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Current State of AI Exercise for Decision Makers

Exercise Overview

Duration: 20 minutes
Purpose: To assess the current state of AI in your industry and organization
Format: Facilitated group discussion with structured activities
Materials Needed: Whiteboard or digital collaboration tool, sticky notes, timer

Facilitator Instructions

  1. Begin by explaining that this is a fact-finding exercise focused strictly on the current state, not future predictions.
  2. Emphasize the importance of being honest about both strengths and weaknesses.
  3. Keep participants on track with the timer to ensure all sections are completed.
  4. Document all responses for later reference in your AI strategy development.

Exercise Structure (20 minutes total)

Introduction (2 minutes)

"Before we can effectively plan how AI will transform our organization, we need to establish a clear baseline of where we are today. This exercise will help us map the current AI landscape in our industry and identify our position within it. Let's focus strictly on what exists now, not what might be coming."

Current AI Implementation Mapping (6 minutes)

Activity: Individual reflection followed by group sharing

  1. Give each participant 3 sticky notes
  2. Ask them to write down specific examples of how AI is currently being used in your organization (1 per note)
  3. Have participants place notes on a whiteboard and briefly explain
  4. Cluster similar examples together to identify patterns

Prompt Questions: - What specific AI tools or systems are we currently using? - Which departments or functions are utilizing AI the most? - What types of tasks are being automated or augmented by AI in our organization? - How integrated is AI into our core business processes?

SWOT Analysis: Strengths & Weaknesses (6 minutes)

Activity: Split participants into two groups

Group 1 - Strengths: - What AI capabilities give us competitive advantage? - Where are we seeing measurable results from AI implementation? - What AI-related skills or expertise exists in our organization? - Which AI implementations have been most successful?

Group 2 - Weaknesses: - Where are our AI implementations falling short? - What technical limitations are we experiencing? - What organizational barriers inhibit effective AI adoption? - Where do we lack necessary AI skills or knowledge?

Have each group present their findings after 3 minutes of discussion.

Competitive Landscape Analysis (5 minutes)

Activity: Guided group discussion

  1. List 3-5 key competitors on the whiteboard
  2. For each competitor, document:
  3. Known AI implementations
  4. Areas where they appear to be ahead
  5. Areas where you believe you have an advantage

Prompt Questions: - What AI capabilities are our competitors publicly promoting? - Where have competitors changed their operations due to AI? - Are there new market entrants leveraging AI in disruptive ways? - What public information exists about competitors' AI investments?

Closing Summary (1 minute)

  1. Recap the key findings from all three activities
  2. Identify 2-3 most important insights about your current AI state
  3. Set expectations for how these insights will inform the next steps

Follow-up Actions

After completing this exercise:

  1. Compile all findings into a "Current State of AI" document
  2. Share with participants and key stakeholders
  3. Use the document as a foundation for your AI strategy development
  4. Identify areas requiring deeper assessment or benchmarking

Exercise Handout

Provide participants with this worksheet to guide their thinking

Individual Reflection: Current AI Implementation

List specific examples of how we're using AI today: 1. ____ 2. ____ 3. ______

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: List our AI-related advantages - ____ - ____ - ______

Weaknesses: List our AI-related challenges - ____ - ____ - ______

Competitive Landscape

Competitor 1: ____ - Their AI implementations: ____ - Their apparent advantages: ____ - Our advantages: ____

Competitor 2: ____ - Their AI implementations: ____ - Their apparent advantages: ____ - Our advantages: ____

Facilitation Tips

  • If participants struggle to identify AI implementations, provide examples like: customer service chatbots, predictive maintenance systems, fraud detection algorithms, recommendation engines, or automated document processing.
  • If the group skews toward future speculation, gently redirect with "That's an interesting point about the future. For now, let's focus on where we are today. We'll discuss future possibilities in a later session."
  • If some voices dominate, use round-robin techniques to ensure everyone contributes.
  • If disagreements arise about competitive positioning, note differing perspectives without attempting to resolve them during this exercise.

Remember, the goal is to establish a shared understanding of your current AI reality, not to solve all challenges in 20 minutes.