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This isn’t about ‘adopting AI’. It’s about rebuilding businesses around it.
Just a couple of years ago AI was being discussed in the usual way—exciting, futuristic, but ultimately distant. It was something to prepare for, not something to actively build around. Companies were still in the mindset of experimentation. Test a chatbot here. Automate a workflow there.
That moment feels outdated now.
AI is no longer a tool sitting on the sidelines, waiting to be deployed in bits and pieces. It’s here, making decisions, shaping industries, and demanding that businesses reinvent—not in theory, but in practice.
And yet, most companies aren’t ready.
This week I read Accenture’s latest Technology Vision 2025. It confirms what I’ve seen time and time again. AI is shifting from automation to autonomy. It’s no longer about supporting human-led processes—it’s about reshaping them entirely. But while most executives acknowledge this, only 13 per cent say their organisations have seen real AI impact at scale.
That’s not because AI isn’t advanced enough. It’s because businesses are waiting for clarity instead of creating it.
Reinvention comes before readiness
I’ve worked with enough organisations to know that most transformations don’t start because everything is running smoothly. They start when a crisis forces them to. That’s the mistake.
Reinvention shouldn’t be a reaction. It should be a strategy.
The companies that thrive over decades are the ones that moved before they had to. They didn’t wait until their old business model became obsolete. They built the next version of themselves before the market forced them to.
AI is now demanding that same shift—but faster.
AI is no longer just doing. It’s thinking.
I also used to think of AI as an efficiency play. A way to automate processes, speed up decision-making, optimise operations. And that was the first wave. What’s happening now is something else entirely.
Businesses are moving from static software to AI-powered agents—systems that don’t wait for human input but proactively make decisions.
That changes everything.
A traditional chatbot answers a customer’s question. An AI agent resolves the issue before the customer even knows there’s a problem. A manual risk assessment process takes weeks. AI evaluates thousands of factors and adjusts in real time.
AI isn’t waiting for permission to change how business works. It’s already doing it.
Trust is the biggest barrier
Accenture’s report highlights a crucial finding: 77 per cent of executives believe AI’s potential depends on trust. And yet, trust is still treated as an afterthought.
I see this in conversations with business leaders. They’re excited about AI, but hesitant. How do we know it’s making the right decisions? How do we ensure it’s ethical? Will people accept it?
That hesitation is understandable—but it’s also a risk. AI adoption isn’t slowing down. Companies that figure out trust, transparency, and accountability early will lead. The rest will be playing catch-up.
This isn’t just about compliance. It’s about confidence. Customers won’t engage with AI systems they don’t understand. Employees won’t rely on AI they don’t trust. Leaders won’t base decisions on AI if they can’t explain its logic.
Building AI-first businesses isn’t just about technology. It’s about culture, governance, and leadership.
The future won’t wait
Every major shift in business history has created two kinds of companies—those that reinvented early and led, and those that waited too long and faded. AI will be no different.
I’ve had too many conversations with leaders who say they’re ‘watching the space’. They should be building in it.
This isn’t about ‘adopting AI’. It’s about rebuilding businesses around it.
The companies that thrive in the AI-powered future won’t be the ones that simply use AI. They’ll be the ones that think with it, operate with it, and lead with it.
The question isn’t whether AI will reshape industries. It already is.
The real question is: Are you ready to reinvent before you have to?
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