First it was the miracle jab. Now it’s miracle tech.
The new weight loss injections promised a slimmer, healthier you. No sweat. No sacrifice. Just a weekly jab and watch the pounds fall off. Tempting. Especially after Christmas. But the small print matters.
Now enter AI. Step forward ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and their ever-expanding family. They promise smarter organisations. Faster decisions. Better services. Less effort. No sweat. No sacrifice. Just switch it on.
We have seen this before.
Weight loss jabs were designed for people with serious health risks. Obesity. Diabetes. Not for dropping half a stone before a wedding. Targeted. Clinical. Necessary.
AI should be the same.
Instead, we risk spraying it across organisations like a new management fad. A digital “try it and see”. Because everyone else is.
Meanwhile, back on the B-road…
Waiting lists are stubborn. Social care is stretched. Budgets are tighter than last year’s trousers. If your systems are clunky now, AI will just help you process frustration faster. If your processes are confused, AI will give you quicker confusion.
It is not a quick fix.
A study by McKinsey & Company suggested AI could boost productivity by up to 40% in some areas. Impressive. But that comes with a warning label. Skills gaps. Job disruption. Risk of over-reliance.
Sound familiar?
The long-term effects of weight loss injections are still being studied. Early results look good. But we are still asking questions. We should do the same with AI.
And then there is the awkward question. Who is driving this?
Pharmaceutical companies drove the rollout of the jabs. That is their business model. No surprise there.
AI is being driven by Microsoft, Google and OpenAI. Not public services. Not regulators. Global tech firms with products to sell.
Again, no surprise. But let’s not pretend this is entirely altruistic.
Experts are urging caution. The Alan Turing Institute has called for stronger safeguards. So have others. Concerns about bias, privacy and accountability are not theoretical. They are already here.
And here is the bit that should make every public sector leader pause.
When the algorithm gets it wrong, it won’t be Microsoft in front of the scrutiny committee. It will be you.
We already know management capability in the UK is patchy. People management is often the weakest link. Now we are asking the same managers to oversee systems they don’t fully understand, making decisions they may not be able to explain.
That is a risk.
We have a long-standing obsession with “thin”. Thin laptops. Thin phones. Slim is good. Until it isn’t. The fashion industry taught us that. The pursuit of thin can come at a cost. Health. Wellbeing. Reality.
“Lean organisations” sound just as attractive. Until there is nothing left to cut. No slack. No resilience. Just burnout and brittle services.
This is not an argument against weight loss injections. For people with obesity and diabetes, they can be life changing. Nor is this an argument against AI. Used well, it can transform services, reduce admin and support better decisions.
But used badly? It will simply amplify what is already there.
So what should you do?
Slow down.
Be clear about the problem you are trying to solve. Not the technology you want to use. Pilot before you roll out. Invest in your people, not just the platform. Train managers. Strengthen governance.
Ask the awkward questions. Who benefits? Who is accountable? Who explains this when it goes wrong?
And remember this.
There is no app for good leadership. No download for sound judgement. No shortcut for managing people well.
Don’t chase the shiny thing.
Fix the basics.
Then, and only then, let AI help.
