# Opinion: AI answers lack the expertise to handle real-world business challenges

Digest AI · Society & Work · published 2026-10-14T07:15:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/opinion-ai-answers-lack-the-expertise-to-handle-real-world-business-ch

## Summary

Avy Punwasee, a partner at Revenue Management Labs, argues that AI tools like Claude provide answers but lack the real-world expertise needed for business decisions. He illustrates this with a personal example: using Claude to diagnose a freezer issue, where the AI correctly identified the problem but failed to guide him through the full repair process without errors. Punwasee compares this to tiling a floor—AI can give instructions, but mistakes in execution lead to long-term failures.

The core issue, according to Punwasee, is that AI lacks the ‘scar tissue’ of experience—having seen strategies fail due to unforeseen factors like internal politics or customer resistance. He estimates only 20% of strategy work involves analysis (where AI excels), while 80% involves execution, negotiation, and persuasion—areas where AI cannot assist. Punwasee warns that teams may blindly trust AI-generated strategies, missing hidden costs like lost revenue or misaligned relationships. The better question, he suggests, is not whether AI can perform a task, but whether it optimizes for long-term success in complex, human-driven environments.

## Key points

- AI provides answers but lacks real-world expertise, missing unseen risks like politics or customer resistance
- Only 20% of strategy work is analysis (where AI excels), while 80% involves execution and persuasion
- Teams may over-trust AI-generated strategies, ignoring hidden costs like lost revenue or misalignment

## Why it matters

This opinion challenges the assumption that AI can fully replace human expertise in business decisions, highlighting gaps in execution and long-term strategy.

## Sources

1. [The AI Expertise Gap: Why Answers Alone Aren’t Enough](https://forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2026/10/14/the-ai-expertise-gap-why-answers-alone-arent-enough) (forbes.com, 2026-10-14)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Opinion: AI answers lack the expertise to handle real-world business challenges", 14 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/opinion-ai-answers-lack-the-expertise-to-handle-real-world-business-ch

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