My AI Strategy Isn’t About Tools. It’s About Decisions.
How I’m thinking about readiness, restraint, and responsibility heading into the next operating era.
→ This is a story about what happens when AI stops being a tool and starts becoming infrastructure.
TL;DR
If you’re trying to figure out how AI fits into your own business, you’re in the right place. What follows is not an AI plan for you to replicate. It’s me naming the top 5 strategic choices I’m making—and why. My hope is that seeing those decisions helps you get clearer about your own.
Commit to an intentional AI learning path 🧠
Shift from prompt optimization to systems thinking 🔄
Treat AI governance as a non-negotiable 🛡️
Tie AI experimentation to real business outcomes 📊
Design AI-enabled work that firmly keeps humans in the loop 🤝
This is a longer reflection because these aren’t surface-level choices — they’re the ones that shape how AI actually shows up in a business over time.
Introduction: Why I’m Thinking About 2026 Now
I want to start by being upfront about where my head is at: I’m one of those all-in on AI people. Not as a fun tool to play with. Not as something to keep on the periphery. Not as an employee replacement. But as a technology I’m taking seriously—and using intentionally—inside my business.
Over the past year, I’ve gone from experimenting with AI to integrating it into how I actually work. Mostly in practical, unsexy ways: staying organized when I’m juggling multiple creative projects (all hail Notion), capturing conversations so I can stay present (my AI note-taker has changed my life), and accelerating work that used to slow me down (custom GPTs for the win). And in doing that, I’ve learned something important: the real work isn’t figuring out what AI can do—it’s deciding where it earns its place.
What’s changed recently is the urgency of that decision.
AI adoption isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s already woven into how work gets done, especially in marketing.
According to Jasper, “91% of marketing teams are currently using AI” (The State of AI in Marketing Report, 2026)
The question for business owners like me is no longer “Should I use AI?” but “How do I use it without losing the plot?”
So I’ve been getting explicit about my own decisions.
Decision 1. What Do I Need to Know?
The first thing on my 2026 AI strategy is “create a learning plan.” The genesis here is that I can’t make a statement like “I’m all-in on AI” and continue to ‘wing it’. The two concepts are at best an oxymoron and at worst, a recipe for disaster.
Don’t get me wrong. Experimenting with AI got me far. I just believe the next gains will come from learning more advanced capabilities on purpose—like how to think like a systems engineer and build agents.
And that requires a plan.
Right now, my goal is simple: get fluent enough to direct the technology instead of working around it. Once I reach that point, the plan will evolve. There will be another layer to learn, another capability to focus on. That’s fine. The point of my AI learning plan isn’t mastery—it’s intentional progression.
Purpose Play
For those who are new here, a Purpose Play is my way of helping you connect what I’m writing about to your own business. It’s a moment to step back from the ideas, check for alignment, and consider whether—and how—something applies to the work you are doing.
Take a beat and think about your own use of AI. Are you a novice, experimenter, or expert practitioner? What would change if you made time to learn the next level on purpose?
Decision 2. Build a Better Mousetrap
Once I’ve mastered systems thinking, I want to start connecting the literal dots of my business. Think Elle Woods—focused, confident, and all about AI workflow management.
Yes, having killer prompts is still going to be important. Custom GPTs, saved prompts, structured inputs—those things have all made my work faster and cleaner. But, big picture, they are helping to optimize my outputs.
So, instead of asking, “How do I get a better answer?”, I’m asking, “What’s the actual workflow here—and where does it break?” Where does momentum stall? Where does context get lost?
When I think this way, I see the architecture shifting in real time. AI unlocks something new that I haven’t quite put my finger on yet → that’s why this is my #2 focus. I need to explore what’s possible.
Decision 3. Ignorance is Not Bliss
Once systems enter the picture, the risks do too — and pretending otherwise isn’t a strategy.
I am generally more of a ‘cover your ass’ than an ‘act first and apologize later’ kind of girl, so, after spending much of January listening to experts talk about the state of Marketing AI in 2026, it’s no surprise that AI governance moved to the (almost) top of my to do list.
For anyone who isn’t familiar with the term, here’s a quick description from IBM:
Artificial intelligence (AI) governance refers to the processes, standards and guardrails that help ensure AI systems and tools are safe and ethical. AI governance frameworks direct AI research, development and application to help ensure safety, fairness and respect for human rights. (IBM)
For me, AI governance means moving beyond my current AI policy to account for broader ethical considerations. More specifically, it means thinking through questions like:
How I document what I’m using AI for so it’s not invisible or ad hoc
What happens when a workflow breaks, a tool changes, or an output is wrong—who owns that moment?
What “human review” actually means in practice (and when it’s required, no exceptions)
What I’m comfortable automating when trust is on the line
How I stay accountable for tone, intent, and meaning when AI touches the work
Right now, I have a framework for how I use GPTs in my business—what they are and aren’t allowed to do, and who gets access based on where they sit: private, business-facing, or customer-facing. I also operate with a few non-negotiables around my use of AI: verifying factual data, protecting proprietary information, and transparency around use.
But those guardrails only cover so much, and, as I move into this next phase, I need to define a governance strategy that reflects how big of a role I’m giving AI in my business.
Purpose Play
Think about where AI is already touching your work today—are you currently using it to ideate, summarize, organize, draft, respond, or decide anything? If someone asked you to explain how you’re using AI and where human judgment steps in, could you answer clearly?
→ Psst: You probably don’t need a formal AI governance policy yet. But noticing where things feel fuzzy is usually the first signal that a line needs to be drawn.
Decision 4. Innovation Has to Earn Its Keep
This choice is all about practicing what I preach. I mean, I’m a marketing advisor, so tracking outcomes is always a priority.
The big idea: If I’m going to invest time and energy integrating AI more deeply into my business, it has to be tied to a real use case with a clear objective. Or, more specifically, I need to know what problem I’m trying to solve, what “better” actually means, and whether AI is helping me get there. Otherwise, it’s just an activity.
So, before I build anything, I’m tasking myself with being explicit about the objective and what success looks like. This means more questions:
What is this supposed to make faster, clearer, or more consistent?
What part of the workflow is it meant to improve?
How will I know if it’s working—or if it’s just creating noise?
What I want are proof points. Clear examples of where AI actually changes how the business operates for the better. Over time, those experiments become case studies—not to show off, but to build conviction about where AI belongs and where it doesn’t.
Decision 5. Design Work That Keeps Humans in the Loop
As I think about integrating AI more deeply into my own workflows, I’m also clarifying how that thinking shows up in the services and programs I build for others. Not to teach people how to use AI in the abstract—but to help them use it the way I’m using it: strategically, intentionally, and with clear guardrails.
That distinction matters to me.
So the work I’m doing—and want to do more of—is helping people design their own AI systems with the end in mind. Systems that start with objectives, not tools. Systems that respect where human judgment needs to stay in the loop. Systems that make work feel more grounded, not more automated.
This isn’t about scaling AI. It’s about scaling good work—with AI in support, not in charge.
Purpose Play
Consider how AI is currently being incorporated in your own work? Does it genuinely make things feel easier or clearer, or does it subtly make you second-guess yourself? Is there a process you might need to fine tune?
Wrapup: Choosing Intention Over Acceleration
What I keep coming back to is this: being “ready” for AI isn’t about having the perfect plan.
It’s about being willing to make decisions.
Decisions about what you’re learning and why.
Decisions about how work flows, not just what gets produced.
Decisions about where guardrails matter.
Decisions about what success actually looks like.
Decisions about where human judgment stays firmly in the loop.
None of this is fixed. I expect these choices will evolve as the technology changes and as my business grows. But not making them isn’t neutral—it’s a decision too. And choosing to rely on the default settings, tools, and trends is not for me.
So this is where I’m landing right now.
Not with a master plan, but with a clearer sense of how I want to approach AI at the beginning of 2026.
If you’re thinking about how AI fits into your own business, my hope is that this post inspires you to pause and decide what your choices are.
Where This Thinking Shows Up Next
If going deeper with AI is on your 2026 action plan, here are a few ways you can explore it further with me:
I am co-teaching two workshops on AI-powered growth marketing in entertainment, media, and sports through Pepperdine Graziadio at the end of this month. These sessions will be practical, hands-on, and focused on using AI to support real marketing work, not just talk about it. Learn more and register: Feb 25 or Feb 27.
I’m building something new called The Brand + AI Jumpstart. It will be a first step for founders and marketing leaders looking to integrate AI into their brand and marketing systems with intention. Message me to learn more.
I’ve just applied to do research on AI-mediated voice for a symposium in Switzerland this summer. If I’m selected, I’ll be on the hunt for people who are both a yes and a no on using AI as an extension of their personal brand. Reach out if you are interested in participating.
About the Work
I’m Amy Zwagerman—brand strategist, fractional CMO, and founder of The Launch Box. I work with founders and marketing leaders to translate durable marketing principles into strategies and systems that fit their specific context, stage, and goals.
Marketing Jam sits alongside my client work as a place to explore ideas more openly. If the thinking here resonates and you’re curious about working together, you can learn more about my services or get in touch here.
AI-supported, human-led. All ideas and insights are my own. Curious how I use AI and where I draw the line? See my AI Disclosure Policy →
Integrity Pledge 🙋🏻♀️: The books, newsletters, shows, podcasts, and client work shared here are 100% reflective of my world. I will always disclose if and when I have a relationship with a brand I mention in a post or am sharing an affiliate link.