In the previous article, we established that without a strategic roadmap, the AI revolution leads nowhere. Today, let’s take it a step further. Let’s assume you already have the compass and the readiness to move forward. What’s the next—and potentially most costly—mistake you can make? Choosing the wrong direction.

An AI strategy is about identity, not technology

Implementing AI is not a single path. It’s a maze of ten fundamentally different directions your business could take. Each leads to a different destination and demands entirely different resources, skill sets, and cultural changes. Choosing one is, in fact, a decision about your company’s identity for the decade ahead. It’s a decision that cannot be made based on a trending article or a gut feeling.

Enhancement, automation or new markets? Discover three core faces of AI in business

To show how fundamentally different these paths can be, let’s look at three distinct strategic archetypes:

Archetype 1: The “Intelligent Co-Pilot”. This model doesn’t replace humans with AI—it makes your best experts even better. AI acts as an a business co-manager, or even a mentor, who smoothly boost your employee, teams knowledge and experience while coordinating operations that no longer need human attention. It synthesises vast amounts of information and delivers real-time, data-driven “intuition.” Picture your sales team—each person supported by a virtual super-mentor, highlighting which customer is ready to buy and suggesting the most effective argument to close the deal. This is the AI-Augmented approach, designed to enhance human capabilities.

Archetype 2: The “Autopilot Company”. Here, we go a step further. Algorithms—not human knowledge, experience and instinct- drive key business decisions and entire operational processes. This is the AI-driven model. Think of a dynamic pricing engine in your e-commerce business that adapts automatically to hundreds of market variables. Or a supply chain that predicts demand and places orders without human involvement. In this setup, people don’t make decisions—they supervise the machine that does.

Archetype 3: The “New Value Engine”. In this model, AI isn’t an add-on—it is the core of your customer value proposition. This is an AI-powered strategy, where the most critical function of your product or service is executed directly by artificial intelligence. An example? A streaming platform whose key feature is a recommendation algorithm. New services based on precise micro-signal search engines – ideal for the capital market, where they can detect the first mentions that could damage a company’s reputation or, on the contrary, help identify a niche company worth investing in. Without AI mechanisms, the product simply wouldn’t exist in either case. This is the path to creating entirely new business lines—and offerings that competitors can’t easily replicate.

Beyond the three archetypes: A deeper look at advanced AI strategies

And these are just three of ten fundamentally different AI philosophies. Others, like the AI-First model, involve building your entire company from the ground up with AI at the centre. Then there’s Hyperpersonalisation AI, which treats every single customer as a separate market. Hybrid approaches also exist, such as Human-in-the-Loop, where AI’s output is reviewed by people at key decision points or AI-Enabled strategies, where existing processes are improved by adding AI components.

Don’t leave your strategy to chance. Define your future with AI

Choosing the wrong model is like building a high-performance, state-of-the-art factory… in the wrong strategic location. The investment is substantial, but the return is disappointing. That’s why making an informed choice about the base of AI architecture is the most essential business decision you’ll make this decade. It cannot be left to guesswork.

Let’s find the AI Model Tailored to Your Business

Your choice of AI strategy will shape your market position for years to come. There’s no room here for trial and error. You’re invited to a dedicated strategic session.

During our meeting, we will:

• Diagnose the DNA of your organisation—your strengths, resources and long-term goals.
• Analyse which of the 10 AI models offers the most significant potential to become your unfair competitive advantage.
• Outline the first steps required to implement your chosen strategy.

This session will give you clarity and confidence, ensuring your company’s energy and resources are channelled in the right direction.

Legal Note (AI Act):

The illustration in the article was generated using the Gemini 2.5 PRO AI model.