AI is useful when it reduces time-to-answer or time-to-decision on messy inputs. It is expensive theatre when it replaces a filter, a template, or a well-written checklist.
Good fits
- Search and Q&A over your own docs, tickets, or manuals (with citations).
- Drafting first versions that a human always reviews before they go external.
- Classification of high-volume, low-risk items that you can measure.
Poor fits
Anything that must be exactly right every time with no review loop — invoices, access control, clinical dosing, or contractual numbers — should stay deterministic until you have evaluation and audit trails that match the risk.
Ship a thin slice first
One workflow, one data source, one success metric, and a fallback when the model is unsure. Expand only after that slice is trusted in production.