Understanding what AI can and cannot do to set realistic expectations
This guide will help you understand AI’s strengths and limitations, enabling you to use it effectively while knowing when to rely on human judgment.
excels at several key areas that can transform your everyday work. It can rapidly process and analyze large volumes of information, spot important and trends in data, generate high-quality professional content, and provide detailed answers to your questions. Think of it as your own personal assistant that combines the speed of a computer with the communication abilities of a skilled professional.
Task Example: Analyzing customer feedback reports
What AI Can Do:
Example Request: “Analyze these 150 customer feedback responses about our new feature. Summarize the top 3 issues mentioned, track sentiment changes over the past month, and suggest two areas for immediate improvement.”
Task Example: Analyzing customer feedback reports
What AI Can Do:
Example Request: “Analyze these 150 customer feedback responses about our new feature. Summarize the top 3 issues mentioned, track sentiment changes over the past month, and suggest two areas for immediate improvement.”
Task Example: Creating professional, multilingual communications
What AI Can Do:
Example Request: “Help me write a professional email announcing our team’s successful project completion, highlighting our key achievements and thanking contributors. Then translate it into French, preserving the tone and formality.”
Task Example: Market research analysis
What AI Can Do:
Example Request: “Analyze these three industry reports from the past year. Identify the top 5 emerging trends, compare our product features to our main competitors, and suggest three potential areas for innovation in our product line.”
Task Example: Workflow optimization
What AI Can Do:
Example Request: “Review our current employee onboarding process. Create a streamlined, step-by-step guide, suggest three ways to improve efficiency, and develop a checklist for HR to ensure all steps are completed.”
Task Example: Financial data interpretation
What AI Can Do:
Example Request: “Analyze our sales data for the past year. Create a report showing monthly trends, highlight any significant changes or patterns, and generate a forecast for the next quarter based on these trends. Include visual charts for key metrics.”
AI matches patterns but doesn’t truly comprehend like humans
Can only work with information it was trained on
Lacks real-world experience and common sense
Cannot truly understand or respond to emotions
Understanding AI’s limitations helps you use it more effectively and know when to rely on human expertise.
What AI Cannot Do:
Example:
AI can provide data and analysis about different strategies, but it shouldn’t make final decisions—especially when ethical tradeoffs are involved. For instance, AI can’t decide whether to enter a new market based on cultural factors, long-term brand impact, or potential environmental consequences that require weighing short-term profits against sustainability.
What AI Cannot Do:
Example:
AI can provide data and analysis about different strategies, but it shouldn’t make final decisions—especially when ethical tradeoffs are involved. For instance, AI can’t decide whether to enter a new market based on cultural factors, long-term brand impact, or potential environmental consequences that require weighing short-term profits against sustainability.
What AI Cannot Do:
Example: AI can help brainstorm ideas but shouldn’t determine your company’s long-term vision or strategic direction. It can’t, for example, decide on a new product line based on emerging cultural trends and potential future customer needs.
What AI Cannot Do:
Example: While AI can help draft communication, it shouldn’t handle sensitive conversations like performance reviews or conflict resolution. For instance, AI can’t effectively mediate a dispute between team members with complex interpersonal dynamics.
What AI Cannot Do:
Example: AI might misinterpret culturally specific jokes or fail to recognize when a statement is meant sarcastically, potentially leading to miscommunication in international business contexts.
Always fact-check critical information from AI responses
Combine AI suggestions with your expertise and experience
Know which tasks to delegate to AI and which require human handling
Review and validate AI outputs before using them
AI can sometimes or generate incorrect information that sounds convincing. Always fact-check important information, especially for business-critical decisions. Don’t assume AI responses are accurate just because they sound authoritative - verify key facts from reliable sources.
• Document analysis and summarization (reports, research papers, articles)
• Creating initial content drafts (emails, reports, documentation)
• Processing and analyzing large datasets
• Research support and information gathering
• Repetitive task automation
• Pattern recognition in data
• Language translation and proofreading
• Basic question answering
• Final business and strategic decisions
• Long-term strategic planning and vision setting
• Sensitive personnel matters and HR issues
• Creative direction and innovative thinking
• Complex ethical decisions
• Building authentic relationships
• Emotional intelligence and empathy
• Critical judgment calls
• Conflict resolution and mediation
• High-stakes negotiations
Getting Better Results
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Maximizing Value
AI is a powerful tool that works best when combined with human expertise. Use it to enhance your work, not replace your judgment.
Now that you understand AI’s capabilities and limitations, explore these topics to learn more: