Did you know that only about 11% of companies are leveraging AI to its full potential? In this episode of Becoming Radical, host Michael Gaizutis sits down with Sam Ransbotham, professor of analytics at Boston College and co-host ofMe, Myself and AI (in partnership with MIT Sloan Management Review).
From the cultural foundations that shape successful adoption to the hype vs. reality debate raging across C-suites, this episode gets honest about what AI can (and can’t) do. Sam also explores why the next wave of disruption may come from AI agents, not humans, and what businesses need to do now to stay ahead.
Whether you’re an executive trying to make sense of LLMs or a founder figuring out where to start with AI, this conversation is a blueprint for responsible innovation and radical differentiation.
Key Takeaways
Only 11% See Big Gains: Despite the AI hype, few companies achieve transformational outcomes—why expectations need a serious reset.
Misunderstood “Grayness”: AI is rarely magic or useless. It lives in nuance, and business leaders need to embrace that discomfort.
Strategy Over Stickers: Stop slapping “AI-powered” labels on old processes. Start aligning tech with your real business advantage.
Innovation vs. Incrementalism: The tension between improving existing workflows vs. creating brand-new ways to operate.
AI Agents Are Coming: In the next decade, companies may be selling to AI, not just with it. Get ready for a new kind of customer.
In This Episode
[00:00:02] Introduction to Becoming Radical
[00:05:06] Executive decision-making on AI investments
[00:09:04] AI in human resources: Opportunities and challenges
[00:10:23] The role of organizational culture in AI success
[00:12:18] Advice for overwhelmed business leaders
[00:13:29] Innovation vs. explainability in AI deployment
[00:25:53] Transparency, trust, and societal impact
[00:30:36] Where to find Sam Ransbotham
Our Guest
Sam Ransbotham is a professor of analytics at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management and co-host of Me, Myself and AI, produced in partnership with MIT. He leads one of the largest global surveys on AI in business and has been featured in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and more. Sam is passionate about demystifying AI, exploring its real-world applications, and helping organizations think clearly in a noisy tech landscape.
Notable Quotes
[00:01:29] “One of our findings is that very few people, 11% is our number, are getting significant value from artificial intelligence.” — Sam Ransbotham
[00:02:53] “People tend to think of these technologies as binary in one of two directions. Either they go to their favorite large language model and they try something and it hallucinates, or it says something bad and they say, Oh, my gosh, this is a terrible technology. It's never going to work. Walk away.”— Sam Ransbotham
[00:04:12] “I deeply suspect that many of the people who say they're using AI, if I quickly looked at their screen, I'd see an outdated copy of Excel running.”— Sam Ransbotham
[00:18:58] “If you start with the technology, you end up trying to find places to fit the technology. Whereas if you start with what the problem is, you're having what your strategy is, and then how you can use the technology to help that strategy?”— Sam Ransbotham
[00:25:53] “We're the first human civilization to ever deal with this technology. We can't look at the back of the book here. We don't know the right answers.”— Sam Ransbotham
[00:28:05] “If you're big on customer service, then why are you sticking a chatbot on your website? Like there's a mismatch between what your strength is, your competitive and the application of technology.”— Sam Ransbotham
Resources and Links
Sam Ransbotham
Michael Gaizutis
Becoming Radical
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