The Two AI Races No One Talks About
Everyone’s talking about AI like it’s one giant race, a sprint to build the biggest model or the flashiest demo or worse, the fastest parameter count.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
You’re not in that race.
Race #1: The Tech Vendor Race
This is the noisiest one.
New GenAI model every 2.5 days.
Vendors burning GPUs like incense sticks at a startup shrine.
Everyone trying to out-hype each other.
But unless you’re OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic… Winning this race doesn’t change your business.
Race #2: The AI Outcomes Race
This is the silent race that actually matters. It’s not about building models, not about changing outcomes.
Three outcomes, to be precise:
Behavioral – How does AI change what people do and feel?
Business – Does it drive revenue, profit, or cost savings?
Technology – Is it secure, governable, and scalable without creating compliance migraines?
Most companies treat AI as an IT project. The best treat it as an organizational operating system upgrade.
Most CXOs Miss the Point
1. Defend, Extend, or Upend?
Defend: Automate tasks to maintain parity.
Extend: Transform processes to build moats.
Upend: Create new markets and models.
If your AI roadmap only defends, you’re paying for survival – not growth.
2. Speed Isn’t Productivity
Productivity is misunderstood.
It’s not doing tasks faster.
It’s doing the right tasks, aligned across the chain, with minimal friction.
AI that speeds up low-value work is a cost center. AI that amplifies high-value work is an asset.
3. Have You Mapped Your “AI Sandwich”?
Gartner calls it the AI Tech Sandwich.
Data everywhere (structured, unstructured, centralized, decentralized)
Embedded AI in workflows
BYOAI tools teams adopt on their own
Built AI – proprietary models tuned for your org
TRiSM – Trust, Risk, Security Management as the wrapper holding it together.
If you’re missing layers, outcomes will collapse under regulatory, ethical, or operational gaps.
4. Pace Matters – But Context Wins
Gartner segments AI adoption pace:
AI-Steady: Industry not disrupted, few initiatives.
AI-Accelerated: Industry disrupted, AI-First ambition, >10 initiatives.
Don’t speed up because it feels sexy. Speed up because your market’s disruption curve demands it.
AI Will Rewire Org Structures
One insight that hit me:
Traditional orgs are pyramids. AI flattens or inverts them.
Juniors reach skill faster
Seniors become force multipliers
Layers shrink or flip
Your HR strategy is now your AI strategy. Ignore this, and org friction will eat AI returns alive.
AI isn’t about features or models. It’s about systems change.
If you want meaningful outcomes:
✅ Stop chasing the Tech Vendor Race
✅ Master your AI Outcomes Race
Because markets don’t care who builds the biggest model.
They care who uses it to:
Change behaviors
Create new value
Shift the game
Safe & at Scale.
Ask these questions..
Where are we defending, extending, and upending with AI?
Are we changing behaviors or processes?
Who owns AI outcomes here – Tech, Business, or HR?
The world doesn’t need another AI hype deck. It needs leaders who can translate AI into compounding, real-world advantage.