I use frontier AI tools in my research, analysis, content development, and client preparation. I think it is important to be open about that.

These five commitments shape how I work and the advice I give to clients.

1.

Human accountability stays clear

I use AI to extend research, synthesis, drafting, and prototyping, but final responsibility stays with me. Anything that reaches a client is reviewed, checked, and owned by me.

2.

Use AI where review is practical

I use AI most where a person can check the output quickly and reliably. When review is slow, ambiguous, or high-risk, I narrow the use or avoid it.

3.

Design around real work

I start with the workflow, the decision, and the people involved — not the tool. I apply the same principle in client work.

I use AI tools openly during engagements — clients see them in the room, not just in the deliverables. That transparency is deliberate: it builds the confidence to work with AI the same way once I've left.

4.

Build capability, not dependency

I aim to leave clients with clearer methods, better questions, and working practices they can keep using without me.

5.

Be transparent about AI use

When AI has assisted the process, I say so — plainly. And I never put client-sensitive information into tools that haven't earned that trust.

These commitments are not a destination. AI is moving fast, and my thinking moves with it. What stays constant is the underlying commitment: to use AI in ways that are honest, human-centred, and worth trusting.

David Kolb
Director, David Kolb Consultancy Ltd
April 2026