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AI isn’t the goal:
why strategy and people still matter

In a world racing to automate everything, it’s tempting to believe that AI is the destination. But not if Dirk Alshuth has anything to say about it. For him, the real challenge isn’t how we automate — it’s figuring out what to automate in the first place.
 
During The Impact Circle by Love Tomorrow, Dirk Alshuth — CMO at cloud management platform emma — unpacked a fresh perspective: automation is not the goal.

Don’t automate the chaos. If your process is broken, automating it just makes it fail faster.

So, what if the real value doesn’t lie in what we can automate — but in what we choose not to? Let’s explore.  

Human intelligence first, always

AI may be the most powerful tool in recent times, but it still needs a human spark to ignite its full potential. It’s great for accelerating ideation and execution — but the output is only as good as the prompts and intent behind it. And that intent still comes from us humans.
 
Even in an era of AI agents and automation at scale, Alshuth emphasized that human reasoning, creativity, and emotional intelligence remain crucial.

Your first prompt already shapes the outcome. And every interaction with AI that follows is a reflection of your clarity and vision.

In other words: we’re not being replaced. We’re being optimized. Those who learn to partner with AI will outperform those who resist it — not because they’re smarter, but because they’re faster, more iterative, and more open to change.

Strategy over hype

Despite all the buzz, most companies are still stuck in experimentation mode. Alshuth backed that up with some eye-opening numbers: while 96% of organizations are experimenting with AI, only 14% are using it strategically.
 
The result? An overflow of dead-end ideas, disconnected proofs of concept, and abandoned prototypes.
 
Luckily, there’s a fix — and it starts with asking the right questions:

  • What’s the purpose of this task?

  • Does it add value?

  • Is AI the right solution, or would simplification, delegation, or elimination work better?

In other words: don’t start with the tech. Start with the why.

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The infrastructure no one talks about

Let’s be honest: AI doesn’t run on magic. And strategy means nothing if your infrastructure can’t handle it. Think: data centers, cloud orchestration, GPUs, and storage — just to name a few.
 
It doesn’t stop there. Infrastructure is just the technical side of it. There are environmental and ethical sides, too.
 
As these are critical factors in today’s society, it’s no surprise that they’re knocking on AI’s door as well.
 
As AI grows, so does its carbon footprint. Soon, companies won’t just be held accountable for what they build, but how they power it.
 
And then there’s data sovereignty:
"Who owns your data? Where is it stored?"
In an AI-driven world, these are not questions to overlook.

Don’t just train models — train your people, too

AI won’t save you if your people can’t use it.

It’s another hard truth Alshuth shared: too many organizations still underestimate the cultural shift that comes with automation.
 
Hiring junior employees and expecting them to perform at senior level because “they have AI” is a myth. Experience still matters. And training is non-negotiable.
 
Enablement — not tooling — is often the missing piece. Without coaching, context, and structured upskilling of your people, even the best tools won’t land.
 
This means:

  • Training teams across all functions and departments (not just IT)

  • Creating time and space for learning

  • Empowering teams to own and optimize their workflows

Speed over perfection

Finally: speed.
AI accelerates everything — ideation, creation, development cycles, …
 That speed is your competitive edge — if you know how to use it.
 
With AI, it’s all about experimenting fast, learning faster, and scaling what works.

If you wait for perfection, your competitors already shipped.

So: ship fast, test often, and learn every day.

The future of work: human-led, AI-powered

Let’s end on a hopeful note.
The future of work isn’t humans versus AI. It’s humans with AI. These tools still need empathy and purpose to guide them. Companies that understand this will grow faster and smarter.
 
So, don’t ask:
"How do we automate this?”

Ask instead:
“Why are we doing this?”
 
Then build the right process, the right culture, and yes — the right automation around it.