AI Doesn't Fix What's Already Broken: What Dora's New Model Tells Us About Getting AI Right
Techstrong.ai, Friday, February 13th, 2026
Most organizations have already decided to adopt AI. Nearly 90% of technology professionals use it in their work. The harder question - the one most leaders still haven't answered - is how to make that investment pay off.
Google's DORA team has published a new framework that provides a clear, evidence-based answer. The DORA AI Capabilities Model, based on more than 100 hours of qualitative data and survey responses from nearly 5,000 technology professionals worldwide, identifies seven foundational capabilities that determine whether AI helps or hurts an organization's performance.
The headline finding is blunt: AI is an amplifier. It magnifies the strengths of high-performing organizations and the dysfunctions of struggling ones.
That means buying AI tools without fixing the underlying problems is like putting a bigger engine in a car with bad brakes. You'll go faster - but not in a good way.