3 Reasons Why AI is a Team Sport

Early AI adoption often placed a lot of focus on data scientists and internal IT team members, expecting them to single-handedly drive success across an organization. But what businesses quickly learned is that AI isn’t a solo endeavor. It’s a team sport. In fact, ZDNET reports that only about one in five machine learning models developed by data scientists ever make it to actual deployment.

For leaders shaping the future of their organizations, understanding why AI is a team sport is key to seeing ROI. When AI becomes a collaboration across departments, the real impact emerges, creating innovative solutions that improve everyday business processes. Here’s why:

1. Stronger AI solutions start with shared knowledge and cross-functional collaboration

AI thrives when it’s a shared effort. It shouldn’t just be a tool reserved for technical employees. When teams collaborate across different departments, like marketing, operations, finance, and IT, your AI solutions will align with your business’s real-world needs. Bringing different perspectives into the process uncovers the most impactful use cases and also refines AI models for greater accuracy and relevance. In fact, AI levels the technical playing field more than any other technological breakthrough, so your team does not need to overly rely on technical team members to bring forward the innovation.

2. The more people use the AI, the more impactful it becomes

AI adoption often stalls when employees see it as complex, disconnected from their daily work, or built by someone else to replace them. But when AI is embedded into daily workflows in a way that’s accessible, relevant, and evolving, it becomes a tool for efficiency rather than an abstract initiative. As more team members engage, enhance, and provide feedback, AI-driven systems continuously evolve, creating a loop of improvement that continues to drive better outcomes over time.

3. Building on repeatable “plays” leads to long-term success

AI delivers the most value when teams don’t have to start from scratch with every new initiative. Building off of the work of others and creating repeatable “plays” (prompts, processes, and workflows), organizations can scale their AI success across departments. When knowledge is shared and refined, AI becomes a long-term asset that compounds in value rather than a costly mistake. Experimenting as a team will show faster evolution compared to everyone operating independently. 

Meet IllumiDesk: The AI Solution Built for Teamwork

AI delivers the greatest impact when it’s a shared effort, not a siloed tool. That’s why IllumiDesk is designed to support collaboration across teams, making AI accessible, adaptable, and aligned with your unique needs. 

How does IllumiDesk work? Our solution connects to your internal knowledge wherever it sits, and allows your team to use AI together to search, chat, and create content based on your IP—putting information at your team’s fingertips when they need it most. The result is a private, flexible AI solution that solves your unique business problems.

Best of all, you’re not locked into a single LLM. This flexibility allows you to scale and adapt your AI solutions as your needs evolve, helping your team stay ahead without being limited by rigid frameworks. 

Ready to see how we can help your organization? Let’s start a conversation today.