The companies that will dominate the next decade are being decided right now.
That was one of the key messages from Apprentify’s business breakfast, The AI Reckoning, held in conjunction with BusinessCloud.
Thursday’s exclusive event brought together a panel of leading entrepreneurs and AI experts to discuss how businesses can gain a competitive advantage through AI.
A major theme of the discussion was the ‘AI Knowledge Curve’ and how organisations can move up it as their AI adoption matures.
The panel featured Jonathan Fitchew, CEO of Apprentify Group; Paul Gouge, CEO and co-founder of ForthStar; Karen Lough, director of people at Ciphr; Edmund Chan, head of legal tech and innovation at law firm Hill Dickinson; and Richard Potter, CEO of Peak.
Fitchew said: “If you don’t embrace AI you’re going to come second against your competitors. Businesses need to upskill their staff, speak to experts and do their research. Data is king.”
He said Apprentify has seen a huge surge in demand for its 12-month AI accelerator apprenticeships.
Gouge, whose previous gaming business, Playdemic, was bought by Electronic Arts (EA) for $1.4bn in June 2021, talked about the impact of AI on junior entry-level roles.
He said future business models could resemble a pyramid structure, with experts and senior managers at the top and AI agents at the bottom, replacing functions traditionally carried out by more junior staff.
Gouge said one of the benefits of AI is that it can prove or disprove ideas very quickly.
Karen Lough is director of people at SaaS-based HR software business Ciphr.
Ciphr employs around 230 people but has not reduced headcount as a result of its AI adoption.
Instead of imposing AI on its staff, 10 per cent of Ciphr employees have volunteered to become AI champions and undertake training programmes.
The event was hosted by BusinessCloud’s executive editor, Chris Maguire.