Came for the bank loan, left with an AI strategy.

I applied for a bank loan to help accelerate our build-out of our new agency location. I met Daniel, my friendly neighborhood banker, who sat down with me to walk me through the application process. I assumed it would be a very dry questionnaire; our conversation was surprisingly that: a genuine conversation.

After speaking about how our agency started and why we decided to open a new location, Daniel posed a very interesting question:

“Has AI affected your business, and how are you using AI, if any?

The Question wasn’t just a change of gears; it was a surprisingly difficult one to answer. Nowadays people ask about AI the same way that they ask, “How’s the weather?” But Daniel’s tone wasn’t casual. It felt more like one of those questions a close friend asks after a couple of drinks; the kind that makes you stop and think before answering.

So I obliged.

I told him about a recent run-in I had with AI, and the wound was fresh. The first real deployment of AI was in our phone system. Our VoIP provider blasted us with marketing about the next-generation AI receptionist for our incoming calls. So, me being the futurist that I am, I signed up immediately.

Launch day came and went, and slowly the complaints trickled in.

I called the system myself and was met with frustration, not because the AI couldn’t carry on a conversation; in fact, the conversation was elaborate. The problem was context. Humans have a knack for picking up on certain cues in a convo that is difficult to put into words. The AI didn’t; I don’t know if it ever can.

And while AI doesn’t outright offend you, it feels like talking to a toddler that has the vocabulary of an Oxford grad and none of the life experience.

So I canceled. Retreated in defeat.

Until…

Another AI solution found its way to me, this time through our database manager.

The idea was simple: the AI would sift through our database, identify customers approaching their renewal dates, and run quotes for us. It would notify our sales team of opportunities and move on to… whatever it is that an AI does when it’s not working. I thought, “Brilliant, I spend hours a week doing this exact task.” So down the rabbit hole I went.

I finished explaining to Daniel that we’re still in early implementation, but this use case feels fundamentally different. That led me to a realization I hadn’t fully articulated before.

The philosophy is simple: AI is here to augment and boost our team's production, NOT replace them. It should make 1 agent feel like 10. Sure, I could fire everyone and hire AI agents to do my bidding, but I know where that road leads.

No, AI, like any tool, is here for us. A hammer cannot build a house by itself.

The funny thing is, Daniel’s question forced me to discover my own answer. Before that conversation, I was going through the motions. I implemented AI because of curiosity while never asking why. His question forced me to a conclusion.

So, thank you, friendly neighborhood banker… and if you’re reading this, please approve our loan.

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