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“I get by with a little help from my friends...”

The smartest voice in the room may be the only one that doesn’t need your approval.

Author

Malcolm Frank, CEO
November 03, 2025

 

“I get by with a little help from my friends…”

How many truly close friends do you have?  Not the good-time Charlies who are there for a laugh, yet run when times get tough.  I mean those who are in the foxhole with you, and are willing to tell you hard truths you need to hear.  

Most people, and most companies, don’t have enough. And it’s why many are turning to AI to fill the void, to provide objective counsel for major decisions.  

Cesare Mainardi, the former CEO of Booz, knows more than most about strategy—and why so many good ideas fall apart in execution. The problem, he says, isn’t the plan; it’s the people. Leaders grow attached to old ideas the way gamblers cling to losing streaks: emotionally, irrationally, and long past the point of reason. AI offers an antidote. It’s the machine version of a conscience, the trusted colleague who never tires of asking whether your decisions match your declared strategy.

That same impulse is now creeping into everyday life. Millions are using AI as a kind of personal consigliere, quietly consulting it about divorces, career moves, and cross-continental reinventions. It sounds absurd until you realize what’s missing: people who will tell us the truth without flinching. 

In an age of social-media performance art and professional spin, the smartest voice in the room may be the only one that doesn’t need your approval.

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“English did not perform best across all models, in fact it came sixth out of 26 languages when long texts were assessed, while Polish proved to be the leading language.”

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And one more thing…

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