By adopting AI, we can change how we think about what we do. That mental shift defines whether AI becomes a competitive advantage or an unused license on the server.
When most integrators or manufacturers talk about “AI adoption,” the first images that come to mind are technologies: software, generative models, control system integrations, automation engines, or digital signage algorithms.
But the real challenge of adopting AI in our industry isn’t about the technology. It’s about people and culture.
By adopting AI, we can change how we think about what we do. That mental shift defines whether AI becomes a competitive advantage or just another unused license on the server.
The First Wave: Curiosity Meets Caution
In nearly every organization, AI adoption begins the same way — quietly and experimentally. Someone in sales or marketing uses ChatGPT to rewrite a proposal. A design engineer tests Claude to provide a labor estimate. A programmer plays with generative code suggestions. These are your early explorers. They’re curious, excited, and a little unsure of the rules. They’re in what I call “the sandbox stage.”
The worst thing leadership can do at this point is shut it down. The best thing they can do? Guide it. Help them understand where AI can reduce friction or create value for customers and teams.
The Second Wave: Scaling Beyond the Enthusiasts
The second (and often hardest) wave of AI adoption is scaling, and it’s where many integration firms stall. Why? Because trust hasn’t caught up with technology.
Technicians worry that AI will replace them. Designers question accuracy. Project managers fear losing visibility or control. Meanwhile, leadership sometimes overestimates how “plug-and-play” AI really is.
The turning point comes when people realize that AI can handle repetitive documentation tasks, like meeting notes, bill-of-materials drafts, and quoting templates, freeing them to focus on creative work. It’s an amplifier of human expertise rather than a replacement for it.
The Third Wave: When AI Becomes Invisible
The third and most transformative stage is when AI becomes part of your operating fabric and how your employees think.
In this phase, AI disappears into the workflow:
- Scheduling predictive maintenance
- Assisting in design validation
- Routing help-desk tickets based on urgency
- Dynamically adjusting digital signage content to audience context
Organizations that thrive build frameworks for data privacy, validation, and accountability. They pair engineers with data analysts to create feedback loops between humans and machines. And they allow room for creativity within the guardrails.
Lessons for Commercial Integration Leaders
AI adoption, at its core, is organizational rewiring. It challenges traditional hierarchies, skill sets, and how value is defined.
Here are five takeaways for AV leaders navigating that transition.
1. Lead with intent, not fear
Frame AI as a force multiplier, not a cost-cutting or replacement tool. Introduce it as something that lets teams do more of what matters.
2. Create safe zones for experimentation
Establish “innovation sprints” or open labs where employees can test AI with no risk of reprimand.
3. Celebrate small wins
Every successful automation, prompt, or workflow deserves visibility. Recognition builds momentum.
4. Codify what works
Once a successful AI process emerges (a project-handoff summary generator or a camera-calibration tool), document it.
5. Reinforce the human edge
The real power of AI is in how humans interpret, apply, and improve it. Empathy, creativity, and contextual understanding still define excellence.
Culture Eats Algorithms for Breakfast
Peter Drucker’s famous phrase, “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” has never been more relevant. In today’s integration landscape, culture also eats algorithms for breakfast.
Technology evolves every quarter. Culture evolves when people believe the change is worth it.
If AI adoption stalls, don’t look at the software. Look at the environment. Do people feel ownership of the process? Do they understand why AI matters? Have they seen how it helps them, not just the company?
The New Role of the Integrator
AI is blurring lines that once defined roles in our industry. Integrators are becoming solution architects. Designers are becoming data curators. Service teams are turning into analysts.
Imagine a world where systems integrators predict service issues before clients notice, or LED walls adjust brightness based on audience engagement metrics. Those are early signals of what’s already unfolding.
The future integrator will compete on intelligence density: how smart, adaptive, and insight-driven their solutions are.
What Comes Next for AI?
As AI continues to mature, it will touch every corner of our industry, from live events and control rooms to corporate collaboration and digital signage.
The organizations that thrive will be ones that build a learning culture where curiosity is rewarded, guardrails are respected, and iteration is expected.
The real magic is in what we can do with AI, together.
Bill Fons is CTI’s regional vice president and president of AI initiatives, as well as a member of NSCA’s AI and Cyber Committee.
