Design Your Next AI “Lighthouse”

Define a focused, 90-day AI initiative that delivers measurable business value and demonstrates how AI can drive impact at scale.

In this exercise, you’ll design an AI Lighthouse — a small, high-impact project that proves value quickly and can be replicated across your organization.

You’ll capture your work in Word, OneNote, Copilot Pages, or another tool of your choice. Copilot will act as a review and refinement partner, not a replacement for your judgment.

Task 1: Design Your AI Lighthouse

Start by outlining your Lighthouse using the AI Lighthouse Canvas below.

Use it as a thinking framework — you’ll document your answers outside this page in Word, OneNote, Copilot Pages, or another tool of your choice.

Focus on outcomes, impact, and measurability, not tools or implementation details.

AI Lighthouse Canvas Template

1. Strategic Intent — Why this, why now?

Consider:

  • What is the core business problem or opportunity you aim to address in the next 90 days?
  • Why is now the right moment to act?

2. Value Hypothesis — Where can AI move the needle?

Describe how AI will create value using a simple cause-and-effect statement.

Format:

If we do X, then we will achieve Y, because Z.

3. Proof of Value — How will we validate success?

Success metric:

  • What is the one measurable outcome or KPI that defines success for this Lighthouse?

Scope & guardrails:

  • What is the smallest viable scope that still demonstrates value?
  • What is explicitly out of scope?

4. Actions — Who will lead, and what comes first?

Accountable owner:

  • Who will own and champion this Lighthouse internally?

First actions (next 2 weeks):

  • What 1–2 concrete steps will you take to get this started?

5. Storytelling — How does this scale?

If this Lighthouse succeeds:

  • How could it be replicated across teams, regions, or business units?
  • What elements make it reusable or repeatable?

Optional Reference: Sample AI Lighthouse

If helpful, review the sample Lighthouse below to see what a completed 90-day Lighthouse can look like.

Use this as a reference for structure and level of detail only — your Lighthouse should reflect your own priorities, constraints, and business context.

Sample AI Lighthouse

Task 2: Review Your Draft with Copilot

Now that you’ve completed your Lighthouse draft, use Copilot to review and strengthen it.

Sample Prompt:

Here is my draft of the 90-day Lighthouse Canvas for an AI initiative.

Please review it and suggest how I can make it more clear, compelling, and measurable for executive stakeholders. Focus your feedback on clarity, focus, and business impact.

Based on what you see, what would you recommend I improve or clarify, given what you know about my organization and priorities?

NOTE:
To share your draft with Copilot, take a screenshot of your completed Lighthouse Canvas and paste it into Copilot:

  • Windows: Press Windows + Shift + S to capture your Canvas
  • Mac: Press Command + Shift + 4 to capture your Canvas
    You can also paste your draft text directly into Copilot instead of uploading a screenshot.

Task 3: Create a 1-Minute Executive Pitch

Use Copilot to help you turn your Lighthouse into a concise, 1-minute pitch.

Sample Prompt:

Based on my updated 90-day Lighthouse Canvas, help me create a concise 1-minute pitch for my key stakeholder:
[describe your stakeholder, e.g., "Chief Operating Officer responsible for digital transformation"].

The pitch should clearly explain the business problem, the proposed AI solution, the expected impact, how success will be measured, and why this matters to my stakeholder.

Please make the language clear, compelling, and suitable for an executive audience.

Here is my draft:
[paste your revised Lighthouse Canvas or summary here]