AI: The Most Tempting Mental Crutch for Business Leaders

“It's important that we continue to think independently and use AI as a tool, and not as the most tempting mental crutch that humanity has ever seen, which is what it is.” 

Mike Carnevale didn't mince words when we chatted with him in our latest podcast episode. As founder of a software design agency that's worked with Honda and Rockstar Games for 25 years, he's watched enough technology waves reshape competitive landscapes to know when something's different. 

We're standing at an inflection point where the very thing designed to amplify our capabilities could quietly erode them instead. 

We all have access to the same AI tools. The same ChatGPT prompts. The same automation platforms. The same “revolutionary” productivity hacks flooding LinkedIn.

But if everyone's leaning on the same crutch, what sets you apart? 

When Everything Becomes Accessible, Nothing Is Valuable 

Organizations built on commodities have always faced pressure. But as AI makes specialized capabilities universally accessible, that pressure intensifies. What used to require expertise, infrastructure, and investment is now available to anyone with an internet connection. 

Think about what that means. Tools like Sora can now create Hollywood-quality CGI that used to require specialized studios and six-figure budgets. AI can write code, design websites, generate marketing copy, and analyze data, all at commodity prices or for free. 

The same thing is happening across business operations. Strategic analysis that used to require consultants? There's an AI for that. Market research that took teams weeks? AI does it in hours. Forecasting and planning that needed specialized expertise? Accessible to anyone now. 

The bar for “good enough” is rising exponentially. But the bar for “remarkable” isn't moving at all. It's still where it's always been: in human creativity, strategic thinking, and the ability to see connections others miss. 

The Healthy Paranoia That Keeps You Ahead 

Carnevale describes maintaining what he calls “a healthy level of paranoia” about staying relevant. Not the kind that keeps you up at night, but the kind that keeps you asking the right questions. 

The technology landscape shifts constantly. Double-digit billion-dollar deals pour into AI infrastructure weekly. Triple-digit deals happen monthly. That's not just tech industry noise. That's the sound of entire business models being rewritten in real time. 

But it’s not about adopting every new tool. It's about making sure the value you're providing is relevant to where the market — and society — is actually going. 

When AI can handle the commodity work, what's left?  

The thinking that happens before you prompt the AI. The judgment that determines which output is actually good. The creativity that spots the opportunity nobody else saw. 

Whether you're using AI for production forecasting, maintenance scheduling, supply chain optimization, or quality analysis, the question remains the same: are you using it to enhance judgment or replace it? 

Re-evaluating Your Competitive Advantage in an AI-first World  

The real question isn't “How can AI make my team more productive?” 

The real question is, “What happens to our competitive advantage when everyone has access to the same productivity gains?” 

If your entire strategy relies on being faster at executing the same playbook everyone else is running, AI just leveled that playing field. Your six-week project timeline became everyone's six-week timeline. Your cost structure became everyone's cost structure. 

What leaders often miss is that when your team stops thinking through problems themselves, they stop seeing the issues AI can't catch. The supply chain vulnerabilities. The operational bottlenecks. The customer needs that don't show up in the data. Those aren't theoretical concerns — they're the decisions that separate companies that grow from companies that stagnate. 

The path forward isn't about learning to use AI better. It's about building creative capacity — the one capability AI can't commoditize. Every person in your organization needs to develop their creative muscles, because that's how you'll ultimately add value to your team and your customers. 

What This Means for Leaders 

Stop thinking about AI as the solution. Start thinking about it as the baseline. 

Your competitors are already using it. Your customers are using it. The college kid down the street is using it to launch a business. The playing field just got a lot more crowded with “good enough” solutions. 

So, what's your move? 

Invest in creative capacity. Not as a buzzword, but as a strategic priority. Where in your organization are people encouraged to think differently, challenge assumptions, and explore ideas that don't have obvious ROI? 

Protect independent thinking. It's tempting to let AI do the thinking for you. Tempting to accept the first solution it generates. Tempting to stop wrestling with problems yourself. That temptation is the trap. 

Focus on judgment, not just execution. AI can generate options. It can't tell you which option aligns with your values, serves your customers best, or positions you strategically for what's coming next. That's still on you. 

Cultivate the uncomfortable questions. The ones that don't have easy answers. The ones that make you pause. The ones that AI can't solve by pattern-matching against existing data. 

AI is here. It's powerful. It's getting more accessible every day. And that's precisely why independent thinking just became your most valuable competitive asset. But the people building and implementing AI right now carry a responsibility that extends beyond quarterly results.  

The decisions you make today about how your organization uses AI compounds. Whether you use it to replace thinking or enhance it. Whether you lean on it as a crutch or wield it as a tool. These decisions shape your culture, influence how your team approaches problems, and determine whether you're building a company that thinks strategically or one that's just good at executing AI-generated mediocrity. 

The organizations that thrive won't be the ones that use AI best. They'll be the ones that think best while using AI. 

Watch our conversation with Mike Carnevale about building the future, developing non-traditional talent, and staying ahead in a rapidly changing market: Building the Future as AI Reshapes Business and Technology Leadership.