THE TECHNOLOGY INTERVIEW

Source: Stanford AI Index

Second, customer-facing AI applications are becoming more sophisticated and widespread.“ With the capability of these models and the accuracy that’ s starting to come from these models, you’ re going to start to see lots more external interactions with systems that are AI-based,” Oliver notes.

The companies that succeed in this environment share a few characteristics. They treat AI implementation as organisational transformation, not technology procurement. They invest in training and change management alongside software licences. They start with specific business problems rather than generic AI capabilities. And they have senior leadership that understands the difference between buying AI tools and actually using them effectively.

Most importantly, they recognise that the window for competitive advantage is narrowing. As Oliver puts it:“ AI represents such a tectonic shift for employees and businesses to accelerate the impact of what they do. Whether you’ re an employee wanting to be more productive, or whether you want to change the business that you’ re in: there’ s no such thing as being too late, but you’ ve got to start now.”

36 October 2025