is the blueprint for bridging that gap and surviving the “Great AI Separation.”
The 10% Compression: Quality vs. Commodity
The math of AI is staggering: tasks that once took 10 hours now take 10 seconds. If value is no longer tied to hours spent, what happens to the consulting model?
Ben argues that we are seeing a massive market compression.
The Bottom 90%: Those who use AI to merely “crank out more” will find their work commoditized and devalued.
The Top 10%: These are the experts with taste. AI can generate content, but it cannot generate perspective, judgment, or a “voice.” As the middle-ground disappears, the value of high-level problem solvers—those who can use AI creatively to solve complex human needs—will skyrocket.
The “Crawl, Walk, Run” Framework
In risk-averse industries like banking and finance, fear often leads to paralysis. Ben suggests a “bottom-up” approach to institutionalizing AI rather than waiting for a million-dollar “top-down” miracle.
The “Intern” Mental Model: Ben’s secret to calming compliance departments? Treat AI like a brilliant but fallible intern. You wouldn’t let an intern publish a shareholder report without a human review; treat AI the same way. The “Human in the Loop” is your firewall.
Leadership: The Biggest Bottleneck
The most surprising insight from the interview? AI adoption isn’t a tech problem; it’s a change management problem.
Ben shared a striking anecdote from a recent bankers’ conference:
“I asked, ‘Raise your hand if you’re using AI.’ 30% did. Then I asked, ‘Keep your hand up if you’re willing to work somewhere that doesn’t allow AI.’ Every hand went down.”
Talent is already ahead of leadership. If executives don’t provide the guardrails and the “green light,” their best people will simply walk across the street to a competitor who does.
Ben’s “Secret Sauce” for Adoption:
Don’t just give a prompt; give a video. People need to see the iteration—how the human corrected the AI to get the final result.
The $50 Innovation Bonus: Encourage “micro-innovations.” If a junior staffer finds a way to save 2 hours a week, reward them and scale that prompt across the entire department.
The Final Verdict: Experience as the New Premium
As we move further into 2026, the “death of jobs” narrative is shifting toward a “renewal phase.” We may see fewer credit analysts, but we will see more “AI-enabled relationship managers.”
The goal isn’t to replace humans; it’s to use AI to handle the “Excel drudgery” so humans can return to what they do best: building relationships and exercising taste.
Are you leading the 10% or following the 90%? Ben Udell can be found at BenUdell.ai or on Ben’s LinkedIn for those looking to bridge their organization’s AI skills gap.
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