Everyone is running around talking about AI, automation, agents, LLMs, “workflows,” “pipelines,” and whatever new buzzword dropped this week. And honestly? Most of it is noise.
But here’s the real problem I keep seeing:
People are trying to automate things that don’t actually need to be automated.
And they’re using AI for tasks that don’t require AI at all.
If it takes you 10 minutes to do the task manually, don’t spend two hours trying to automate it. That’s not innovation — that’s self-inflicted technical debt.
This came up in a conversation with a friend— we were talking about how people struggle to know:
- When to use AI
- Should this task be a system rule or genAI automation
- When to use an LLM
- When to use an agent
- When NOT to use automation or agent
- And when to just… send the email manually
And I said something off the cuff that stuck:
“People need a Business AI Canvas — like a Business Model Canvas, but for automation decisions.”
So I built one. Download the PDF!
Why I Created the Business AI Canvas
Most AI conversations are either overly technical or overly hyped.
Nobody is giving people a practical, simple way to evaluate:
- Does this process actually need AI?
- Is there a business benefit?
- Do I even have the data — meaning does your data even ready, AI Data Ready!
- Is the ROI worth the time I’ll spend building this thing?
- Does it make sense to automate… or should I just use my CRM?
That’s the gap the Business AI Canvas fills.
It’s a one-page thinking model that forces you to slow down, get clear, and make an informed decision before you touch code, AI, or automation tools.
The Business AI Canvas (Overview)
This canvas has ten sections — each one designed to answer the question:
“Should we automate this, and does AI belong here?”
It walks you through:
- The real problem
- The current process
- The potential for automation
- Whether AI is even needed
- The role humans should play
- The data you actually have
- The tools required
- Risks
- ROI
- Effort vs. value
It’s simple. It’s fast. And it prevents teams from burning time and money chasing shiny objects.
Why This Matters (Especially Right Now)
AI is exploding. Everyone feels pressure to “do something with AI.”
But here’s the truth:
AI is a tool — not a strategy.
And automating a bad process just gives you a faster bad process.
Leaders, teams, and solo builders need a way to filter opportunities quickly, without hiring consultants or running six-month strategy cycles.
This canvas is that filter.
It gives you a repeatable way to evaluate:
- Where AI fits
- Where it doesn’t
- Where automation makes sense
- Where human judgment stays essential
It’s judgment training disguised as a framework.
A Simple Visual Test: The Effort vs. Value Matrix
Sometimes the fastest way to know if something is worth automating is to map it on a simple 2×2:
- Low effort + High value → do this now
- High effort + High value → plan it
- Low effort + Low value → optional
- High effort + Low value → skip
This little matrix alone will save people a lot of time.
But paired with the full Business AI Canvas?
You get clarity, direction, and a rational approach to AI — something that’s rare right now.
Real Examples (Good and Bad)
This is where people get it wrong:
Bad Example:
“Let’s use AI to send automated emails to employees.”
No. Your email system already does that. Not everything requires an LLM.
Good Example:
Planning a trip. Research. Personal preferences. Dynamic schedules. Pruning options.
That’s where AI shines — something messy, contextual, and time-consuming.
This is the exact kind of thinking the Canvas trains people to do.
A Framework You Can Use Today
Whether you’re:
- A founder
- A manager
- A data team
- A solo builder
- Or someone just trying to make sense of AI
The Business AI Canvas gives you a clean starting point.
It’s not complicated. It’s something you can fill out in 10 minutes. You can use it in workshops, team meetings, consulting calls, or personal projects.
And over time, it helps you build intuition — the real skill behind good automation decisions.
Closing Thought
In a world obsessed with moving fast, the smartest thing you can do is pause and think.
The Business AI Canvas helps you do exactly that — not to slow you down, but to make sure you’re building things that actually matter, deliver real value, and don’t waste your future time maintaining pointless automations.