Your Result
At Stage 2: Explore AI, your organization is experimenting with chat-based, Generative AI agents. You’re learning what Generative AI can do, where it adds value, and where its limitations lie. At this stage, AI is a tool for exploration and assistance, not yet a dependable part of your daily operations.
You can begin with free versions of chat-based AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. The goal is to build familiarity by using these tools personally and professionally to brainstorm ideas, solve problems, and complete basic tasks.
Start experimenting with everyday work:
- Track project to-dos or maintain an idea parking lot.
- Use voice conversations to capture ideas and think through challenges.
- Draft or revise website copy, emails, and reports.
- Summarize industry news and prepare briefing reports.
- Explore ways Generative AI can help with research, planning, and problem-solving.
As your organization experiments, you'll also learn how to:
- Provide context and write prompts that produce more useful responses.
- Give feedback to improve the quality and relevance of AI-generated work.
- Recognize the limitations of Generative AI and experiment with ways to improve results.
- Evaluate when paid access to Generative AI tools is worthwhile.
The objective of this stage is to experiment with Generative AI without relying on it to augment work.
What to Avoid
As in Stage 1: Discover AI, many organizations rush through this stage, eager to move from experimenting with AI to implementing it across their operations. Resist that urge.
The goal isn't to use AI as much as possible. It's to understand where it can help and how to use it effectively.
Give your team time to experiment, evaluate results, and build confidence. Start with free versions of AI tools, and upgrade only when you encounter a meaningful limitation or need that justifies the cost.
Avoid using sensitive organizational information in AI tools without appropriate safeguards. Establish basic rules for acceptable use before experimentation expands.
Focus Areas
| Activity | Why It Matters |
| Identify tasks and processes that could be suitable for AI | Focuses experimentation on real work rather than general curiosity about AI capabilities. |
| Explore free or low-cost, Generative AI tools | Builds familiarity without committing to expensive subscriptions or complex systems. |
| Experiment with brainstorming, writing, and problem-solving | Helps your team discover practical applications and recognize where AI adds value. |
| Test AI-generated documents, spreadsheets, reports, and presentations | Reveals both the potential value of AI and the need to review its outputs for accuracy and quality. |
| Develop basic methods for validating AI-generated work | Establishes good habits for checking accuracy, relevance, and alignment with organizational standards. |
| Establish basic AI-use guidelines | Reduces the risk of exposing sensitive information or using AI inappropriately. |
| Evaluate which opportunities merit further investigation | Keeps experimentation focused on meaningful problems rather than interesting but low-value possibilities. |
Progressing to Stage 3: Apply AI
Before moving to Stage 3: Apply AI, your organization should be able to:
- Identify promising tasks. Your team has hands-on experience with AI and can identify realistic opportunities to improve specific tasks.
- Select a suitable pilot. You've identified a task to test, the safeguards required, and the level of human oversight needed. Ideally, start with a low-risk, repetitive task with measurable results.
- Use AI with confidence. Your team is comfortable using Generative AI to brainstorm, work through professional challenges, and develop work products.
- Establish basic governance. You have guidelines covering who can access AI tools, what information can be shared, and how AI-generated work must be reviewed and validated.
- Protect organizational data. You understand the risks of sharing information with AI providers and have appropriate data protection, backup, and recovery practices in place.
What's Next?
At Stage 3: Apply AI, your organization will begin moving from exploration to practical implementation.
You'll start to:
- Apply Generative AI to specific organizational tasks, processes, and projects.
- Develop methods for testing AI-generated work against organizational standards.
- Evaluate AI's performance to determine whether it delivers meaningful benefits.
- Manage the organizational changes that come with adopting AI.
Ready to put AI to work? Learn more about Stage 3: Apply AI.
