New Column: AI Is an Advisor, Not a Decision-Maker

A recent news story involving a public figure sparked discussion about the role AI may have played in decision-making.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, turning to it for advice when facing difficult decisions is no longer unusual. In fact, such situations will likely become even more common in the years ahead.

From my perspective as a project manager (PM), however, this case offers several important lessons about how we should engage with AI.

1. The Importance of Communication

AI possesses vast amounts of knowledge and can present objective options. However, it cannot fully understand the nuances of human relationships or the emotions involved in a situation.

The more serious a problem becomes, the more difficult it often is to communicate with the people who should be part of the conversation. Yet if we avoid those conversations and rely solely on AI, our understanding of the situation can easily become one-sided.

As interactions with AI become more common, the value of meaningful dialogue with other people may become even greater.

2. Partial Optimization vs. Overall Optimization

AI and subject-matter experts can provide valuable advice within their respective areas of expertise.

Real-world decision-making, however, rarely depends on a single perspective.

For example, an action may be legally or procedurally correct, but we must also consider how it may affect family relationships, future opportunities, and the people around us. Effective decision-making requires us to evaluate multiple perspectives simultaneously.

Experts provide guidance within their specialties. AI can also offer rational recommendations based on the information it is given. Yet integrating those perspectives and determining the overall outcome remains the responsibility of the decision-maker.

In many ways, this is similar to the role of a PM. Project managers must often reconcile stakeholder opinions that represent partial optimization and make decisions that serve the best interests of the project as a whole.

3. Staying Aligned with Your Intuition

AI can generate logical and highly persuasive answers.

When people are experiencing strong emotions such as anxiety, anger, or frustration, those answers can become particularly appealing. At times, it may even feel as though AI has provided exactly the answer they were looking for.

Even so, it is important to pause and ask ourselves a simple question: “Do I truly believe this is the right decision?”

The intuition and instincts we develop through experience can sometimes detect important signals that data and logic alone cannot fully capture.

AI Is an Excellent Advisor, but Not the Decision-Maker

I actively use AI and believe we should continue to embrace its benefits.

At the same time, AI should be viewed as an excellent advisor—not as the decision-maker.

We can use AI to broaden our perspective, but we must also engage in meaningful conversations with others, consider the broader implications of our choices, and reflect on our own judgment and intuition. Only through that process can we move closer to making better decisions.

What will be required in the age of AI is neither blind trust nor excessive skepticism.

Rather, we must learn to leverage AI while continuing to consult trusted partners and experts—and ultimately take responsibility for our own decisions.

Perhaps that mindset is what true AI literacy will mean in the years ahead.