Imagine walking into a boardroom where executives enthusiastically announce their top priority for the year: “We’re going to use hammers!” Not “build stronger structures” or “renovate our facilities,” just hammers. As a priority. Above everything else.
Sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Yet according to recent research from the Diligent Institute, 48% of boards across Asia have made AI adoption their top strategic priority for 2026. Not growing revenue. Not managing cybersecurity risks. Not pursuing strategic growth opportunities. Just implementing AI ranked higher than all of them.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: AI is a tool, not a strategy. It’s a remarkably powerful tool, certainly, but prioritizing a tool over the outcomes it should help you achieve is like a carpenter prioritizing hammers over building houses.
The irony runs deeper. The very outcomes being sidelined are great opportunities where AI shines as a solution.
But here’s the critical question: Should AI even be the solution you choose?
Rushing to adopt AI is like trying to use a hammer to bake a cake, technically you’re using a tool, but you’re applying it to entirely the wrong job.
The research reveals this disconnect clearly. While 57% of Asian organizations have already incorporated AI into operations, only 31% have mandated director training on AI, and just 28% have recruited directors with AI expertise. Nearly 70% identify digital technology skills as a critical board development need. In other words, companies are buying the hammer before anyone on the team knows how to swing it.
So what’s the alternative approach?
Start with the objective. What problem are you actually trying to solve? Are you trying to increase customer retention? Reduce operational costs? Improve decision-making speed? Define the desired outcome first and add the tools into your workflow from there.
Next, assess your readiness. Do you have clean, accessible data? Do your teams understand the fundamentals? Are your processes documented and optimized? If you can’t answer yes, addressing these gaps might be more valuable than any AI implementation.
Then, and only then, evaluate which tools best serve your objectives. Maybe AI is the answer. Maybe it’s process automation, better CRM systems, or simply hiring more skilled analysts. Chances are good that AI will be part of the solution mix anyway, but it will be deployed strategically rather than ceremonially.
Boards that prioritize AI adoption over strategic outcomes aren’t being innovative; they’re being distracted. They’re buying hammers when they should be building houses. The companies that will win aren’t those who implement AI fastest, but those who solve real problems most effectively, using whatever tools, AI included, actually work.