How to architect AI systems that actually work

A model that works in a demo and a model that works in production are two very different things. The gap is almost never the model itself — it is the system around it.

Start with the decision

Good AI work begins with the decision you are trying to improve, not the model you want to use. Define the decision, the data that informs it, and how you will know it worked.

Build for the boring parts

Monitoring, fallbacks, evaluation, and a clear owner matter more than raw accuracy. The systems that last are the ones that fail gracefully and improve on a schedule.