Don’t Just Experiment with AI, Set an Ambition That Drives Impact

Every organization is talking about AI. Many are experimenting with it. But few have taken the crucial step Gartner® now recommends: defining a clear AI ambition.

According to Gartner®’s AI Ambition research, organizations can’t treat AI as “just another technology.” AI is a strategic force. It shapes brand perception, customer experience, and future competitiveness. That’s why Thrive is helping organizations go beyond opportunistic pilots to build AI strategies that are deliberate, aligned, and impactful.

What Is AI Ambition?

AI ambition is a shared, enterprise-wide intention for how your organization plans to use AI, ranging from internal teams, systems, and customer experiences.

It’s about answering questions like:

• Do we want AI to just improve efficiency, or do we expect it to drive transformation?
• Should AI stay behind the scenes, powering operations, or take center stage in customer interactions?
• What are our boundaries? Are there areas we won’t allow AI to touch?

This clarity matters with AI. Without having defined guardrails around usage and implementation, AI initiatives may conflict, lose support, or stall when risks arise.

Why Defining AI Ambition Is Essential for Organizations

It’s perfectly reasonable to start your AI journey with small, opportunistic projects. Pilot programs and quick wins can reveal valuable insights for your organization, allowing it to take the next steps towards its AI ambitions. But, because AI influences far more than just technology, touching everything from operations to brand perception, organizations must adopt a cohesive, strategic approach. That’s where defining an AI ambition becomes crucial. It creates structure, sets expectations, and ensures AI initiatives are aligned across all departments.

AI ambition also clarifies whether the organization is focused solely on driving internal productivity or seeking customer-facing innovation that changes the game in their industry. To help identify where AI can deliver the most value, the Gartner® AI Opportunity Radar framework encourages organizations to explore use cases across four areas:

• Products and services
• Core capabilities
• Customer experience/front office
• Back office/operations

With this lens, leaders can prioritize opportunities based on business value and readiness, while avoiding scattershot experimentation.

How to Start Building an AI Strategy That Works For You

The best place to begin is by letting teams keep experimenting with intention. Besides the pilot programs and early-stage projects, begin actively tracking how customers and partners respond to your AI touchpoints. Whether they’re engaging with a chatbot or AI-generated content, public trust and brand reputation will be shaped by those interactions.

Next, senior decision-makers should define where AI supports long-term business goals, which areas are off-limits, and what level of risk is acceptable. As AI becomes more integrated into critical workflows and customer experiences, it demands top-level accountability. This isn’t just a tech issue; it’s an organization-wide priority with real consequences for growth, perception, and resource allocation.

Thrive’s Take: AI Strategy That Scales with Confidence

At Thrive, we help organizations build smart, secure AI strategies grounded in business outcomes. Our approach ensures you can build AI strategies that are aligned and scalable, starting with a clear understanding of where you are today, where AI can drive the most value, and how to move forward with the right balance of quick wins, long-term impact, and trusted governance.

Whether you’re automating back-office workflows or preparing to launch AI-powered customer experiences, Thrive can help you align every initiative with your mission, your risk appetite, and your brand.

Download the Gartner® AI Opportunity Radar: Set Your Enterprise’s AI Ambition Report Today