From Spreadsheets to ‘The Brutalist’: Why Using AI in Business Isn’t Cheating, It’s Just Technology
In 1982, a controversy erupted in the accounting world. The culprit? Electronic spreadsheets. As reported in InfoWorld magazine at the time, several accounting firms banned the use of VisiCalc and early Excel, viewing them as “crutches” that would erode fundamental skills. Some even called it cheating.
Four decades later, try to imagine running a business without Excel.
Today, we’re seeing a similar pattern with artificial intelligence. The recent controversy over “The Brutalist” – where using AI to perfect Hungarian pronunciations and generate architectural drawings sparked social media outrage – perfectly illustrates our collective tendency to overreact to new tools that enhance human capabilities.
History Rhymes
The parallels are striking:
- 1980s: “Using spreadsheets instead of manual calculations is cheating”
- 2025: “Using AI to enhance efficiency is cheating”
In both cases, the underlying concern isn’t really about cheating – it’s about change, about fears of losing fundamental skills, about maintaining authenticity in our work.
What Actually Constitutes Cheating?
Let’s be clear about what genuine AI misuse looks like:
- Plagiarising content without attribution or permission
- Misrepresenting AI-generated work as purely human-created
- Generating false information to deceive others
- Bypassing necessary human oversight in critical processes
These are clearly unethical practices. But they reflect poor judgment in tool usage, not inherent problems with AI itself—just as Excel can be used for fraud but isn’t inherently unethical.
The Real Business Value
Just as Excel revolutionised business by automating calculations, AI is transforming how we work through:
1. Enhanced Decision Making
- Scenario planning at unprecedented scale, allowing businesses to model multiple futures
- Pattern recognition in complex data sets that humans might miss
- Rapid hypothesis testing to validate business assumptions
2. Ideation and Innovation
- AI as a boundless brainstorming partner, offering fresh perspectives
- New approaches to old problems through novel combinations of ideas
- Faster iteration cycles on product and service development
3. Quality Improvement
- Consistency in outputs across teams and processes
- Error reduction through automated verification
- Enhanced quality control through pattern matching
Learning from “The Brutalist”
The film’s editor made a profound observation: “There’s nothing in the film using AI that hasn’t been done before. It just makes the process a lot faster.” This perfectly encapsulates how most businesses are actually using AI – not to cheat or cut corners, but to enhance existing processes and capabilities.
The Path Forward
Instead of asking whether using AI is “cheating,” forward-thinking organisations are asking:
- How can we use AI to enhance our team’s capabilities?
- Where can AI help us make better decisions?
- What governance frameworks ensure responsible use?
- How do we measure and communicate the value created?
The Real Risk – Intransigence
The greatest risk today isn’t in using AI – it’s in falling behind while competitors embrace it effectively. Just as companies that were slow to adopt spreadsheet software found themselves at a competitive disadvantage, organisations that let unfounded concerns about AI hold them back risk the same fate.
Moving Forward Responsibly
Successful AI adoption requires:
- Clear ethical guidelines that align with organisational values
- Strong governance frameworks to ensure proper use
- Transparent communication about AI’s role in processes
- Regular outcome measurement to validate benefits
- Continuous learning and adaptation as technology evolves
The businesses that thrive will be those that embrace AI as what it is: not a shortcut or a form of cheating, but a powerful tool for augmenting human capabilities and driving innovation.
How is your organisation balancing the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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