The Excuse Era Is Over
Not long ago, you could ask ChatGPT about your industry, get a reply that read like bad improv, and chalk it up to the modern equivalent of “AI ate my homework.”
Those days are gone.
Back then, testing AI felt like bringing a broken calculator to a math test. Interesting, sure. But no one expected it to work when it mattered. Leaders could safely roll their eyes, mutter something about “waiting for the technology to mature,” and get back to business as usual.
That excuse doesn’t work anymore.
Back When It Was Just the Dog
Early AI was the digital equivalent of that classic homework excuse. It misunderstood instructions.
Mangled context. Invented “facts” so confidently wrong they’d make a politician blush. Case in point: ChatGPT once couldn’t reliably count the number of Rs in “strawberry.” (Here’s a hint: it isn’t two.)
It could tell you the difference between strawberry shortcake the dessert and Strawberry Shortcake the cartoon character… but simple counting? Forget it.
Leaders kept it at arm’s length. Who could blame them? The tech was clumsy, the results unpredictable. Better to wait for version 2.0… or 3.0… or whenever it stopped hallucinating. The excuse worked because it was true. AI wasn’t ready, so ignoring it didn’t cost much.
But while everyone was waiting for AI to get its act together, it did.
The Co-Founder You Didn’t Hire
That “dog” isn’t eating homework anymore. It’s writing the syllabus, grading the papers, and designing next semester’s curriculum while you’re still debating if it can draft an email.
Take the story Rob Collie share in Raw Data’s 200th episode: a real estate professional in his 60s — someone who doesn’t even know keyboard shortcuts — walked into a Starbucks and walked out 90 minutes later with an AI system that writes listing descriptions better than he ever could.
Not just faster. Better. Capturing his voice. Matching his style. Producing high-caliber work every single time.
And this isn’t a Silicon Valley unicorn with a dev team on speed dial. This is a guy who probably still prints emails… and now has a tool that quietly runs part of his business for him.
With the right data foundation and a little training in how an organization runs, AI is now:
- Reading meeting transcripts, email threads, and market reports in seconds — while you’re still catching up on last week’s updates.
- Flagging risks and opportunities before they’re obvious — replacing quarterly surprises with near real-time foresight.
- Connecting insights across departments without a single meeting — ignoring org charts, politics, and “who invited who.”
Leaders still treating AI like that unreliable homework-eating dog risk falling behind those treating it as a co-founder with stamina, precision, and speed they can’t match alone.
Why This Should Keep You Up at Night — In a Good Way
The “wait and see” approach is quickly becoming “wait and watch others move first.” AI is ready to do real work and in some cases, it already is for your competitors.
This isn’t about replacing judgment. It’s about augmenting it. The leaders pulling ahead aren’t delegating to AI like it’s an intern, they’re partnering with it like it’s the smartest analyst they never had to hire.
Consider what’s happening in the Power BI world. As the Raw Data podcast revealed, 75% of traditional dashboards are likely to be replaced because AI can answer business questions directly, no pre-built report required.
Here’s the twist: as dashboards disappear, data models skyrocket in value. They’re now feeding AI systems that can handle any question the business throws at them.
Organizations sticking with traditional reporting workflows risk losing ground to competitors delivering answers in near real time, not in three weeks after “custom analysis.”
The Moves Leaders Need to Make Now
- Give It Real Work, Not Toy Problems. Feed AI live, relevant business context. The magic happens when it knows your market, your customers, your competitors.
- Integrate Into Strategy, Don’t Just Bolt It On. Let it surface patterns during planning — not after the plan’s locked.
- Use It to Buy Back Your Time. Let AI process the flood of information so you can focus on judgment calls, relationships, and moves only you can make.
The pattern is clear: leaders using AI as a strategic partner don’t just move faster — they think differently, see farther, and act while others are still deciding what to analyze.
Where You Go from Here
The “AI ate my homework” excuse is dead.
The only real question: is AI working for you… or for them?
If you’re ready to explore how AI can step into a leadership role in your organization — not just as a tool, but as a force multiplier — we’re here to help you make that move with confidence.
Talk with us about integrating AI into your leadership strategy.
Get in touch with a P3 team member