The Hidden Risk of AI Is Strategic Drift

By Christoph Burkhardt

AI Strategy Advisor | Founder, AI Impact Institute

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AI rarely fails loudly.

It fails subtly—by normalizing decisions no one fully owns.

Over time:

• Rationales disappear

• Values blur

• Strategy becomes statistical momentum

This is strategic drift.

When judgment isn’t operationalized, organizations lose the ability to explain why they do what they do. And when that happens, trust erodes—internally and externally.

Traceable judgment isn’t bureaucracy.

It’s a competitive advantage.