Hey there,
Ever notice how AI shows up in every 2026 headline but not always in the one meeting that actually owns uptime, compliance, and customer trust; the COO’s? A tight 60‑minute debrief is where you translate new rules, vendor promises, and shadow AI into a concrete map of where AI runs today and what you are willing to authorize next.
Take this opportunity to turn 2026’s AI noise into a blueprint your operations can actually decisively control.
In this issue:
Playbook of the Day
How to Run a 60-Minute AI Strategy Debrief for COOs
Goal: Utilize 2026’s essential year for AI to sharpen operations rather than turn it into a governance & risk migraine for your organization.
Who: COO, Head of Data/AI, Security/Risk lead, plus 1–2 owners for regulatory & international operations. Meet monthly in Q1–Q4 2026, then quarterly once the playbook is stable.
Before the session (collect inputs over 1 week):
Map AI in your workflows: Each function lead must compile brief notes and submit a short update on where AI is already embedded in processes & systems (internal tools, vendors, shadow AI use) and flags any autonomy, identity, or code risks they see.
Track external pressure: One owner summarizes key moves in AI governance (EU AI Act milestones, new U.S. state rules, China-style state-centric models) and geopolitical developments that could affect supply chains, data flows, or partners.
During the 60 minutes:
AI Environment (15 minutes): Align on the latest AI governance rules, enforcement milestones, and geopolitical shifts that directly affect your data, vendors, and infrastructure choices.
Inside Your Org (25 minutes): Rapidly inventory where AI is actually running in workflows, separate governed deployments from shadow use, and pinpoint the biggest visibility or trust gaps.
Guardrails & Greenlights (20 minutes): Set clear red lines and minimum controls for AI, choose a few priority domains to accelerate adoption, and assign owners, deadlines, and metrics.
Rules: Keep the conversation anchored on 2026’s reality on governance, adoption, and competition, rather than abstract “AI race” hype, and treat the COO table as the place where responsibility, power, and opportunity around AI are explicitly assigned, not assumed.
Latest News
COOs AI Execution Framework 🤖
Published: 01/20/2026
Bloomberg spotlights Google DeepMind COO Lila Ibrahim’s message at Davos: operations leaders have a narrow window in 2026 to help decide how AI is built, governed, and deployed, rather than simply inheriting black‑box tools from vendors. She underscores that “we’re still early in AI development,” which means COOs can still influence where AI is allowed to act, how it is monitored, and what boundaries are drawn around mission‑critical processes.
Upside: For COOs, this reframes AI from a shiny side project into a core part of the operating model that must be intentionally designed. Stepping into these conversations now lets operations chiefs define standards for data quality, auditability, human‑in‑the‑loop checkpoints, and escalation paths, so AI agents actually reinforce reliability, safety, and customer experience instead of quietly adding operational and reputational risk.
Impact: Treated as a strategic pillar, AI becomes a controlled force multiplier for forecasting, service delivery, and cross‑functional coordination, aligned with the COO’s mandate for efficiency and resilience. Operations leaders who answer Ibrahim’s call to “shape the technology” will be better positioned to roll out AI copilots, decision systems, and automation at scale—on their terms—while building trust with boards, regulators, and frontline teams who need to know the system is still under responsible human control.
🕹️ Command Centers Step Into Operations
Published: 01/16/26
Business Daily explores why HR often does the heavy lifting on culture, benefits, and tough people decisions, yet rarely shows up when recognition is handed out. The piece argues that HR’s work is mainly behind the scenes and long-term, so employees feel its impact without connecting it to the people and strategy that made it happen.
Upside: The article lays out practical ways HR can become more visible without coming across as self-promotional, from regular floor walks and informal check-ins to sharing simple impact stories that translate “systems” into human wins. It also urges HR to quantify results using metrics such as jobs saved, careers progressed, and safety incidents reduced, so leaders can clearly link HR initiatives to performance, wellness, and retention.
Impact: If HR pairs emotional presence with clear storytelling and data, it is more likely to be seen as a true business partner instead of a back-office enforcer. Combined with leadership that budgets for cross-functional recognition and builds year-round appreciation into the culture, this could finally give HR teams the visibility, trust, and influence they need to sustain performance and growth.
New Models Reshape Daily Interactions 🔁
Published: 01/21/2026
Reuters reports that Meta’s newly formed Meta Superintelligence Labs has delivered its first high‑profile AI models for internal use, just about six months after the team was created. CTO Andrew Bosworth, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, described the models as “very good” and framed 2025 as a “tremendously chaotic year” spent building the lab, infrastructure, and power needed to compete at the frontier of AI after criticism of the company’s earlier Llama 4 model.
Upside: For commercial real estate leaders watching AI’s trajectory, this is a signal that hyperscalers are moving from research hype to shippable systems that will quickly filter into tenant operations, workplace tools, and consumer experiences. As Meta refines text, image, and video models (like the reported “Avocado” and “Mango” projects) and ties them into products such as Ray‑Ban Display smart glasses, owners can expect more AI‑native occupiers, new demands on connectivity and power, and richer data flows about how people actually use space.
Impact: Bosworth expects 2026–2027 to be the years when consumer AI patterns solidify, as models are already good enough to answer everyday family and household questions while continuing to improve on complex tasks. That timeline gives CRE operators a near‑term horizon to rethink digital amenities and building infrastructure—positioning assets to support AI‑enhanced work, retail, and experiential uses before these tools become standard expectations baked into leases, tenant improvement plans, and location decisions.
Prompt of the Day
The Potential Surveyor Radar Prompt
Trigger Event | Action | Use Case Example |
|---|---|---|
New lead or prospect identified. | Quick assessment questionnaire and fit scoring. | Determine if prospect aligns with ideal customer profile and prioritize outreach. |
After initial contact or demo. | Gather feedback, pain points, and decision timeline. | Understand needs, urgency, and buying committee to tailor follow-up. |
Mid-sales cycle check-in. | Budget confirmation, competitor landscape, and objections. | Surface hidden concerns and validate deal viability before investing more resources. |
Before proposal or contract stage. | Final stakeholder alignment and approval process mapping. | Identify last-minute blockers and ensure all decision-makers are engaged. |
Quarterly account review. | Satisfaction score, expansion opportunities, and risk signals. | Spot upsell potential or churn risk early to guide account strategy. |
Prompt
"Act as my prospect intelligence scanner. Based on this snapshot of our current leads, pipeline status, and recent interactions, (1) identify the top 3 prospects most likely to convert or stall in the next 30 days, (2) surface the critical decision signals and red flags to monitor this week, and (3) recommend 2–3 specific actions I can take today to accelerate deals or prevent drop-offs."
Operational excellence enables an enterprise and its leadership to continuously improve all areas of performance.
One last Thing
AI this year can either be a controlled operating layer or a black‑box risk you inherit. Treating a short, recurring debrief as the COO’s command center lets you turn regulatory noise and frontier models into clear guardrails, owners, and timelines.
Use this cadence to keep AI powerful, explainable, and squarely accountable to the COO’s agenda.
Until next edition,
Chloe Rivers
Editor-in-Chief
COO Intelligence
P.S. Interested in sponsoring a future issue? Just reply to this email and I’ll send packages!