Most CTOs are scrambling to figure out how to handle AI in their organizations right now. The technology is everywhere, employees are using different tools, and there’s not much oversight happening. John Campbell Crighton has been through this cycle before with other technologies, but he says AI is different. It’s actually delivering real returns instead of just creating more work.
The CTO’s Blueprint for AI-Driven Innovation and Sustainable Growth
John has seen plenty of technology trends come and go during his IT career. “Some technologies are flash in the pan and they come and go and they aren’t really that important, whereas AI has been far more compelling,” he says. The difference this time is measurable. “Everything that we’ve done with AI has basically repaid itself tenfold or 20-fold.” His background as a lifelong learner helped him recognize AI’s potential early. “I’ve been a lifelong learner, and a big part of the IT field has been the need to stay abreast of the latest changes constantly,” Crighton explains. “To me, AI is probably the most exciting change that has come along since I’ve been in the IT field.”
Discovering AI Beyond Research Use
He first heard about ChatGPT when everyone was talking about it. But he wasn’t impressed by the usual use cases. “When ChatGPT came out and everybody was getting excited about it, it wasn’t really obvious whether it was going to be anything other than just something that would help people with research papers and things,” he says. His perspective changed when he started asking it technical questions. “The aha moment for me was when I delved into it and started working with IT and asking it very technical questions and getting assistance on complicated IT issues, complex problems related to software development and the software development process, and working with offshore teams,” he recalls. The responses were surprisingly good. “It would offer information similar to the information that I would give as an expert in a lot of those areas.”
Managing the AI Governance Challenge
Currently, most organizations are grappling with AI chaos. Crighton sees this everywhere he looks. “The challenge right now is just that it’s such a new space and there are so many options, so many different ways that AI can be used,” he points out. “AI is being used in many different places across the organization. There’s duplication of efforts, there’s using different tools to meet the same purpose, and there’s a real lack of governance.” This isn’t just an abstract concern. “A lot of the CTOs that I talk to, CIOs that I interact with, are very concerned about the AI governance and controlling how it’s used and where it’s used in the organization,” he notes. The problem is getting worse as more tools become available. Crighton recently shared his analysis of AI agent protocols on LinkedIn, offering deeper insights into current implementation strategies.
Driving AI Adoption with Leadership
He believes technology leaders need to step up instead of waiting for AI adoption to sort itself out. “It’s the responsibility of the technology leaders of the company to help guide their companies through this cycle,” he says. This means creating a vision for how AI fits into the organization. “You can’t afford to sit back and hope this works itself out. You’ve got to take the reins, take control of AI and the way that it’s being implemented, and make sure that your organization is doing it efficiently and safely,” he emphasizes. The alternative is letting AI sprawl continue unchecked.
Navigating AI’s Impact on Technology Roles
Crighton sees AI changing how everyone in technology works. “I think that the role of everybody in the tech space is, how can I effectively use AI to leverage AI to make myself more effective?” he explains. “That’s what AI is really doing right now, it’s making people a lot more effective.” But there’s a catch. People need to use it properly. “If they’re using AI inappropriately or not following best practices, then they’re probably getting misinformation,” he warns. “It’s the constant IT struggle with garbage in, garbage out.”
He remains optimistic about AI’s future, but he warns against getting comfortable with any single tool. “Organizations that are engaging with AI and are trying to stay on the cutting edge, you can’t just get stuck on ChatGPT and not look at other options such as Cursor and Claude,” he advises. New options appear constantly. “You have to continue to study all of the options that are out there because new AIs are coming online every month or six weeks.” The effort pays off for those who keep up. “If you’re doing that and you’re keeping up and you’re understanding what’s coming, then you continue to get more and more efficient. So it’s worth it.”
Connect with John Campbell Crighton on LinkedIn to explore AI-driven strategies for sustainable growth.
