Toward An AI Taxonomy
What AI Is (and Is Not)
A new series for builders navigating the hype, hope, and hazards of artificial intelligence
AI is everywhere. It’s in your inbox, your spreadsheets, your Slack feed, your design mockups, and your product roadmap. Depending on who you ask, it’s either the dawn of limitless productivity—or the end of human relevance.
That’s the problem.
We’ve collapsed “AI” into a single, fuzzy word that covers everything from autocomplete in your email to full-stack generative models. No wonder even smart leaders get disoriented.
Here’s the truth: not all AI is created equal. Some are tools. Some are companions. Some start to behave like colleagues. Some operate at the scale of systems and powers. If you don’t know which one you’re dealing with, you risk over-trusting—or underestimating—them.
This series is about clarity. A taxonomy you can use in boardrooms, pitch decks, or sprint planning, so you can say with confidence: “Here’s what kind of AI this is—and here’s how we’ll treat it.”
Over the next few weeks, we’ll walk through:
Tools and Companions – the simplest forms of AI already baked into your stack
Colleagues and Intelligence Layers – the emerging layer of relational AI shaping workflows - this is what Parallax Partners is building for our clients.
Living Books and Authored Presences – where AI starts to feel uncannily human
Corporations and Powers – the systemic forces shaping markets, regulation, and culture
A Taxonomy for Discernment – a practical grid to cut through hype and make wise calls
This won’t be hype. And it won’t be doom.
It will be a clear-eyed guide for founders, operators, and builders who want to integrate AI without being swallowed by it.
Because the real question isn’t: “Is AI good or bad?”
The real question is: “What kind of AI is this—and how should I use it?”
Three Takeaways to Start Thinking Differently About AI
1. AI is not one thing.
A Figma plugin, a GPT-4 workflow, and a platform-scale recommendation engine all get called “AI.” But they demand radically different levels of trust, investment, and guardrails. Call a plugin a “colleague,” and you’ll be disappointed. Call an ad-targeting system “neutral tech,” and you’ll miss its power to shape culture. Taxonomy isn’t academic—it’s survival for builders.
2. The risks depend on the category.
Every AI failure story you’ve read lately has one thing in common: misclassification. Treating a tool like a strategist, or a corporate system like a harmless gadget. If you can name what you’re dealing with, you can calibrate your trust, your budget, and your guardrails. That’s how you avoid wasting cycles—or burning trust with your users.
3. Wisdom—not speed—is what leaders need.
Yes, AI accelerates. But speed without discernment just amplifies bad decisions. The winning edge isn’t who automates first—it’s who knows what should be automated, what should stay human, and what must be governed at the system level. Founders who cultivate wisdom, not just efficiency, will outlast the hype cycle.
A Client’s Perspective
“Working with Parallax has been a game-changer. They helped us design AI-assisted workflows that dramatically reduced the time and effort needed to recreate training and HR processes for different clients with similar needs. It’s streamlined our work and freed us to focus more on our clients rather than repetitive tasks.”
Call to Action
If you’re building in this space and want to think beyond “AI everywhere” toward a sharper, more strategic approach, we’d love to help. Book a conversation with us at Parallax and let’s design AI systems that scale your vision—without distorting it.