For years, the concept of an AI assistant would have felt like something out of science fiction. Today, it has become a matter of course — and for many executives, a necessity.
Beyond Chatbots: What AI Assistants Actually Do
When most people think about AI, what comes to mind is chatbots like ChatGPT that answer questions or generate content. Those applications are useful, but they only scratch the surface of what AI can do. AI is not only a tool that can synthesize massive reams of information; it can also be leveraged to help manage tasks, organize information, and streamline daily work.
For executives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders, this is a game-changer.
What an AI Assistant Can Do for Executives
An AI assistant can help draft emails, summarize meetings, organize notes, generate research, prepare briefing materials, and manage routine administrative tasks. They can coordinate schedules, identify available meeting times, track action items, and help ensure that important commitments do not fall through the cracks.
Your AI Assistant Is a Toolkit, Not a Single Product
The first step is understanding that an AI assistant does not need to be a single product. It can be a collection of tools working together to support the way you operate.
For example, many executives use AI to summarize lengthy reports before meetings. Others rely on AI-powered note-taking applications that automatically capture key discussion points and action items. Calendar management platforms can help prioritize tasks and organize schedules around changing commitments. Together, these tools create a personalized support system that reduces administrative burdens and frees up time for higher-value work.
The next stage is even more interesting.
Building a Custom AI Assistant
Today’s AI platforms increasingly allow users to create custom assistants tailored to their specific needs. A business leader can build an AI assistant trained on company materials, frequently asked questions, investment criteria, customer information, or internal processes. Instead of starting every conversation from scratch, the assistant can provide answers and recommendations based on the organization’s own knowledge and priorities.
Elliott Broidy on AI as a Digital Chief of Staff
In many respects, this resembles creating a digital chief of staff. The assistant may not make final decisions, but it can gather information, organize data, prepare recommendations, and accelerate routine workflows.
An AI assistant allows leaders to reduce the time spent on repetitive and laborious tasks so they can focus more of their attention on strategy, relationships, and decision-making. Those higher-stakes calls still demand second-order thinking — weighing not just the immediate result but everything that follows from it.
Every generation benefits from tools that increase productivity. We are in the AI age. The leaders who learn how to use it most effectively will be best positioned to focus on what matters most. For many leaders, what matters most reaches well beyond the office — a theme I explore in how family shapes my work and life.
Elliott Broidy is Chairman and CEO of Broidy Capital Holdings, LLC, a private equity investment firm specializing in AI-driven public safety software. He is also the Co-Chair of the Fund to End Antisemitism, Extremism and Hate which supports the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) at House 88, an initiative of The Counter Extremism Project.