Jason M. Riggs warns AI speed is making slow decisions costlier

Jason M. Riggs says AI is shrinking the time needed to analyze and execute, but not the time organizations need to decide, creating what he calls a coordination tax. His essay appears in Decisions, Courage, and Action, a multi-author book launching Oct. 1, 2026.

Why it matters: - AI is making execution faster, but slower human decisions now carry a higher cost. - Riggs argues that organizations can produce more options and move faster, yet still fail if they do not decide clearly and own the outcome. - The pressure is especially visible in AI-native workplaces where delays and unclear ownership become harder to hide.

What happened: - Jason M. Riggs contributed an essay to Decisions, Courage, and Action, a new multi-author book compiled by Robert Plank. - The book launched Oct. 1, 2026. - Riggs used the contribution to outline a concept he calls the coordination tax. - Riggs is an AI product executive and the author of The MACH-10 PM and The MACH-10 Leader.

The details: - Riggs says AI has compressed the time needed to analyze, create and execute, but not the time organizations need to evaluate, approve and act. - He defines the coordination tax as the gap between the speed of the work and the speed of the decision. - Riggs says AI has made producing an answer cheap, but deciding whether it is the right answer and owning what happens next has not gotten easier. - The coordination tax is part of the MACH-10 Leadership framework Riggs developed around decision velocity and AI-native leadership. - Riggs says the framework focuses on the impact of delays and unclear ownership as AI accelerates surrounding work. - Riggs draws on experience leading commercial and product strategy at Audivi AI. - At Audivi AI, AI-powered drive-thru ordering systems must work inside real restaurant complexity. - A production system must handle modifiers, combo rules, promotions, menu logic, point-of-sale requirements and brand intent. - Riggs says an AI recommendation can look reasonable while missing the business context that matters. - Riggs calls his approach Speed with Soul. - The philosophy argues for using AI to accelerate execution without giving up human responsibility for what deserves attention and what happens next. - Riggs said, "When AI can produce ten options before the meeting even starts, leadership isn't about generating an eleventh." - Riggs said leadership is about knowing what matters, making the call and taking responsibility for the result. - Decisions, Courage, and Action brings together perspectives on leadership, resilience, organizational change, productivity and personal responsibility. - The book is titled Decisions, Courage, and Action: Real Stories of Choosing What Matters, Moving Through Fear and Turning Intention into Results! - The book listing is available here.

Between the lines: - Riggs is making a broader case that AI changes the economics of output faster than it changes the discipline of judgment. - The argument puts leadership attention on decision quality, ownership and timing, not just productivity and throughput. - The framing suggests that organizations adopting AI may create new bottlenecks if approval chains and accountability do not keep up with machine speed.

What's next: - Decisions, Courage, and Action is now launching with Riggs' perspective included. - Riggs continues to promote the MACH-10 Leadership Series, which focuses on AI-native leadership, decision velocity, product management and human judgment in the age of AI. - Riggs' broader work will keep emphasizing faster decision-making, AI-native operating models, product strategy and leadership accountability. - More information is available at MACH10PM.com.