You’re likely grappling with how AI will impact your company’s operations and competitive landscape. While AI’s effects are far-reaching, its influence on traditional industry structures and competitive dynamics is particularly noteworthy.

I’m sharing a blog post that I originally wrote for my legal AI company, 273 Ventures: “When LLMs Level the Playing Field: The evolution from competitive advantage to competitive parity in the legal industry”. Although the piece focuses on legal services, the principles apply to a broad range of industries.

Key Takeaways for Corporate Boards

Democratization of Expertise

AI is democratizing access to specialized knowledge and expertise, potentially reducing costs and increasing efficiency in various fields such as consulting, financial services, healthcare, and technology. This is a double-edged sword, as this increased availability of knowledge introduces new challenges to industries and organizations driven by knowledge work.

Evolving Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape in many industries is rapidly evolving due to AI, which may affect how your company selects partners, develops products, or delivers services. It’s much easier to DIY or in-house tasks with the help of AI.

Trend Towards Productization

There’s a growing trend towards the “productization” of traditionally human-capital-intensive services across sectors, which could change established cost structures and service delivery models. This can work to your advantage, in the case of paying for service providers; conversely, it can mean that your organization’s own strategic vision must shift in line with this trend.

AI as a Competitive Edge

Companies that effectively leverage AI in their operations may gain significant competitive advantages, regardless of their industry. The use of AI is not a competitive advantage in and of itself, but a strategic implementation of it can be.

Value of Proprietary Data

The value of proprietary data and the ability to create custom AI models is becoming increasingly important across all sectors. Your organization’s internal data represents something that no one else has (hopefully!), but make sure that its use is allowed.

Disruption of Industry Dynamics

AI is enabling smaller organizations to compete more effectively with larger, established players, potentially disrupting long-standing industry dynamics. You probably already know which side of the field your company falls on - be ready to defend your goal or play a strong offense.

Strategic Considerations for Boards

As you consider the implications of these AI-driven changes, reflect on how they might affect your company’s strategy, operational processes, and competitive positioning. Here are some key questions to guide your discussions:

• How can we leverage AI to enhance our existing competitive advantages?
• What new risks and opportunities does the democratization of expertise through AI present for our industry?
• How might AI change our relationships with suppliers, partners, and customers?
• Are there opportunities to “productize” any of our services or internal processes using AI?
• How should we approach data strategy and AI model development to maintain or gain competitive edge?

Conclusion

By examining these issues now, your board can play a crucial role in guiding your company through the AI-driven transformation of your industry and the broader business landscape. The insights from the original article, when applied across sectors, highlight the need for boards to stay informed about AI developments and to actively consider how these changes will shape their company’s future competitive position.

Remember, while AI is leveling the playing field in many ways, it’s also creating new opportunities for differentiation.