The best digital innovation practices condensed

Generative AI is not a fad. It is a systemic disruption. It is shaking up routines, redefining the value chain and giving rise to new standards of efficiency. The signs are clear: certain industries (law, finance, public services) will be redesigned, just as taxis were by Uber and distribution by Amazon. We are not on the cusp of change: we are in the midst of it.

But the obstacle is not technological. It is human. The real question is: is your organisation ready to take the hit? Because while some see it as just a buzz, others are already building structured, operational innovation pipelines. Success will not come from opportunistically adopting the tools on the market, but from a clear strategy: internalise, master, leverage. In a word: customise.

The difference will not be made by access to AI. It will be made by the ability to appropriate it. To integrate it into the heart of the business. To build custom AI solutions aligned with business objectives, internal contexts and market dynamics. Believing that you can get by with off-the-shelf tools means accepting that you will always lag behind the best. Generic solutions standardise. Customised solutions create an advantage.

Designing your own AI means choosing your use cases, training your models, mastering your data and optimising your workflows. It means putting the product and the user back at the centre. And it starts with a demanding discovery process: what are the real irritants? What are the critical decisions? Where does the value lie? Where technological promises are appealing, only a product-led approach can deliver something useful, something that is used, and above all, something that is profitable.

But this power to act must be anticipated. Because the next waves of AI will be even more profound. The AI Act already imposes a strict regulatory framework with heavy penalties. AI agents are gaining autonomy, capable of making complex decisions and interacting with each other. Software development is entering an era of radical acceleration, with near-instantaneous iteration loops. AI-augmented sales forces will cause performance gaps to explode.

And this is only the beginning. In 2026–2027, AI will be not only generative but proactive: predictive recommendations, contextual initiative-taking, autonomous management of complex projects. The augmented employee will be the norm, the untransformed organisation will be the exception... or obsolete.

Now is not the time to observe. It is time to structure. Governance, strategy, skills development, productisation: everything must be put in place now to transform AI into a lever for domination. To wait is to suffer. Structuring your custom AI strategy means anticipating, capitalising and dominating.