How Smart Professionals Are Using AI to Stay Ahead of the Competition

The business world isn’t waiting and neither should you. Success today belongs to those who adapt, speed up, and innovate. AI is no longer a novelty. It's a tool helping professionals outperform competitors in strategy, creativity, and speed. Here's how smart people are using AI to win and how you can too.

AI as a Strategic Advantage, Not Just a Tool

McKinsey’s internal AI chatbot, “Lilli,” is not just helpful it’s essential. Over 70% of 45,000 consultants use it weekly to generate ideas, summarize research, and accelerate decision-making, saving them nearly 30% of their time. Read more about Lilli.

At JPMorgan, the COiN (Contract Intelligence) platform now handles thousands of loan agreement reviews, cutting nearly 360,000 hours of lawyer work every year. Explore the case study.

AI doesn't replace human potential it amplifies it.

Real Business Wins And What They Show Us

• McKinsey’s Lilli helps consultants tap into decades of firm knowledge making internal knowledge accessible and actionable. Read more.
• JPMorgan’s COiN turns contract analysis into near-instant insight, shifting time from grunt work into strategy. See details.
• BCG’s Deckster has become a go-to for slide creation, helping consultants deliver polished presentations in hours not days. Learn how.

The takeaway isn’t just that AI works. It’s that professionals using AI intentionally gain an edge. They speed up internal time, elevate output, and free themselves to focus on what matters most: human insight.

How Smart Professionals Are Using AI Tactically

Here are the strategies top performers use and why they work:

• Define AI’s role: Rather than asking AI to “do everything,” smart users assign it specialized roles: meeting summarizer, idea generator, draft writer using structured prompts like P.R.I.N.T. to get quality results.
• Automate repeat work: Let AI handle research summaries, slide outlines, and first drafts. That’s work you used to do hour after hour. Now you can skip to the editing, refining, and strategy.
• Iterate and improve: Measure time saved and output value, then refine your prompts and processes. That cycle drives continuous improvement.

In the AI era, speed equals strategy.

Three-Step Action Plan You Can Start Right Now

1. Pick one repetitive task: maybe it's summarizing articles, drafting emails, or breaking down data.
2. Choose a tool: a chatbot, writing assistant, or analytics help. Then use a clear prompt that includes who the AI is, what it should do, what info it needs, and your desired tone (like P.R.I.N.T.).
3. Check and refine the output. Use your human judgment to correct, clarify, or elevate it. This is your creative edge don’t let it fade.

Why Human–AI Partnerships Are Soon to Be Standard

The best professionals know two things: technology accelerates output and innovation still relies on human creativity. AI boosts how fast you move, but your empathy, vision, and leadership remain irreplaceable. When technology accelerates human strengths, that’s a sustainable competitive advantage.

AI won’t replace you but someone using it better just might.

Want to go deeper?
• The Art of Prompting teaches how to write precise prompts using the P.R.I.N.T. structure so AI works for you, not guesswork. Get it now.
• AI Won’t Replace You But Someone Using It Might shows real-world workflows, mindset shifts, and practical AI strategies designed to keep you relevant and creative in the AI-powered future. Buy it here.