In the fast-evolving world of corporate governance, AI is no longer just a buzzword, it’s an essential tool for board directors seeking a strategic edge. Imagine having the power to see beyond the immediate facts, to uncover perspectives you might otherwise miss, and to anticipate the ripple effects of every decision. AI offers exactly that: a 360-degree view that helps directors see the full picture, not just the slice visible from their seat.
Recently, while speaking about AI at a conference in Queenstown, I was struck by a powerful analogy shared by fellow speaker and leadership expert Holly Ransom who showed a dice on the table and pointed out that, from any given angle, you can only see one side of it. Her message? As leaders, we often make decisions based on the slice of reality we can see, shaped by our own experience and perspective. True insight comes from rotating the dice, examining every facet. Those unseen facets represent the blind spots, unintended consequences, unforeseen risks, and unexplored opportunities that can challenge even the most seasoned board members.
This sparked my own thinking on how AI could serve as that tool to “rotate the dice” for board directors, giving us the ability to see every angle and make more informed, balanced decisions.
Most directors know the challenge of making decisions based on limited viewpoints. Our experiences and biases shape what we see, but true leadership requires us to look beyond our personal opinions or past successes. This is where the concept of a “Robo Director,” powered by AI, comes into play. Think of AI as a way to “roll” the dice, allowing the board to view all sides and gain a complete picture of the situation. A Robo Director isn’t there to replace human judgement; it’s a tool that enhances it, helping directors uncover perspectives they might not immediately see. As Matt Martel, Managing Editor at NZME, puts it, “If you’re using AI as a thought partner, you probably care less about it being factually accurate all the time because you’re just using it as a way to bounce ideas around and challenge yourself.”
In fact, some boards are already harnessing the power of Robo Directors. Aiden, the Robo Director at IHC, and Alice, an AI director at the Real Estate Institute in Australia, are pioneering examples of how AI can serve as a valuable advisor in the boardroom. These AI-powered directors provide fresh insights, analyse vast datasets, and help human directors identify trends and risks that might otherwise be overlooked. By incorporating AI in this way, these organisations are gaining an edge, making more informed decisions and seeing perspectives that are often hidden from human view.
Here’s how AI, or a Robo Director, can support directors in gaining a more comprehensive view, adding depth, clarity, and foresight to every choice we make.
A Multifaceted Perspective
By leveraging AI, a Robo Director can adopt different personas, each with unique priorities and perspectives, to help the board assess a situation from all angles. For example the Growth-Focused Director who prioritises expansion and market dominance, the Conservative Director who emphasises stability and risk mitigation, or the Sales-Focused Director: who prioritises revenue generation and customer acquisition, to name but a few!
Uncovering Blind Spots
AI has the ability to analyse vast data sources - from industry trends to social media sentiment - revealing potential risks and opportunities that might not be visible to the human eye. For example, AI can highlight early signs of shifting consumer behaviour, supply chain vulnerabilities, or emerging competition that could impact long-term strategy. It’s like having a second set of eyes, helping directors ask, “What are we missing?”
Gaining a Broader Perspective
AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity provide quick, tailored insights that help directors make well-rounded decisions. ChatGPT can summarise trends, clarify complex topics, and even simulate stakeholder reactions to prompt richer boardroom discussions. Meanwhile, Perplexity offers up-to-date data from across the web, allowing directors to explore time-sensitive issues like regulatory changes or market shifts without combing through multiple sources. Together, these tools act as a virtual advisor, inspiring fresh questions and offering perspectives you might not otherwise consider.
Challenging Bias
Directors, like everyone else, bring biases - conscious or unconscious - to the table. AI helps offset these by providing an impartial, data-driven view. Imagine considering a new partnership: while personal experience might lean toward a familiar choice, AI might reveal that a less obvious partner offers greater strategic value. By surfacing these insights, AI enables directors to make decisions that are informed by data, not just instincts.
Increased Creativity and Innovation
By challenging conventional thinking and exploring alternative viewpoints, the Robo Director can stimulate creativity and foster a more innovative approach to problem-solving.
AI as a Thought Partner: Enabling Directors to See the Whole Picture
AI offers directors a unique way to “roll the dice” on decisions, revealing different sides of a proposal and challenging them to consider the broader context. Directors don’t need to be AI experts; they just need to approach AI as a thought partner that can offer various lenses on a single issue.
In a world where every decision counts, AI empowers directors to gain perspectives they might otherwise miss, helping them make decisions that are well-rounded, balanced, and forward-thinking. By embracing AI, directors can transform their boardroom approach, moving from seeing just one side of the story to truly understanding the whole picture.
At Directorly, we specialise in equipping boards and executives with the knowledge and tools to navigate the AI landscape confidently. Our AI Training Programs are designed specifically for Boards and Executive teams - practical, insightful, and tailored to your needs. For more details about the course or to register, please contact us.
Author’s note: we all know that AI can hallucinate, as clearly demonstrated in the image it’s created, where despite numerous prompting attempts it could not accurately depict a real dice! In this instance, I guess it’s reflecting the ‘group-think’ a Board can sometimes fall into, and why AI has such an important role to challenge our perspective!
This blog is a product of thoughtful human input and strategic use of AI tools, helping us deliver impactful, insightful and high-quality content and images efficiently and effectively. Because leading innovation means leading by example.