There's a subtle shift happening in how businesses buy AI. Have you spotted it?
Last year, everyone was shouting about the newest model or the latest viral tool. This week felt different. It was quieter. Not because things aren't moving, but because we’re finally moving past the "look at this shiny toy" phase and into the "how do I actually use this to make my life easier" phase.
I’ve spent most of this week talking to people about business execution speed. It turns out that having a world-class AI on your desktop doesn't help much if your internal processes move at the speed of a Victorian postal service.
Here is what actually happened in the world of artificial intelligence this week, and more importantly, what it means for you.
The move from prompt engineering to business execution speed
We’ve reached a point where the models are, frankly, good enough for most things. Whether you're using GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, or the new O1-preview, the bottleneck is no longer the intelligence of the machine.
The bottleneck is how fast your business can adapt.
I’ve had several conversations lately where the concern isn't "can AI do this?" but rather "how do we implement this without breaking our existing workflow?" We’re seeing a real focus on AI implementation support. Companies are realizing that buying the license is the easy bit. The hard bit is making sure your team actually uses it to solve real problems.
If you’re waiting for a model that is 10% smarter before you start, you’re losing time. The real winners right now aren't the ones with the best prompts, but the ones who can iterate on their beta testing strategy and get tools into the hands of their staff the fastest.
OpenAI, O1, and the rise of "reasoning" models
OpenAI has been trickling out updates to their O1-preview and O1-mini models. If you haven't played with them yet, they feel different. They "think" before they speak.
For most day-to-day business tasks, like writing an email or summarising a transcript, O1 is probably overkill. It’s a bit like using a literal rocket ship to go to the corner shop for a pint of milk.
However, where it shines is in logic and complex planning. If you are struggling with a difficult bit of code or a complex product roadmap, O1 is your friend. But for general business use? Stick to 4o or Claude for now. They’re faster, cheaper, and more than capable for 90% of what you need.
Why website feedback is your new secret weapon
Interestingly, a recurring theme in my consulting sessions this week has been website feedback. Specifically, using AI to audit how a human actually experiences a digital storefront.
We’re seeing a new wave of tools that don't just look at SEO or broken links, but actually critique the clarity of your message. They act like a very honest, slightly grumpy customer.
If you haven’t used an LLM to "roast" your landing page recently, you’re missing out. Pull the text from your site, feed it into your tool of choice, and ask: "What is the one thing a confused customer would hate about this?" The results are usually humbling, but incredibly useful for increasing your conversion rates.
Practical takeaways for your AI strategy
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the constant stream of feature announcements, here is a simple way to filter the noise:
- Prioritize execution over exploration: Spend 20% of your time looking at new tools and 80% making the ones you already have work better.
- Focus on business execution speed: Identify one manual process this week and automate just 10% of it. Don't aim for 100% on day one.
- Watch for time zone alignment: As we use more AI agents to handle customer queries, the old issues of time zone alignment are disappearing. If your business isn’t operating 24/7 yet, generic AI assistants are the easiest way to start without overcomplicating your life.
- Get a beta testing strategy: Don't roll out new tools to the whole company at once. Pick two people who are actually interested and let them break things first.
Finding the signal in the noise
The hype cycle is starting to cool, and I for one couldn't be happier. We are moving into the era of practical application. It’s no longer about what AI can do, but what it is doing for your bottom line.
If you’re finding that your biggest hurdle isn’t the technology, but knowing where to point it first, you might find it helpful to book a consultation. We can look at your specific bottlenecks and figure out which of these "game-changing" tools are actually worth your time.
And since it's Thursday, if you want a deeper dive into how to actually build these systems without losing your mind, you should get the free book. It’s full of the stuff I’ve learned by getting it wrong so you don't have to.
The best move right now? Slow down, look at your existing processes, and find the one boring task that keeps you at your desk until 7 PM. That’s where the real AI revolution happens. Not in a press release, but in that extra hour of freedom.
I cover the latest AI releases and tools every Friday at steventann.com. If you found this useful, there's plenty more where this came from.
About the Author
Steven Tann is an AI consultant, author of "You're Selling AI Wrong", and founder of SalesM8. He writes about AI, sales, and running a business from a narrowboat on the English canals. Connect with him at steventann.com.
