It feels like AI is everywhere. Tools like ChatGPT, Co-pilot, Gemini, and even productivity platforms like Asana are making their way into the daily routines of businesses, both big and small. Whether it’s drafting an email, summarising a report, or generating quick content, these tools have become the go-to assistants of the modern workplace. 

The key question, though, is – are they helping you truly harness the full power of AI, or are they just scratching the surface?

The Tactical Edge:

There’s no denying the benefits of these tools on a tactical level:

For many businesses, this feels like a game-changer—and in some ways, it is. But tactical gains alone don’t necessarily translate into long-term advantage.

It’s something that I experienced with my own business – the initial eureka (‘aren’t I a clever clogs!’) of using AI to write a tricky email or summarise a report was great. Still, subscription costs often limited me without really knowing if I could justify them from a value perspective, which always begged the question: Am I really making the most of this tool once I’d used up my ‘free daily allowance’.

The Strategic Gap:

Relying solely on these tools is like having a shiny set of power tools but no blueprint for the house you want to build, or the flat-pack wardrobe that needs to be put together. You can accomplish useful things here and there, but without a comprehensive and effective plan, the results are fragmented, take longer, cost more, and negatively impact the return on investment and involvement.

To really unlock competitive advantage, businesses need to answer bigger, strategic questions:

That’s where the key difference lies. Tactical use of AI is about speed and convenience. Strategic use is about direction and value creation. It’s the difference between “AI helps us write faster” and “AI helps us grow smarter” – it was an honest ‘penny dropping’ moment for me. Write faster was nice, but grow smarter was much better.

At Talisman, we work with SMEs to bridge that gap. We build on our own experiences of running a small business, tinkering with AI and then realising we were risking competitive advantage by failing to harness its true potential.

Our AI Playbooks, workshops, and structured programmes help you move beyond surface-level wins to embed AI where it really matters—into your strategy, your processes, and your growth plans.

The Takeway:

Yes, tools like ChatGPT, Co-Pilot, Gemini, and Asana are powerful. I like them; I use them daily, and they can definitely add some value. But they’re just the beginning. If you want AI to be more than a clever sidekick—to become a driver of resilience, efficiency, and competitive edge—you need to think bigger.

AI isn’t just about doing the same things faster. It’s about doing better things in more innovative ways…

…and that starts with strategy – we’re here to help you.

If you’re curious about how AI-ready your business is, check out the AI Readiness Assessment on the Talisman AI website or email me  at roger@talisman-ai.co.uk