Harvard Business Review LogoAugust 6, 2026Tatiana Maksimova/Getty ImagesBuilding AI solutions at companies requires the buy-in of the organization’s domain experts, who will need to commit time and energy to figuring out how this technology could be used toMost leaders agree that the largest returns from generative AI will not come from off-the-shelf productivity tools. Instead, they’ll come from organization-wide solutions that create value for a broad set of employees and enhance the organization’s distinctive competencies.
AI Experiments Need Domain Experts. Here’s How to Support Them.
Building AI solutions at companies requires the buy-in of the organization’s domain experts, who will need to commit time and energy to figuring out how this technology could be used to reconfigure their workflows. The added work of this collective gen AI experimentation can come with a hidden cost that, if left unchecked, can break ambitious AI initiatives. A two-year field study of gen AI innovation at two organizations showed one important factor: scaffolds, or structures to support collective gen AI experimentation, which made it feasible for domain experts to stick with the innovation process. The study further identified three types of collective gen AI experimentation and the scaffolds needed to support them.
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