We talk about (or you hear about) AI constantly, but the most important part of the discussion often stays hidden. Most conversations start with tools, prompts, and demos. What they usually skip is how work actually gets done — how thinking compounds, how decisions stick, and where judgment still matters when the tools get faster. That’s what I focused on recently while speaking at newhousesu syracuseu AI Immersion in NYC — sharing how AI actually shows up inside real production systems, not demos. AI doesn’t make you smarter. It removes friction around how you already think. AI doesn’t level the playing field. It makes differences more visible. AI is not creativity. AI is not strategy. AI is not judgment. AI is leverage.