by Ravi VS
Recently, I had a conversation with a board member about AI awareness at the board level. The sentiment was clear—understanding and embracing AI can feel overwhelming. There is so much happening, from generative AI advancements to ethical considerations and regulatory changes.
For many, AI seems like an enigma wrapped in complexity, making it difficult to know where to start.
However, the key to navigating AI is not in trying to keep up with everything but in adopting a structured approach to engagement. It’s no longer about “garbage in, garbage out.” AI is not just a tool that passively processes inputs—it reflects the clarity and quality of the prompts it receives.
From Overload to Strategy: The Power of Problem Framing
At the board level, the challenge is not about mastering AI technology—it’s about asking the right questions and using AI to drive real strategic value. This begins with writing the right problem statements.
AI is only as effective as the direction we provide. If organisations fail to frame their challenges correctly, they risk getting irrelevant, misleading, or generic outputs.
Boards must shift their focus from:
❌ “How do we use AI?” (technology-centred)
✅ “What problem are we solving?” (strategy-centred)
By defining a clear problem statement, organisations can create effective AI prompts that generate valuable insights rather than noise.
The New AI Reality: No More Garbage Out
Historically, poor data input led to poor decision-making—hence the phrase “garbage in, garbage out.” But today, AI is capable of processing vast amounts of structured and unstructured data. If given a well-framed problem and the right prompt, AI can uncover insights that inform decisions, enhance foresight, and drive competitive advantage.
For example, instead of asking: 🔹 “What is AI’s impact on our business?” (too broad)
Boards should ask: 🔹 “How can AI enhance our talent acquisition strategy to attract future-ready leaders?” (specific, problem-focused)
This shift from passively consuming AI-driven data to actively shaping the AI-driven insights is critical for business leaders.
Boards Must Lead, Not Just Observe
AI is no longer just an operational tool—it’s a strategic enabler. The role of the board is not to fear AI but to leverage it intelligently. To do this, board members must:
✅ Develop AI literacy – Understand AI’s potential and limitations without needing to be a technical expert.
✅ Prioritise problem framing – Clearly define what needs to be solved before seeking AI-driven solutions.
✅ Engage AI strategically – Use AI for scenario planning, risk assessment, and decision augmentation.
The future of AI at the board level is not about more AI adoption but about better AI engagement. Leaders who master the art of problem framing and prompt engineering will move from feeling overwhelmed by AI to making informed, strategic, and future-ready decisions.
How is your board approaching AI? Are you framing the right questions?
RAVI VS is a Foresight Strategist at Invictus Leader impacting some one million plus people and 15,000 plus organisations in 54 countries on Regenerative Growth, Ethical AI & Leadership Innovation and Foresight & Future-Ready Strategies
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