By Virgil Benyayer
Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. According to a McKinsey study (June 2025), over 80% of companies have adopted generative AI tools. Yet only 1% consider themselves mature in their use.
Why such a gap? Because most organizations oscillate between two pitfalls:
comfortable denial, which blocks all reflection,
andnaive hyper-action, which multiplies projects without strategy.
In both cases, AI is reduced to a technical gadget, far from its transformative potential.
In some large groups, inaction is justified by :
silo culture,
data confidentiality,
or regulatory complexity.
But behind these arguments often lies a lack of a clear strategic framework.
Several of the executives interviewed went further: for them, AI is sometimes perceived as a gimmicky buzzword, with no real utility for the business. This skepticism fuels resistance from support teams and encourages inaction.
As a result, marginal tasks are optimized, but the overall management is never questioned.
At the other end of the spectrum, some companies are rushing into AI with enthusiasm… but no vision.
Common examples:
HR chatbots,
commercial co-drivers,
AI for sorting CVs,
generative tools to automate newsletters and marketing proposals.
This frenzy gives the illusion of progress, but leads to ineffective tinkering. Without managerial alignment or reflection on human impacts, AI becomes a technological showcase, with no lasting effect.
The figures confirm this paradox: 80% of companies observe no significant gain in operating profit (EBIT) despite the adoption of generative AI (McKinsey, 2025).
AI must neither be ignored nor subjected to a frantic race. The right use of AI depends on a clear strategic choice:
Clarify your ambition: what do you want to transform, and why?
Define the expected value: where can AI really refine processes?
Aligning governance and AI: integrating technology into a clear, shared and coherent vision.
It’s not a question of avoiding the waves of AI, but of learning to surf them intelligently.
This strategic thinking is already reflected in organizational charts. The role of Chief AI Officer (CAIO) is set to explode in 2024 (+70% in large companies, according to PwC).
Examples: GE Healthcare, Pfizer, Dell Technologies have all integrated a CAIO into their management.
But beware: the CAIO is not just another “geek” around the table.
He plays :
the convergence between AI and growth strategy,
consistency with innovation and ethical objectives,
a cross-functional role capable of breaking down silos.
Without mature governance, AI, however technically brilliant, has no real impact.
The real danger of AI in the enterprise is neither the technology nor its adoption, but the wrong posture in the face of it.
Too much denial: we stand still.
Too much hyper-action: we get restless without transforming.
The middle way is to set a clear strategic framework, integrate AI into the corporate vision and make it a lever for aligned governance.
Because, in the end, AI won’t replace strategy. It will simply test your ability to decide, arbitrate and execute.
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