Most businesses approach AI use case discovery like a checklist—automation here, predictive analytics there, maybe a chatbot for good measure. But what if the best AI opportunities aren’t found but created? What if your current approach is limiting you to what already exists, instead of unlocking what’s possible?

The Illusion of ‘Good’ AI Ideas

When we sit down to identify AI opportunities, our brains follow a predictable sequence:

1. Memory – We recall AI use cases we’ve seen elsewhere. “Chatbots, fraud detection, recommendation engines…”

2. Logic – We apply AI to existing pain points. “Can we automate this? Can we predict that?”

3. Discomfort – This is where real breakthroughs begin. Once the obvious ideas are exhausted, our minds are forced to make new, unexpected connections.

Most businesses stop at step two. They focus on what’s already been done instead of exploring what’s possible. But what if the most valuable AI use case in your industry doesn’t exist yet?

The 3 F’s of AI Opportunity Discovery

To go beyond the predictable, we need a different approach—one that embraces Fluency, Flexibility, and Freshness.

1. Fluency – Generate as many ideas as possible. Your first ten will be obvious. Your next ten will start to push boundaries. Your best ideas? They’re probably hidden in the next twenty.

2. Flexibility – Don’t just look at AI within your industry. Borrow mental models from healthcare, finance, logistics, and even art. The best AI breakthroughs often come from cross-pollination.

3. Freshness – Question defaults. What happens if you invert a problem? Instead of “How do we automate this?” ask, “What if AI made this process unnecessary altogether?”

Breaking Your Own Thinking Patterns

The real AI goldmines aren’t just undiscovered—they are unthinkable until you force a shift in perspective:

• Force Unlikely Combinations – What happens when you mix AI with a concept from a completely different domain? (AI for self-writing contracts? AI for dynamic architecture?)

• Look for Hidden Problems – Instead of asking “What can we automate?” try “What are the inefficiencies no one notices?” (Could AI eliminate a step rather than improve it?)

• Use Constraints to Your Advantage – What AI solutions would you build if you had no access to massive datasets? Or if real-time was a non-negotiable requirement?

• Flip the Perspective – Instead of thinking how you can use AI, ask how AI could use you. What if AI dictated the process and human intervention was the exception?

The AI Goldmine is Just Beyond the Obvious

The best AI ideas don’t arrive fully formed. They emerge through exploration, iteration, and forcing yourself past what feels comfortable. If your AI strategy isn’t surprising you, you haven’t gone deep enough.

So next time you’re looking for AI opportunities, don’t settle for the first few ideas. Push further. The gold is always just beyond the obvious.

What’s the most unexpected AI use case you’ve come across? Let’s discuss.