AI for business
Still a colleague, now with house rules
In October 2023, Erik Ingvoldstad, Founder & Principal Advisor of Acoustic, published To AI or not to AI? It's not even a question. on the Acoustic blog (26 October 2023). We think it still holds up, so here is a short note on it. We work with Erik, and Runoan and Acoustic are run together.
What Erik passed on
The colleague idea came from Keith B. Carter, a speaker at a 2023 seminar for the Norwegian Business Association Singapore, and Erik passes it on: treat AI the way you would treat a co-worker.
Take what it gives you as a starting point, read it, keep what is good and fix the rest. Erik found it useful wherever there is information to match, organise, plan or calculate, and he stressed checking before you use anything. He was less keen on it for copywriting, because it tends to over-embellish. His view was that AI could help reduce repetitive tasks and leave people more time for work that needs judgement.
A recent snapshot
In one DBS survey, many SMEs said they were planning to use AI or already trying it.
The survey was published on 3 February 2025 and asked more than 110 SMEs. 73% said they planned to invest in generative AI, and 32% had already started experimenting. It is a bank's survey with a small sample, so treat it as a signal, not a measure of every business.
A word on customer data
Singapore's Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) has published advisory guidelines on using personal data in AI recommendation and decision systems.
The PDPC says they aim to give organisations more clarity on using personal data to develop AI. They also cover what to tell consumers when asking for consent, and guidance for third-party developers of bespoke AI systems. The PDPC describes them as advisory. They are written about recommendation and decision systems, so don't assume they speak directly to everyday chat tools.
This is not legal advice. If you handle customer details, ask a qualified adviser what applies to you.
What it means for an owner
The colleague rule still works. We would add three house rules:
- Decide what never goes into an AI tool, such as customer personal details or signed contracts.
- Name the person who checks the output before it is used or sent.
- Rewrite AI-drafted text in your own voice before it goes out.
Start with one small, repetitive task and see how it goes.
If you want to talk through where AI could fit in how you work, the first conversation with us is free: hi@runoan.com.