It’s natural for many of the best innovation ideas to reside with the people closest to customers, processes, and persistent problems. But they are often stuck there because there isn’t a scalable way to surface, shape, prioritize, and act on them.

Now, new AI tools are changing all that. Forward-thinking organizations are rolling out AI platforms that guide employees step-by-step through the messy early stages of innovation: defining problems, developing ideas, shaping business models, and preparing them for leadership input.

Take Schreiber Foods as an example. A $7B global dairy company - responsible for the cheese in 8 out of 10 fast food cheeseburgers in the U.S. - Schreiber has embraced this model deeply. As an employee-owned company, they’ve deployed Aucctus AI, a facilitated AI platform, to power innovation from the ground up. In one case, an innovation catalyst identified a problem worth solving, explored the jobs, pains, and gains, and proposed a business model to leadership — all within 48 hours. Schreiber now uses Aucctus to expand on ideas, uncover opportunities, build out new product ideas, and accelerate decision-making. In just 12 months, they’ve seen a 60% increase in speed of discovery stage — without new headcount or reliance on external consultants.

Tools like Aucctus provide structure, prompts, and feedback loops that used to take weeks, removing friction and allowing companies to convert that innovation ‘potential energy’ into real momentum.

Continuing my metaphor, this is like tapping into an energy reservoir that’s been just beneath the surface all along, invisible from the top, but powerful once connected.

To me, this is one of the most exciting developments of the recent AI wave, as it means the real democratization of innovation for the first time.