AI Adoption Starts in the C-Suite: What Business Leaders Need to Understand

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just another tech trend; it’s a pivotal shift in how banks, fintechs and nearly every other industry will operate going forward. And yet, far too many companies are treating it like an optional add-on. Without a real strategy, AI adoption can stall quickly, or worse, create confusion, wasted investment and employee resistance.

Companies that delay planning risk being unable to access the computing resources they need, making it harder to deploy AI effectively. To compete, companies must act now with a thoughtful, top-down plan that aligns AI initiatives with business goals and operational realities.

The CEO and C-suite set the tone for AI adoption by embracing and reimagining how the company works, then determining where AI can help achieve those goals. Value from AI isn’t like traditional software — it will come in all shapes and sizes. Whether that’s a workflow savings of $20,000 a year, a prompt saving of 10 hours a week or small efficiencies that compound over time. Not every experiment will create immediate value, but incremental gains accumulate until they become impossible to ignore, freeing resources for better customer experience and service. Leaders must encourage teams to think differently, empowering them to experiment and learn from failure. 

One of the clearest examples we’ve seen was in a recent partnership with a regional bank. Their AI initiative wasn’t pushed by IT or middle management; it was championed by the chairman. As a proven leader, he recognized when fundamental changes to human behavior were underway and where opportunities for competitive advantage existed. He understood that the impact of AI would be profound and that it was arriving faster than any other disruption in history.

Many still view AI as a tool to enhance existing workflows, but in five to 10 years, we’ll look back and wonder how we ever got work done when all we had were AI assistants.

So, where should companies begin? Start with a plan in the C-suite and ensure it aligns with company goals, as one of the most common mistakes we see is broad rollouts of generic AI tools. Executives who simply buy a few ChatGPT licenses or roll out a chatbot may think they’re driving innovation, but without a clear structure and context, these efforts often result in low adoption and confusion. And when the initial attempt fails, the C-suite is left fighting internal skepticism the next time they try.

Instead, smart organizations begin with specific, high-value and low-risk use cases. Think about workflows that are complex, repetitive and well-understood, like credit memo drafting, document reviews or credit and debit card dispute handling. Removing these allows employees to see the true AI impact. They also provide measurable results. Once value is proven, trust builds internally and that’s when adoption spreads.

We can view AI through the lens of different opportunities for value creation, rather than rigid stages, including:

1. 1. Individual efficiency. Give employees tools to help them work faster and smarter. This works best with support and guidance.
   

1. 2. Focused individual workflows. Integrate AI into specific job roles to streamline processes. This stage allows for controlled rollout and training.
   

1. 3. Operational workflow transformation. This is where the real return on investment comes in. AI can reduce time and cost by 50% or more in complex processes, and when you apply this to 20 or 30 workflows, you’re looking at millions in savings and better customer service.
   

We often hear, “Our competitors are doing something, so we need to, too.” This leads to short-sighted decisions. Many companies start by using the AI features built into existing tools — enhancements that make current processes a bit faster or more efficient — but stop there instead of reimagining how work could be done altogether. Boards often sign off because it looks like progress. But they’re just checking a box until they have more time. They have the wrong focus — short-term priorities rather than long-term business goals.

We recommend starting small but smart. Choose one workflow and plan. Empower a few forward-thinking employees to lead the way. And perhaps most importantly, be transparent with your teams. Help them see that AI isn’t here to replace them, it’s here to remove mundane tasks, free up their time and let them focus on what matters most.

Executives who act early, with intention and clarity, will create the companies that define the future, not just keep up with it.