As an IT leader, you’re no stranger to helping executives decipher and understand groundbreaking technology. The process usually takes persistence, careful abstraction, and a stockpile of success stories to make a persuasive business case. With luck, you eventually persuade the board of the value of your next significant IT initiative. But selling the board on AI implementation is another challenge altogether.
It’s not surprising that many boards are undecided about AI. A recent Deloitte study on AI governance found that Board members rarely get involved with AI:
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14% discuss AI at every meeting
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25% discuss AI twice a year
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16% discuss AI once a year
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45% never discuss AI at all
Only 2% of respondents considered board members highly knowledgeable or experienced in AI. These circumstances present a serious hurdle as IT teams not only try to implement AI solutions but also strive to build the appropriate guardrails into the AI strategy.
Helping the board understand the power of black sky thinking can help to counteract some of their reservations about pursuing AI. Here’s what you need to know:
Black Sky Thinking Offers a New Approach to Innovation
Artificial intelligence is taking enterprises to a place where no man has gone before. Even though the market is starting to define AI norms, establish regulations, determine the technology’s shortcomings, and pinpoint when we need a human in the loop, we’re collectively flying through unfamiliar skies. As a result, IT leaders need to persuade the board of directors to embrace a more transformative way of solving problems. Enter black sky thinking.
The black sky thinking concept emerged during the 1960s’ space race and was then popularized by Rachel Armstrong, author and futurist, at the FutureFest in London in 2014 as she described the mentality necessary for humans to thrive on the cusp of unparalleled disruption.
In a follow-up essay, she explains the difference between blue sky thinking (where we’re at now) and black sky thinking this way:
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Blue sky thinking is a “way of innovating by pushing at the limits of possibility in existing practices.”
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Black sky thinking is more aspirational, “producing new kinds of future that enable us to move into uncharted realms with creative confidence.”
Rather than being constrained by current paradigms, organizations’ boards and leaders need to envision the future they want and reverse engineer the steps necessary to reach the desired destination. It’s like planning for oceanic voyages or trips to the moon but at a societal level.
You might be saying, “That’s great, but how does it apply to convincing the board to embrace AI use cases?” Before you can unlock the power of AI, you need board members to shift from blue sky to black sky thinking and embrace aspirational, limitless potential.
Leadership Is on Board with Black Sky Thinking: Now What?
Even when they’re onboard with black sky thinking, most board members are going to focus on mitigating risk and maximizing profits for shareholders and the corporation. That’s a fine strategy if you’re trying to maintain stasis, but not if you’re attempting to break barriers and drive innovation. Your next goal is to convince the board that AI is an acceptable investment if they’re going to achieve their black sky-driven goals.
Fortunately, you can increase the success of your petition by getting two key board members on your side: the CEO and general counsel.
The CEO is often an easier sell. KPMG surveys indicate 64% of CEOs treat AI as a top investment priority. Since your goals align, the CEO can be a co-champion, providing profiles on each board member and answering these key questions:
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Which specific industry AI use cases will be the most persuasive?
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Will AI examples from Fortune 500s carry the most weight?
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Which biases will you need to combat in your argument?
When it comes to in-house counsel, you need to demonstrate a strong command of the legal and ethical implications of what you’re proposing. General counsel and CFOs, being naturally risk-averse, require you to come prepared with your:
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Recognition of potential risks
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Awareness of pending legal cases
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Commitment to ethical implementation
With your CEO and general counsel as AI champions, your next step is to demonstrate ROI if the board is going to approve investment in AI. Showcasing results from programs that have already yielded measurable success can reduce barriers to an AI-forward mentality. For example, in healthcare, Kaiser Permanente has demonstrated how AI can save clinicians an hour of documentation daily — a powerful use case to highlight.
Ultimately, you’ll need to show them that the risk of doing nothing at all can be just as catastrophic as taking a big gamble on emerging technology. Tailored pitches to board members, both individually and collectively, can embolden them to step out of their comfort zones. This approach encourages the embrace of unconventional — or even unknown — solutions to complex challenges. When everyone embraces black sky thinking, no horizon is completely out of reach.