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The Boring AI Manifesto

Alastair McDermott
AI Strategy
Updated 28th July 2026 Published 11th January 2026

Boring is underrated.

I like my elevators to be boring.

I like my seatbelt to be boring.

The best AI projects are the ones nobody talks about.

They just work.

I want technology to do the boring work so you can do the interesting work.

Exciting, experimental tools often break.

I use boring tools to kill boring tasks.

I measure success in time reclaimed, not prompts engineered.

The most valuable AI pilot gives someone their Friday evening back.

AI earns its place through results. The goal is getting work done better.

Boring is what "near-magic" tech looks like when it's working.

Start with boring. Prove value fast.

Update 21st Jan:

  1. The Boring AI Manifesto is an excerpt from my new book "The AI Pilot Handbook", now available on Amazon.
  2. I wrote more about "Why Boring is Interesting" to explain my thinking in this manifesto.

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