IOD in the age of AI: how decisions are no longer just human

For decades , decision-making followed a familiar process. We will gather Information , reflect to form an opinion , and eventually arrive at a decision. The process was linear, often slow, but deeply human based. Influencers , early adopters played a vital role in this decision making journey.

In today’s AI-powered world, the IOD loop hasn’t vanished – it has transformed itself. Information is curated by algorithms. Opinions are shaped or nudged by intelligent agents. Decisions? They’re automated so rapidly, it’s often hard to keep up.

And  this IOD is undergoing a dramatic shift .. powered by AI, nudged by agents, and often, bypassing human — yet taking the decision as good as ones taken using the legacy ways. So , let’s deep dive !!

—

I = Information (facts re-defined)

There was a time when gathering information meant research, reading, referencing. Today, you ask an LLM:
 “Summarize Infosys’s latest earnings.”
 “Is Vitamin D deficiency common in metro cities?”

And AI delivers – fast , fluent – but not always neutral. The facts are now pre-packaged , ranked , filtered and sometimes tailored based on your past queries.
That’s not just information. That’s perspective by design.

—

O = Opinion (formed or framed?)

Earlier, forming an opinion required contrast—reading both sides, discussing, disagreeing. Today , AI can write your review , draft your stance and even debate with you on it. Tools like Grok or Claude can offer “what most people think” or simulate your tone to argue back.

We’re not always forming opinions anymore. Often, we’re choosing from ready-made ones – without even realising it.

—

D = Decision (action taken with speed)

From which book to read, what stock to watch, or when to rest—AI is already suggesting our next move. In the world of Next Best Action , my previous blog ( https://lnkd.in/dSbKdnzv ) , AI doesn’t just assist – it replaces decision fatigue with automated flow.

One will end up buying tickets based on ChatGPT’s travel plan?
One may try a new recipe , listen to a new song because it had “AI-recommended” next to it?

Did you notice comething – you didn’t take a decision , you accepted one.

Add-On → Assist → Replace == means == The IOD cycle is now agentic.

AI adds-on context. Then assists with pattern recognition. Eventually, it replaces your need to slow down and deliberate.

So, What Should We Do With IOD?

Let AI speed up access. Let it challenge our biases. But let’s not lose the pause between Information → Opinion → Decision.

Because in a world where everything is answered instantly, it’s the act of “asking better questions” and creatively answering them keeps us as human.

Author – Sumit Rajwade, Co-founder: mPrompto