AI on Our Terms

In a world where every organisation is racing to implement AI, most leaders are asking the wrong question. Instead of "How can we use AI?" they should be asking "How can AI help us do what we're already great at, even better?"

AI on Our Terms challenges the dangerous "AI First" mentality that treats artificial intelligence as a silver bullet for organisational problems. Drawing on decades of research in organisational science and real-world consulting experience, Paul Woods presents a compelling alternative: the people-centred, AI-empowered approach that puts human capability at the core of technological transformation.

This isn't another book about AI tools or prompt engineering. It's a practical guide for leaders who want to harness AI's potential without losing what makes their organisation unique. Woods reveals how the same mistakes that plagued previous technology rollouts are being repeated with AI, and provides a proven framework to avoid them.

The book introduces the AI Capability Loop, a six-step iterative model that helps organisations build sustainable AI capabilities across individuals, teams, processes, customer experience, organisational structure, and strategy. Rather than wholesale transformation, Woods advocates for measured progress that compounds over time, creating genuine competitive advantage.

Through compelling case studies and hard-won insights, readers learn how to establish psychological safety for AI experimentation, redesign workflows that leverage both human judgment and machine efficiency, and create customer experiences that feel more human... and not less... through thoughtful AI integration.

AI on Our Terms is essential reading for executives, managers, and team leaders who refuse to let technology vendors dictate their organisation's future. It offers a roadmap for building AI capabilities that reinforce organisational strengths, enhance employee satisfaction, and deliver measurable value to customers.

The choice is clear: chase the latest AI trends and blend into the background, or deliberately build an organisation that uses AI on your terms. This book shows you how to choose the latter and thrive in an AI-driven world while staying true to what makes your organisation special.