Let AI do the circularity trick – Icebreaker for circular business models.

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I tried AI in the development of circular business cases – See how it works

” It is ready for management buy-in, as it provides a comprehensive overview of benefits, risks, and to-dos. “

For years, I’ve been working with decision-makers exploring business models.

And so often, I’ve seen the same patterns:

• A business model workshop brimming with ideas… that never make it into a plan.
• A request from leadership for “some business figures” by this Friday.
• A competitor launching a clever circular reuse or take-back scheme before your company even thought of evaluating it.

Recently, I decided to see what happens when you put AI into this mix — specifically, an AI-driven Circular Business Model Canvas ( See it in action ).

Not as a magic wand, but as a thinking partner: fast, structured, and able to surface options I might not have considered.

Here’s what I found — the good, the bad, and where it really shines.

1. When leadership needs a plan, fast

One of the biggest advantages of the AI canvas is speed.

I’ve taken notes from a one-hour call with a sustainability lead, fed in the company’s basic data, and had a draft business model ready before lunch.

It’s not perfect — AI still needs human judgement to sort the feasible from the fanciful — but it gives you a starting point that’s management-ready: value proposition, risks, benefits, and even initial to-dos.

Pro: Great for getting unstuck when the clock is ticking.

Con: You have to validate every AI output — it can sound plausible while missing key context.

2. When competitors move faster on sustainability

Circular opportunities don’t always shout for attention.

Together with a toy manufacturer, I quickly explored dozens of “what if” variations:

What if we lease instead of sell?
What if we reclaim materials?
What if we redesign for reuse?

What I find very helpful here is that, in these “What if” scenarios, the AI canvas provides a comprehensive overview of the opportunities and action steps, as well as a view of the costs and risks for each scenario. That gives credibility to the circular business idea and encourages executives to keep investigating.

Pro: Helps spot opportunities before they’re obvious.

Con: The AI can suggest ideas that are interesting but irrelevant — industry fit still needs expert review.

3. When workshops generate energy, but not decisions

We’ve all been in those workshops: lots of sticky notes, plenty of enthusiasm… and then nothing.

I started using the AI canvas as a live structuring tool during sessions. I remember the very first workshop where I used this AI tool with top executives in waste management in Dubai earlier this year.

We captured ideas, fed them in, and watched as they were organised into a coherent model — including risks and opportunities we didn’t discuss yet.

This is a true icebreaker that helps workshop participants quickly overcome the “white canvas syndrome.” You are immediately in the making. For me, the AI-generated circular business models in a workshop act as a starting point for discussion. You have a great baseline that can be challenged and discussed from different perspectives.

It changes the tone: instead of ending with “what now?”, we end with “here’s the plan.”

Pro: Instant visualisation of possible circular business models → Catalyst for challenging discussions

Con: Can feel like it’s “short-circuiting” deep discussion if not facilitated carefully.

4. When investors or finance want numbers, not buzzwords

In the boardroom, circularity still tends to be dismissed as too costly, not future-proof, or simply a way to meet compliance targets.

I’ve seen decision-makers bridge that gap by producing structured outputs with the AI canvas: revenue potential, risk mapping, and clear value chains. Equipped with those figures, they reported feeling better prepared for challenging discussions with top management—ready to present different scenarios, revenue potential, and derived business cases.

Of course, it’s still not a replacement for financial modelling, but it frames the conversation in business terms from the start. Let’s be honest: how often have you seen decision-makers hurriedly gather a few slides and business data before presenting to management, with no time to think deeply about it? The AI-generated draft of a circular business model canvas offers far better preparation.

Pro: Moves the discussion from ambition to investment.

Con: The AI can over-simplify — important nuances can get lost if you just copy/paste.

5. When waste might be worth something

One surprise: the AI sometimes spots revenue potential in places I’d overlooked — unused assets, scrap materials, service loops.

It connects them back into the business model so you can see their role, not just as a side project but as part of the value proposition.

Pro: Can reveal overlooked profit centres.

Con: Needs a feasibility check — some suggestions are more wishful than practical.

The bottom line: from stuck to moving

For me, after using it in many project settings, the AI Circular Business Model Canvas clearly is not a replacement for human creativity or deep domain-specific expertise.

But it is a momentum tool:

• It helped me and decision-makers to get unstuck fast.
• It turns circularity workshop output into structured actionable options.
• It surfaces opportunities and risks companies may miss.
• It quickly produces a tangible result you can share to leadership.
• It gives you a base for a roadmap and action plan.

Circular business models will always be complex.

But complexity is easier to face when you can see the whole picture — and AI, when used thoughtfully, can help draft it.

Use the AI-driven Circular Business tool here. ( It’s free )

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AI can become an essential catalyst in your circular economy processes – cutting costs, freeing resources from repetitive tasks, and enabling sustainable innovation for your customers.