What Sets Great Strategists Apart in the AI Era

As AI gives competitors access to similar analytical tools and data, distinctive strategies will increasingly depend on “sticky knowledge”—insights that

Competitive strategy is about being different. Michael Porter taught us that three decades ago, and the principle has not changed. What has changed is that AI is making that imperative harder to fulfill. Every competitor is now equipped with the same AI-powered analytics, the same strategic frameworks, the same scenario-modeling capabilities, and the same vast pools of market and competitive data. So they reach similar conclusions, make similar moves, and whatever advantage they identify evaporates quickly. Excellent analysis, available to everyone, is no longer a crucial source of competitive advantage.