Readiness is not a maturity score; it is a set of specific conditions that decide whether an AI programme delivers in the first quarter or stalls in the second. Twelve questions a leadership team can answer in an hour.
Plot how many ideas each AI theme attracts against how ready its data is, and the picture is uncomfortable: the two point in opposite directions. Why that is, and how to run a roadmap that respects it.
The tools for most AI opportunities already exist. What decides whether an opportunity can be delivered, and when, is whether the data it depends on exists in a usable form. How we assess it, and why it means sequencing by readiness rather than enthusiasm.