Why Slapping AI on Old Processes Is a $1 Billion Mistake

Jan de Vries · 2026-09-16

AI is racing into boardrooms faster than most companies can figure out what to do with it. But according to Jim Harris, a GenAI and disruptive innovation expert, the real danger isn't moving too slowly—it's bolting new tech onto old ways of working and expecting magic. Harris has advised giants like American Express, Barclays, IBM, SAP, Walmart, and the UK Cabinet Office. In 2024, TEC Canada named him Speaker of the Year for his work on AI. In this exclusive interview with the AI Speakers Agency, he explains why you need to redesign processes from scratch, how to ease employees' fear of AI, and why humans must stay in the loop. ### Fear Is the Enemy—Here's How to Beat It When introducing AI, the first step is creating psychological safety. "The majority of people in developed nations actually fear AI. They fear job loss," Harris says. "As adults, we tend to fear things or are uncomfortable with new ways of working." So organizations must work hard to reassure employees. Harris suggests three key messages: - Your job is safe. - We'll provide training. - This will enhance your skill set and employability. "Those are a few things organizations have to do," he adds. ### The $1 Billion Lesson from Ernst & Young Harris recalls a conversation with the head of AI at Ernst & Young (EY), a firm with 400,000 employees that spent $1 billion on AI. EY had a risk management process that took 46 hours. They applied AI and, with the original designers, got it down to 32 hours—a 20% gain. But then they tried something different: they paired tech-savvy new hires with risk managers who'd never been involved in the process. The result? 15 minutes. "Then they said, 'Well, we're EY, we have to have data compliance and we have to verify everything.' So they added some steps back in and got it back to six hours." That's still an 80%+ reduction. Harris highlights two key takeaways: 1. You can't just "sprinkle some AI fairy dust" on existing processes. 2. People who designed the old process are often too attached to it. Fresh eyes are essential. > "You really need to start with a blank sheet of paper and say, if we were designing this process today from first principles, what would we do?" — Jim Harris ### Beyond ChatGPT: AI's Transformational Potential Harris points to Demis Hassabis, founder of Google DeepMind and Nobel Prize winner, as an example of AI's far-reaching impact. But the lesson is clear: AI isn't just a tool to optimize—it's a catalyst for rethinking everything. By redesigning from the ground up and involving diverse teams, companies can achieve staggering efficiency gains and free up people for more valuable work. The bottom line? Stop patching old processes with AI. Start fresh, and you'll unlock results you never thought possible.