The Mistake I Almost Made by Fully Trusting AI in a Business Decision

In today's world, where artificial intelligence permeates all spheres, it's easy to get carried away and trust it too much. As the founder of formspace.design and someone who started coding with AI at 61, I want to share a significant mistake I almost made by relying entirely on its capabilities in my new project. The essence is that AI is a powerful assistant, but it will never replace human experience and critical thinking, especially when it comes to strategic business decisions.

My Journey to formspace.design and Early Experiments with AI

My business journey began long before the advent of AI, back in the 90s, when I managed "Alkar-Invest" and then, from 2000 to 2022, "Dom i Sad," a company specializing in cottage design and construction, as well as landscape design. All this experience, accumulated over more than 25 years, taught me the value of deep expertise and understanding nuances. It was this pain from the lack of convenient planning and accounting tools that led me to the idea of formspace.design. When I started learning programming with the help of AI, it seemed like a breakthrough. Models could generate code, write texts, and suggest ideas. I was amazed by the speed and apparent ease with which new things could be created.

Euphoria and Early 'Successes'

My initial experiments with AI were exhilarating. I used it to generate marketing texts, feature descriptions for formspace.design, and even to write code snippets. It seemed that any question could be solved by simply asking the neural network. For example, I asked AI to develop a concept for an advertising campaign for a landscape service targeting 6-20 are plots. The answer came instantly, with headlines, slogans, and even ideas for visuals. It was fast, convenient, and initially, I thought I had saved hours of a marketer's work. Such ease created the illusion that I could fully delegate entire blocks of work to AI without delving deeply into details, especially in areas where I wasn't a direct expert but had a general understanding.

The Moment of Truth: When AI Failed (and How I Realized It)

The moment of sobering up came when I started to analyze the AI-proposed solutions more deeply. For instance, I once asked it to generate a business plan for expanding formspace.design into a new geographical market. The AI produced a beautiful, structured document. But upon closer inspection, I discovered that it completely ignored local regulatory norms, specific taxations, and even the cultural peculiarities of the target audience. For example, it suggested using the same promotion channels as in Europe, completely disregarding that in some CIS countries, communication preferences are entirely different, and the cost of attracting a client through the proposed channels could be 3-4 times higher. If I had blindly followed this plan, it could have led to the loss of tens of thousands of dollars and a launch delay of 6-12 months. It was then that I realized AI operates on averaged data and lacks the intuition or understanding of unique conditions that only come with real experience and deep immersion in a specific niche. This was not just an inaccuracy but a fundamental error based on the absence of living context.

Why AI Doesn't Replace an Expert: Key Differences

The main difference between AI and a human expert is that AI does not possess understanding in the human sense. It has no personal experience, cannot "feel" the market, or "foresee" problems based on implicit signals. AI is a tool for processing information, based on patterns it has identified in vast datasets. My experience in landscape design, where every 6-20 are plot is unique, and every client has their preferences, taught me to appreciate nuances. AI can suggest a beautiful sketch, but it doesn't know that the soil in this region is clayey and requires special drainage, or that there's a strong wind in the mornings that would make a gazebo in the proposed spot useless. This knowledge comes only with years of practice and live interaction with reality. That's why I always emphasize that AI should be an assistant, not a replacement for making decisions that require deep expertise.

System of Verification and Control: How I Use AI Now

After that incident, I completely reevaluated my approach to working with AI. Now I use it as a powerful assistant that can quickly generate a draft, gather information, or suggest options, but the final decision and verification always remain with me. It's like having access to a huge library and a very fast cataloger, but you still need to read and analyze the books yourself. For example, when testing new features for formspace.design, I use AI to generate hypotheses or user interface options, but each of them undergoes strict verification for logic, usability, and compliance with real user needs. I constantly experiment with prompts to get the most relevant results, but I always remember that critical evaluation is key. You can read more about this in my article Behind the Scenes: How I Test Prompts Before Integrating Them into the Product.

Lessons for Entrepreneurs: How Not to Fall into the Trap

My experience, like the experience of running "Dom i Sad" where the lack of a reliable CRM cost me clients, taught me that relying on a single solution, be it a new tool or someone else's advice, without proper verification, is risky. Here are a few lessons I've learned and want to share with other entrepreneurs:

1. Always verify facts: AI can "hallucinate" or generate outdated information. Don't take anything at face value, especially when it comes to critical data.
2. Understand model limitations: Different AI models have different strengths and weaknesses. Know what your model is suitable for and what it is not.
3. Maintain critical thinking: Your personal experience and intuition are invaluable. Use AI to expand your capabilities, not to replace them.
4. Use AI for routine tasks, not for strategic decisions without human involvement: Automating routine tasks is a huge time saver. But when it comes to strategy, investments, or working with key clients, the human factor is indispensable. I wrote about this in the article How the Lack of a CRM Cost Me Clients at 'Dom i Sad'.
5. The value of human experience: No AI can replace years of practice, mistakes, and victories. This is capital that must be utilized, not ignored.

How to Plan in formspace.design

In formspace.design, I embodied this principle: AI is a powerful assistant that speeds up the process, but the final decision always rests with you, the person with vision and experience. For example, our AI Concepts module (2.1) allows you to get diverse ideas for zoning a plot or arranging key elements in minutes. You upload a plot plan, specify your preferences (e.g., "I want a 4x4 meter barbecue area and a 3x5 meter pond"), and AI generates several options. This is an ideal starting point for those looking for inspiration or wanting to quickly see different scenarios.

Then you take these AI concepts and transfer them to our main planning modules (1.x), where you manually refine the details. You can precisely set dimensions, choose materials, place specific objects from the library, taking into account all the features of your plot: slope, sunny side, existing buildings. You use AI to generate ideas, and then apply your knowledge and taste to create a thoughtful and functional landscape. The Design by Photo module (3.1) also serves as a visualization tool, allowing you to see how selected elements will look on a real photo of your plot, helping you make a more informed decision, rather than blindly following suggested images.

FAQ

Will AI completely replace specialists in the future?

I am convinced that it will not. AI will transform professions by automating routine tasks and providing new tools. But creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and the ability to make decisions under uncertainty are human prerogatives. Specialists who learn to use AI effectively will become even more in demand.

How do I know if AI gave me a wrong answer?

The best way is to cross-reference information with several independent sources, consult experts, and rely on your own experience. If an AI answer seems too perfect, too general, or contradicts common sense in your niche, it's a reason for thorough verification. Trust your intuition.

Can AI be trusted with financial calculations for business?

AI can be useful for processing large volumes of financial data, identifying trends, and making forecasts based on historical data. However, strategic financial decisions, risk assessment, and investment planning should always pass through the prism of human analysis and expertise, considering constantly changing market conditions and unpredictable factors.

What tasks are best delegated to AI in my business?

AI excels at routine, repetitive tasks, such as generating text drafts, data analysis, answering frequently asked customer questions, translation, and compiling lists of ideas. Use it as a "first assistant" to speed up processes, freeing up your time for more complex, creative, and strategic tasks.

How does formspace.design ensure the reliability of AI solutions?

At formspace.design, we use AI as a tool for generating concepts and ideas, not final decisions. All AI-proposed options serve as a starting point, which the user then refines interactively using our design tools, based on their knowledge and the real conditions of the plot. We give you control and the ability to verify every decision.

Should I learn programming to use AI in business?

You don't necessarily need to become a full-fledged programmer, but understanding the basics of working with AI, knowing how to create effective prompts, and having basic data analysis skills will significantly enhance your ability to use AI. It's like learning to drive a car: you don't need to be an engineer to use it, but understanding traffic rules and how it works makes you a more effective driver.

What if I don't have the experience to verify AI results?

If you don't have sufficient experience in a specific area, use AI to generate several alternative solutions and then consult experts or verified sources for their validation. AI can help you formulate questions to ask a specialist, making consultations more productive.

What role does creativity play if AI can generate designs?

Creativity plays a key role! AI can generate millions of combinations, but it cannot understand your unique style, your personal preferences, the history of your plot, or the emotional value you want to impart to the space. AI is a brush, and you are the artist who creates a masterpiece, choosing and combining elements with soul and meaning.

Looking to the Future: The Synergy of Human and AI

My journey with formspace.design is one of continuous learning and adaptation. I've realized that the greatest value of AI is not what it does for us, but what it enables us to do better, faster, and more efficiently. It's a partner that expands our capabilities but doesn't negate our responsibility. The main thing is to learn to use it wisely, without losing touch with reality and our own experience. I invite you to explore formspace.design and see how AI can become your reliable assistant in landscape planning, while preserving your unique expertise and creative approach.