For organizations looking to implement AI, one question often dominates the conversation: “What tool should we use?” In this episode of Lunchtime BABLing, BABL AI CEO Dr. Shea Brown turns that question on its head—arguing instead that the better starting point is, “What value do we want to create?”
Joined by Chief Sales Officer Bryan Ilg and Chief Operating Officer Jeffery Recker, Shea introduces a new, practical framework that helps organizations ground their AI strategy in real business goals, reduce operational risk, and ultimately build systems that work. It’s called the AI VALUE Framework, and will be the heart of BABL AI’s next course: AI Governance for Business Professionals Certification.
The VALUE Framework emerged from years of audit and consulting experience, where the BABL team saw firsthand how many AI projects floundered—not because the tools were bad, but because the goals were unclear. Instead of focusing on the newest tech, the VALUE Framework centers on business alignment.
Here’s what VALUE stands for:
- Visualize your operations
- Ask the right questions
- Link to AI capabilities
- Understand feasibility and risk
- Experiment and evaluate
This structure provides a clear, repeatable process for identifying opportunities where AI can improve speed, quality, efficiency, or customer experience—without jumping prematurely to implementation.
Why Most AI Projects Fail
The trio spends much of the episode unpacking why so many AI initiatives don’t deliver results. One core issue? A lack of defined success metrics. Without a clear understanding of what “better” looks like—whether it’s faster response times, improved customer satisfaction, or reduced cost—AI pilots risk becoming expensive distractions.
The VALUE Framework addresses this by emphasizing early planning, testable hypotheses, and pilot evaluations. As Shea notes, “If you don’t know what you’re trying to improve, AI can’t help you.”
Governance That Creates Business Value
AI governance is often framed around compliance and risk mitigation—and rightly so. But as Bryan points out, it’s also a vehicle for creating value. Governance done well ensures AI systems are trustworthy, aligned with business strategy, and built to scale safely.
With VALUE, governance becomes a bridge—not a barrier—between business goals and technical implementation. The framework allows non-technical leaders to confidently guide their organizations through AI adoption without getting bogged down in model details or buzzword traps.
A Framework for All Business Sizes
Whether you’re part of an innovation team at a major enterprise or launching a startup built around AI, VALUE provides a grounding path forward. Jeffery emphasizes how it cuts through the noise of the hype cycle and gives overwhelmed teams a way to structure ideas, focus on measurable outcomes, and avoid “shiny object syndrome.”
The team also explores how VALUE helps both legacy organizations afraid of falling behind and disruptors eager to seize market opportunities. Either way, it brings clarity to AI’s real purpose: solving actual customer problems in meaningful ways.
“Do It Right, Not Fast”
Ultimately, this episode reminds us that successful AI adoption is less about speed and more about direction. As organizations scramble to adopt new technologies, the VALUE Framework offers a practical, principle-driven guide for doing AI right—from strategy to execution.
And as Dr. Brown teases, this is just the beginning. BABL AI is developing a suite of upcoming courses, webinars, and white papers that extend this framework to specific domains like HR, legal, cybersecurity, and risk.
Where to Find Episodes
Lunchtime BABLing can be found on YouTube, Simplecast, and all major podcast streaming platforms.
Need Help?
For more information and resources on explainable AI, be sure to visit BABL AI’s website and stay tuned for future episodes of Lunchtime BABLing
