No, AI doesn't stop long-term planning

I've met with many IT leaders who suggest that AI changes so quickly that they can't plan for the long haul. But I disagree with that view. AI is a tool, not the end-goal by itself. Your strategy should be focused on business outcomes.

With AI, all that's changed is a specific tool, not the long-term plan or the milestones. For example, a December article in CIO Dive agreed with that view when it asked should CIOs let go of long-temr planning cycles?

"IT leaders would be mistaken to cope with [the shift to AI] by becoming shortsighted … We still need a vision that looks out several years so the business understands where technology is headed and how it supports our growth strategy … What has changed is the way we build flexibility into those plans."
—Kristie Grinnell, EVP and CIO at TD Synnex

I recommend taking a long-term view on "what the organization will look like in X years" then interpolate to identify what markers or milestones you will need to meet along the way. I discussed this method in a 2023 article about long-term planning using a method that envisions the future, then identifies the milestones you will pass to get there:

1. Where are we now?
2. Envision the future
3. What milestones will you pass?

Looking ahead into that future state, what milestones will you pass in the next year? Set the clock ahead by another year and identify what the landscape will look like. For example: What advantages will AI have brought to the market? How will your stakeholders embrace AI?

Imagining the future milestones is the most crucial step. This allows you to interpolate the future, based on where you started and where you'll end up. By imagining the future and your place in it, you put yourself in the driver's seat.