Experiment first. Strategy comes after.
In today’s “AI for Everyone” course material, a key highlight was an insight from Andrew Ng. He’s worked on tons of AI projects at companies like Google, Baidu, and other clients in traditional industry.
Usually, people want to dive right into strategy before building things. But his view is that if you want to develop a great AI strategy, do it AFTER you’ve had a chance to experiment and build several pilot projects. Don’t start with strategy. Start with pilots.
It’s hard to appreciate what AI can and can’t do if you haven’t yet built a series of successful small experiments. Only then does it make sense to step back and consider a broader vision and strategy of how AI can add value to a business.
So start early. Start small. Get some quick wins. And only after that is it good to consider a broader AI strategy.