AI is not a single technology.
It is a layered system.
This visual explains something many strategies overlook:
AI is a stack.
Each layer builds on the one below it:
– Reasoning and rules
– Learning from data
– Neural computation
– Deep architectures
– Generative capabilities
– Autonomous action
Most organizations jump straight to the top layers.
They talk about:
• Generative AI
• Agents
• Automation
But the lower layers remain fragmented.
When the foundation is weak,
higher layers don’t create intelligence —
they amplify inconsistency.
Strategy doesn’t start with which AI tool.
It starts with:
– Which layer you are operating on
– What problem that layer is responsible for
– What constraints and boundaries are enforced
AI doesn’t replace structure.
It exposes the absence of it.
Key question for leaders:
When you say “we’re using AI”,
which layer are you actually operating —
and is the system beneath it coherent enough to support it?