Grift, Inc

AI done right is a better business.

Grift, Inc. was the record of companies that built AI to take from the people it was meant to serve. Aligned is the other half: how to build responsible AI that customers, workers and regulators can trust, and why the company that does it is the one still standing. It shows where the line gets crossed, in pricing, data, pay and marketing, and what the aligned version of each looks like.

The title has a second meaning. Aligned AI needs an aligned organisation: one outcome, one scorecard, everyone paid to pull the same way. That is where AI transformation succeeds or fails.

What's inside this AI governance and AI strategy book

• Three questions for any AI system: is it reliable, can its decisions be explained, and who is steering it?
• The AI business case rebuilt as a value case, with trust as a line item
• A success plan with 30, 90 and 180 day milestones, an exit and a stop rule
• The EU AI Act, GDPR, DORA and anti-money laundering rules read as part of the case for AI
• Points of view for 8 industries, a 15-question board briefing and one-page templates

Questions readers askWhat is responsible AI in business?

Trustworthy AI that creates more value for the people it touches than it takes from them, and passes three tests: reliable, interpretable and steerable by a named person.

What is AI alignment, and why should business leaders care?

Alignment means a system pursues what you meant, not only what you measured. The same holds for organisations: the AI you deploy optimises whatever its owners are rewarded for.

Why do AI transformations fail?

Mostly on leadership, people and incentives, not technology. The fix for stalled AI adoption is one scorecard, one accountable owner and pay tied to the outcome. Klarna's chief executive said a cost-first AI assistant delivered lower quality, and changed course.

What does the EU AI Act require of my business?

Duties set by risk. The prohibitions have applied since February 2025. High-risk rules for uses such as credit scoring now apply from December 2027. The book reads AI regulation and compliance as a design brief and a speed advantage.

Does it give me an AI governance framework?

Yes: owners, scorecards, acceptance tests, exits and stop rules, joined up with AI risk management and corporate governance.

How do I build an AI business case a board will trust?

Count the value created and captured for individuals, groups, the organisation and society, plan for errors, and name one owner paid on the result.

Is this an AI ethics or business ethics book?

It is ethical AI made practical: honest pricing, data, pay and marketing, with the evidence that the aligned company wins.

Does it cover GDPR and data privacy?

Yes: data minimisation, Article 22 on automated decisions, and the 2023 SCHUFA ruling on credit scores.

Which industries does it cover?

Financial services, insurance, life sciences and health, telecoms, manufacturing and automotive, energy, the public sector, and retail and luxury.

Is Aligned an anti-AI book?

No. The author uses AI every day. Pointed at the right target, AI is the most powerful way to create value any of us will see in our working lives.

Who is it for?

Founders, executives, boards and AI leaders deploying AI, including generative AI in business, in startups and large regulated organisations, and anyone who signs off the risk.

Do I need to read Grift, Inc. first?

No. Aligned stands alone.

About the author

Sotiris Spyrou is an AI governance consultant, the founder of Verity AI and the author of the AIGP Exam Guide. He builds with AI every day.

Build AI people can trust.