Click here to listen now: How to Apply AI: Where Smart Businesses Start on Edge of Excellence
Artificial intelligence is everywhere.
It’s in the news, in boardroom conversations, and increasingly, in the day-to-day work of employees, whether leadership realizes it or not. For many organizations, the challenge isn’t whether to use AI, but how to start without creating confusion, risk, or wasted investment.
In a recent episode of the Edge of Excellence podcast, iuvo Principal Consultant and vCIO Brian St. Marie joined co-hosts Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman to break down how businesses can move from AI curiosity to practical action.
Below are the key insights and takeaways for leaders trying to make sense of AI today.
One of the most important, and sobering, points from the episode is this: Your employees are already using AI.
From writing emails to summarizing reports or researching topics, AI tools are being adopted organically. This phenomenon, often called shadow AI, creates real risks when there’s no visibility into where data is going or how tools are being used.
Ignoring AI doesn’t prevent its use; it simply removes leadership’s ability to guide it safely.
AI strategy starts with acknowledging reality. Leaders need to assume AI is already present and take steps to put guardrails around it.
Many organizations assume AI adoption requires a massive, company-wide initiative. In reality, the most successful approaches start much smaller.
Brian emphasized the value of using AI for everyday tasks:
Using AI regularly builds comfort and helps teams understand its strengths and limitations before moving into more complex use cases.
Brian pointed to Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick as a helpful resource for reframing how people think about AI as a daily collaborator that becomes more valuable the more intentionally it’s used.
Before chasing transformational AI, focus on incremental productivity gains. Small wins create confidence and momentum.
AI is only as effective as the data it can access.
Many businesses struggle with:
Introducing AI without addressing data hygiene can surface inaccurate results, or worse, expose sensitive information.
AI itself can help clean and organize data, making the process less overwhelming.
Clean data is the starting point and AI can help you get there faster than manual cleanup ever could.
Even if an organization isn’t ready for custom AI solutions, it should still define how AI can and cannot be used.
An AI use policy helps:
Pairing policies with approved tools, such as enterprise versions of AI platforms, gives leadership control over data usage while still enabling innovation.
Governance doesn’t slow AI adoption; it makes it safer and more sustainable.
Two common mistakes surfaced repeatedly in the conversation:
Large, expensive AI projects fail far more often than small, iterative pilots. Successful organizations treat AI as an ongoing capability instead of a one-time implementation.
AI adoption works best as an iterative process, not a waterfall project.
Organizations that succeed with AI:
AI lowers skill barriers and enables creativity across roles. When leadership listens to ideas from all levels, innovation accelerates.
AI thrives in cultures that value curiosity, collaboration, and shared learning.
Not every AI win shows up immediately on a balance sheet. Some of the most impactful results include:
These qualitative gains often compound into long-term business value.
AI success goes beyond revenue to removing friction and enabling people to focus on meaningful work.
AI presents a leadership challenge that impacts culture, governance, and the way work gets done.
The organizations that succeed won’t be the ones that chase every new tool, but the ones that:
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by AI, the answer isn’t to wait; it’s to start small and stay thoughtful.
At iuvo, we help organizations move from AI curiosity to practical, secure implementation without overengineering or unnecessary risk.
Our AI consulting approach starts with your real business challenges and goals. We work alongside your team to identify high-impact use cases, protect your data, establish responsible AI policies, and design AI solutions that actually improve how work gets done.
Whether you’re just getting started or ready to move beyond pilot projects, iuvo helps you apply AI in a way that’s thoughtful, scalable, and aligned with your culture.
Learn more about iuvo’s AI Consulting Services or contact us today.
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As a future-ready technology company, we embrace AI as an accelerator to empower our teams and enhance the way we create. We believe that the reliability of AI technology depends on the people behind it, which is why every blog is supported by AI tools and then carefully reviewed, validated, and enriched by our subject matter experts. This balance enables and empowers our team to produce content that is useful, accurate, and trustworthy for our readers.