In Special Forces, Bad Tech Gets You Killed. In AI, It Just Gets Ignored - with Chris Duffy (IgniteAI Solutions)
Thu Feb 05 2026
In this episode of The AI Opportunity, we sit down with Chris Duffy, a former Special Forces communicator who spent 23 years in the British Army, working in mission-critical environments where technology had to work. Every time. Because failure wasn’t theoretical, it had consequences.
Chris shares what it’s like to trust technology under real pressure, including supporting operations during the London terror attacks, and how those experiences now shape the way he helps businesses adopt AI. His perspective is refreshingly blunt: most AI projects don’t fail because the tech is bad – they fail because leaders treat AI like a shortcut instead of a capability that has to be earned, tested, and trusted.
We dig into why 70–85% of AI initiatives stall, what Special Forces thinking gets right about tools and decision-making, and why process, culture, and leadership behaviour matter far more than chasing the latest model. If you’re tired of AI hype and want grounded lessons from someone who’s worked where failure isn’t an option, this conversation will change how – and when – you trust technology.
Chapters
00:00 - From Special Forces to AI: Why This Shift Made Sense
03:04 - Why Most Businesses Don’t Know Where AI Actually Helps
07:55 - What the Military Gets Right About Technology Adoption
10:31 - Communication and Decision-Making Under Pressure
12:43 - A Practical Framework for Evaluating AI Tools
15:34 - Why AI Adoption Lives or Dies With Leadership
18:08 - Giving Teams Permission to Use AI Without Losing Control
19:33 - Quick Fire Round: A Case Study in Retail AI
Find us on socials:
🔗 Follow Kenny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyalegbe/
🤖 Follow Brim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinbrim/
📩 For business or guest inquiries: hello@joinbrim.ai
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In this episode of The AI Opportunity, we sit down with Chris Duffy, a former Special Forces communicator who spent 23 years in the British Army, working in mission-critical environments where technology had to work. Every time. Because failure wasn’t theoretical, it had consequences. Chris shares what it’s like to trust technology under real pressure, including supporting operations during the London terror attacks, and how those experiences now shape the way he helps businesses adopt AI. His perspective is refreshingly blunt: most AI projects don’t fail because the tech is bad – they fail because leaders treat AI like a shortcut instead of a capability that has to be earned, tested, and trusted. We dig into why 70–85% of AI initiatives stall, what Special Forces thinking gets right about tools and decision-making, and why process, culture, and leadership behaviour matter far more than chasing the latest model. If you’re tired of AI hype and want grounded lessons from someone who’s worked where failure isn’t an option, this conversation will change how – and when – you trust technology. Chapters 00:00 - From Special Forces to AI: Why This Shift Made Sense 03:04 - Why Most Businesses Don’t Know Where AI Actually Helps 07:55 - What the Military Gets Right About Technology Adoption 10:31 - Communication and Decision-Making Under Pressure 12:43 - A Practical Framework for Evaluating AI Tools 15:34 - Why AI Adoption Lives or Dies With Leadership 18:08 - Giving Teams Permission to Use AI Without Losing Control 19:33 - Quick Fire Round: A Case Study in Retail AI Find us on socials: 🔗 Follow Kenny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennyalegbe/ 🤖 Follow Brim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinbrim/ 📩 For business or guest inquiries: hello@joinbrim.ai