#16 ?? AI Revolution Alert: 65% of companies have doubled their AI use in 10 months. Are you keeping up or falling behind?

Hello Everyone -

Happy Thursday.

This is a meaty one, so let's cut to the chase: We're in a high-stakes race, with a prize at the finish line worth in the billions for your team/org. The winners? Those who master the Human+AI blend. But the exciting part is this: this race is one where everyone can win, transforming not just our businesses, but actually our world for the better - if we let it.

The AI Adoption Boom: It's Happening Now, and It's Inspiring

Recent research reveals a seismic shift in AI adoption:

- 65% of organisations are now regularly using generative AI, nearly double from just 10 months ago. [1]

- Over 96% of businesses have executive mandates to explore or implement AI technologies. [2]

The message is clear: We're witnessing a revolution, and we all have the opportunity to be at its forefront.

Stat of the Week: Room for Growth Means Opportunity

Only 17% of companies have mapped out which AI skills they need and how to acquire them. (MIT Sloan Management Review)

This isn't just a challenge - it's an incredible opportunity. Imagine being among the first to truly understand and harness the power of AI in your industry. That's the potential we're looking at.

AI Insight of the Week: The Hidden Cost of Inaction

A recent McKinsey study reveals that companies actively integrating AI are seeing a 20-25% increase in cash flow. However, the gap between AI leaders and laggards is widening rapidly. The message is clear: the cost of not adopting AI is becoming higher than the cost of adoption.

Industry Spotlight: Finance

Goldman Sachs estimates that AI could automate 35% of task hours in financial services. Leading firms are using AI for everything from fraud detection to first line filters to advanced scenario testing. Is your company leveraging AI to stay competitive?

Where the Pioneers Are Blazing Trails

High-performing companies are leading the way:

1. Using AI in more business functions (average of 3 vs. 2 for others).

2. More likely to use AI in risk, legal, compliance, strategy, corporate finance, and supply chain management.

3. Less reliant on off-the-shelf solutions, favouring customised or proprietary models. [1]

These companies are reinventing what's possible in business.

Practical Tip: Start Small, Think Big

Implement a 'lighthouse' AI project in one department. Choose a specific, measurable goal—like reducing data entry time by 30%. This approach allows you to demonstrate value quickly and build momentum for larger-scale adoption.

Quick Win: AI-Powered Data Organisation

Google's Gemini AI now offers the ability to transform unstructured data into well-organised, visually appealing tables in Google Sheets. [3]

Action Step: Try this with your next messy dataset. Or upload a few spreadsheets and ask Gemini AI to put them all in the same format for easy review and comparison. You might be amazed at how much time you save and the new insights you gain. This is just one example of how AI can empower you to work smarter, not harder.

AI Tool Spotlight: NotebookLM

Google's new NotebookLM feature can turn text into podcast-style audio clips. [3]

Imagine turning those long research documents into engaging audio content for your team to consume on their commute. Using these tools, we can all be learning more efficiently and making knowledge accessible to everyone.

Inspiration Corner

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo

In the world of AI, we have the chance to aim higher than ever before. What seemingly impossible goal could AI help you achieve?

What's Next?

The AI revolution isn't coming; it's here. And it's not just about the tech—it's about the humans using it. This is your chance to be part of something truly transformative.

Literally what's next is OpenAI's new Canvas feature - making waves in the AI community for how powerful it is, but not yet available in the UK. Stand by.

Ready to ensure you're at the forefront of this exciting change? Let's talk. Book a Workshop with us, so you can begin to make informed decisions about your team's direction with AI. We can give you a crystal clear picture of what the path look like to turn that AI potential into real business results and positive change.

Stay curious, stay inspired!

Kenz

P.S. What's your most ambitious goal for AI in your business? Hit reply and let me know. Your dreams shape our future solutions.

Sources:

[1] McKinsey & Company, "The state of AI in 2023: Generative AI's breakout year", 2023

[2] IBM, "Global AI Adoption Index 2022", 2022

[3] Google AI Blog, 2023

In a world where AI is reshaping industries at breakneck speed, staying informed isn't just an advantage—it's a necessity.

Food for Thought

"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency." - Bill Gates

Are you applying AI to streamline already efficient processes, or using it as a band-aid for inefficient ones?

What's Next?

Understanding AI's potential is just the beginning. The real challenge lies in successful integration. If you're ready to move from insight to action, let's talk. Our AI Integration Workshop can help you develop a tailored strategy for your organisation.

Stay curious, stay ahead!

Mackenzie

www.atheni.co.uk

Human + AI: Master the Blend.

Everyone's heard about all the amazing gains on the table for business from AI. But there's a huge problem: people actually using AI effectively (AI Adoption) is the key to this locked vault of business value. And AI adoption looks different for everyone. BCG and others are discovering that a successful AI integration project in business is only 10% about the tech; the reality is that it's 90% a human project - it's about having the right skills (Competence), understanding what value AI can bring (Confidence), and moving as a team through the adoption process (Collaboration). We've been running successful AI adoption projects about as long as anyone can have been running successful AI adoption projects, and our Race Plan methodology helps businesses capture these promised gains in productivity, profitability, growth and engagement we've all heard about.