In my role at Sopra Steria, where I help guide a large team of designers and developers, I keep hearing the same thing: teams are using AI to rethink how they build, but the real impact of AI still isn’t there.
It seems we're all caught up in the same race these days - optimizing processes with AI. Generating code through AI, automating tests, speeding up design sprints, and working with leaner teams have become the go-to strategies. The promises? Lower costs, faster delivery, and improved quality.
Yet, that's exactly where we're seeing a disconnect: expected results often haven't fully materialized.
Clients haven’t seen significant drops in their costs. Time-to-market timelines haven't exactly doubled in speed. And as for quality, we're still highly dependent on the same senior-level expertise we’ve always needed.
We're stuck on what I like to call the "optimization plateau”. A place where AI tooling has gotten better, but value creation hasn't kept up. We're trapped in a loop of enhancing the way we've always done things, instead of genuinely rethinking our approach and making fundamental changes to our business models.
This reminds me of the well-known quote from Henry Ford (Ford Motor Company founder). When asked about his approach to innovation, he answered: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Today's AI scenario feels exactly like this, we're continually optimizing existing methods, rather than truly reinventing them.
And that's precisely where we stand with AI right now. We're using tools to improve existing processes, yet we haven't reimagined what we're creating or reconsidered the meaning of true value. Most organizations today remain firmly planted in this "optimization stage”, a safe and logical phase-but one that is rapidly approaching its limits.
In short, big changes are coming.
Those paying close attention can already spot the rise of a new generation of developers. They're not just writing code day in and day out; instead, they're orchestrating systems, validating AI outputs, and putting greater emphasis on product strategy and genuine user outcomes. (e.g. Vibe Coding - a new approach where developers work in short, AI-assisted bursts, focused on validation and orchestration rather than manual coding)
We're evolving from "developers" to "solution orchestrators".
- We're orchestrating toward results, rather than building systems from scratch.
- We're validating and steering AI-generated outputs, instead of manually piecing everything together.
- The focus shifts from feature-building to business outcomes & user experiences.
This is the future we need to prepare for, where we must plant our flag - not in doing the same things faster, but in fundamentally rethinking roles, business models, and what digital products truly are.
Yes, optimization is essential, but let's not lose sight of the bigger picture. Tomorrow’s winners won't be those who merely improve existing methods.
Our tools are evolving quicker than our operating models. Let’s make sure we’re not just asking for faster horses!
Open to thinking ahead? Let’s connect and explore how Sopra Steria can help you prepare for what’s coming.