How to Use AI to Break Free from the Narrow Thinking You Didn't Realise You Had

AI as a strategy tool to reduce bias.

When I started exploring AI strategy through an MIT programme, I created a list of more than twenty skills I thought were uniquely human abilities such as emotional intelligence, intuition, creativity, and leadership. But as the weeks went by, AI began steadily encroaching upon almost everything on that list. One exception was complex reasoning—the distinctly human capacity to understand abstract concepts, navigate ambiguity and analyse diverse factors simultaneously.

But here’s the thing: Just because complex reasoning remains beyond AI’s independent grasp doesn't mean humans are particularly good at it either! AI can help us to enhance our own reasoning and help us escape our narrow, biased viewpoints.

Here are four practical ways you can use AI to expand your thinking clearly see the bigger picture:

1. Spot Hidden Patterns and Trends

Humans approach problems with existing assumptions and biases, limiting our ability to recognise subtle relationships, especially in areas we know less about. Few people are genuinely adept across diverse fields such as healthcare, economics, or environmental sciences. AI, however, rapidly analyses vast datasets, uncovering unexpected connections we may never have noticed.

How to do it:

Explicitly instruct your AI tools, saying something like:

"Analyse these datasets and highlight unexpected correlations or trends."

Take those starting points and critically investigate further by asking yourself and the AI tool:

"Could there be another explanation for these patterns?"

2. Actively Reduce Cognitive Bias

Our decisions are inevitably coloured by cognitive biases—confirmation bias (seeing what we expect to see), anchoring (over-relying on initial information), and availability heuristic (focusing too heavily on recent or familiar information) etc. AI can offer a more neutral perspective if we carefully examine the quality of its input data.

How to do it:

Use AI-driven tools explicitly designed to detect bias in data or decision-making processes. Always rigorously challenge the results by asking:

"Could biases already exist in the data or assumptions the AI is relying upon?"

"Where exactly did this data come from, and can I trust its accuracy?"

Demand transparency, clear sourcing, and accountability from your AI solutions—and always verify sources.

3. Model Future Scenarios and Outcomes

AI allows rapid, detailed modelling and forecasting of potential scenarios, enabling us to anticipate future outcomes far quicker than traditional methods. Although no forecast is perfectly reliable, AI’s insights provide valuable starting points for strategic decision-making.

How to do it:

Regularly run AI-powered scenario modelling tools. Once forecasts are available, actively stress-test them by asking questions like:

"What would happen to this scenario if X or Y unexpectedly occurred?"

"Which unforeseen events could invalidate these predictions?"

As Nassim Taleb famously warned in The Black Swan, improbable yet impactful events happen frequently, making healthy scepticism towards predictions essential.

4. Reveal Your Blind Spots

We regularly overlook subtle signals that sit outside our typical focus, causing us to underestimate risks or miss opportunities. AI, with its systematic analytical strengths, excels at pinpointing these overlooked anomalies and blind spots.

How to do it:

When AI surfaces unexpected findings, treat them as valuable prompts for deeper exploration rather than definitive conclusions. Always critically evaluate the AI itself by asking:

"Could the AI have its own blind spots caused by limited, incomplete, or biased training data?"

"What exactly might these blind spots be?"

AI can’t yet replace complex human reasoning but it's a powerful partner to enhance it. Using AI as a tool to challenge our inherent biases, uncover trends, anticipate future possibilities, and reveal blind spots will improve our strategic clarity.

Fortunately, AI tools won't ever get annoyed if you question their outputs so feel free to remain as sceptical and challenging as you'd like. Their feelings won't get hurt!