I started the New Year at CES, where, as expected, AI dominated the conversation. Every keynote, every panel, every product showcase had AI front and center. But for all the noise, one thing was missing from most of the discussions… the real risk today isn’t ignoring AI, it’s adopting it halfway.
Too many companies are rushing to “check the AI box” without any real plan for alignment, orchestration, or measurement. They throw tools at teams without asking the most important questions… who’s actually using these tools, are they making a difference, and most importantly can they track adoption and proficiency and prove business impact? Without those answers, technology becomes a distraction at best, and a liability at worst. That’s not innovation… that’s instability.
I’ve been having direct conversations about this from the inside out for many months with Larridin co-founder Jim Larrison, and I recently joined the Larridin Advisory Board because what they’re building addresses the exact blind spots I saw echoed all over CES… organizations overwhelmed by AI hype, but lacking the visibility, governance, and context to make AI investments actually work. Larridin, with two other seasoned co-founders Russ Fradin and Ameya Kanitkar, is building the missing measurement + enablement layer for enterprise AI… a system of record that reveals the real AI landscape across the company and helps leaders turn adoption into performance. Larridin continuously measures AI usage including what tools are being used and for what propose; surfacing adoption, engagement, proficiency and ultimately business impact. Larridin helps enterprises understand and measure AI, raise workforce proficiency, and connect AI activity to measurable outcomes.
That matters, because AI doesn’t create value on its own, people do. Tools without orchestration only deliver fragmented gains. And without trust, alignment, and human-centered strategy, AI turns into a shiny distraction instead of a growth engine. That’s why the kind of visibility Larridin enables is so critical. It’s not about saying “we have AI,” it’s about proving that AI is driving real, sustained value, and doing so in a way that empowers the people closest to the work.
AI done right isn’t about removing the human, it’s about amplifying the human… giving people the tools, support, and clarity they need to do their best work. This is the kind of transformation that creates real RETURN ON RELATIONSHIP... when technology doesn’t replace connection, but strengthens it. When adoption is measured, trust is earned, and people feel supported, not displaced.
We’re at a turning point. Companies don’t need more AI tools right now… they need to make better use of the ones they already have. That requires intention, it requires integration, and it requires insight. That’s the future Larridin is helping to shape. And it’s the only kind of AI future I want to be part of.
Half-right AI isn’t progress. It’s risk…
The biggest threat today? Blind adoption.
The biggest opportunity? Empowerment… with intention, integration, and impact.