AI in Business – The dirty word for some, the competitive edge for others?

In boardrooms, coffee catch-ups, and client meetings, one conversation keeps coming up:

"How can I make my business more efficient with AI?"

"Everyone seems to be doing it – are we falling behind?"

The reality? Not every business is using AI, and even those that are rarely maximise its full potential.

But the conversation shouldn’t just be about cutting costs or replacing jobs, it should be about how businesses can pivot, optimise, and scale faster using AI.

The businesses that embrace this shift will gain a competitive advantage. Those that ignore it? They may find themselves irrelevant in the next five years.

AI is not just a tool – It’s an extension of your workforce

For too long, businesses have seen AI as just another software solution.

But today? AI-powered agents and automation tools act as digital employees, handling:

• Customer service enquiries 24/7 without human intervention

• Automated lead qualification and sales support

• Real-time data analysis to drive smarter decisions

This isn't just a new trend, it’s an evolution that has been years in the making.

Over a decade ago, during my time at News Corp, we were already leveraging Machine Learning to create advanced audience targeting models. These models predicted a customer’s propensity to purchase with remarkable accuracy, helping optimise marketing efficiency and increase revenue.

However, while ML was powerful, today’s AI revolution goes far beyond prediction. AI is now driving autonomous decision-making, hyper-personalisation, and intelligent automation, all at an unprecedented scale.

Businesses that build or leverage AI solutions today will:

• Reduce reliance on expensive SaaS platforms

• Lower operational costs while increasing efficiency

• Gain deeper ownership over their data and customer interactions

But what if you don’t have the resources to develop your own AI system?

AI SaaS is rising, making AI more accessible

Big companies have the resources to invest heavily in AI technology and hire top AI talent to build proprietary models. This gives them an immediate advantage, allowing them to reduce operational costs, automate workflows, and optimise customer interactions at scale.

But for businesses without billion-dollar budgets, AI-driven SaaS tools are leveling the playing field. AI-first SaaS platforms now offer powerful automation, real-time insights, and hyper-personalisation without requiring deep in-house AI expertise.

This shift is already happening across industries. The question is not whether AI will dominate markets, it already is. The real question is:

• Will your business build AI solutions or rely on third-party AI tools?

• Will you proactively invest in AI or react too late?

Either way, AI will define your competitive position in the next decade.

The workforce shift: AI will change jobs, but people shouldn’t fear it

As AI adoption accelerates, we are seeing a considerable workplace realignment across industries. Companies are restructuring to optimise workforce efficiency, remove redundant roles, and realign teams around AI-driven workflows.

Big companies have the resources to retrain employees, invest in AI talent, and restructure departments for AI efficiency, but smaller companies need to act fast to avoid falling behind.

Rather than fearing AI, employees and businesses should focus on AI literacy. Those who can work alongside AI, leverage automation, and make data-driven decisions will be indispensable.

The workforce of the future is not about AI replacing humans, it is about AI augmenting human potential.

• Repetitive, manual tasks? Automated.

• Data-heavy decision-making? AI-powered.

• Strategic thinking, creativity, and relationship-building? Human-driven, with AI as a tool for inspiration, efficiency, and execution.

AI is already transforming creativity across industries. It can assist with copywriting, graphic design, video editing, music composition, and even idea generation, but it still relies on human direction, originality, and strategic thinking.

Businesses that integrate AI into creative workflows will produce content faster, personalise experiences at scale, and unlock new levels of innovation. Those that resist will struggle to keep pace with AI-driven competition.

Why AI will make some platforms and SaaS tools redundant

AI is not just improving internal operations, it is also reshaping how marketing, sales, and data analytics platforms function.

Performance media automation is already native in platforms like Meta and Google, with automated optimisations occurring in real-time. These platforms continuously adjust bidding strategies, ad placements, and audience targeting using AI, removing much of the manual effort once required for digital ad campaigns.

Salesforce has also been heavily investing in AI capabilities, acquiring companies with strong AI-driven automation and analytics expertise. Their Dreamforce conference in San Francisco last year made it clear that AI-powered automation is not just an enhancement but a core component of future marketing, CRM, and customer experience strategies.

For years, businesses have relied on expensive software tools for:

• Marketing automation

• Customer relationship management (CRM)

• Data analytics and reporting

• Customer feedback collection

But now, AI is enabling companies to build their own in-house solutions at a fraction of the cost.

With the right AI integrations, businesses can:

• Reduce reliance on third-party SaaS tools

• Automate and optimise marketing campaigns with AI-driven insights

• Gain deeper control over data, audience targeting, and personalisation

• Avoid the "data lock-in" problem, where platforms control access to valuable analytics

The shift is already happening. A McKinsey study found that AI-powered voice analytics is already driving measurable improvements for businesses:

Companies that fail to leverage AI-driven platforms risk falling behind, while those who embrace automation will gain efficiency, reduce costs, and drive better performance at scale.

The next 24 months: The biggest business reset in a generation

The rise of “Micro-Multinationals”

AI, automation, and globalisation are breaking down geographic barriers, allowing small businesses to scale globally from day one.

With ultra-low overheads and AI-driven operations, startups can operate like multinational companies, without the legacy baggage.

A two-person AI-driven SaaS company in Sydney could serve global clients 24/7 with near-zero marginal costs.

The “Fail Fast, Pivot Faster” economy

With low-cost AI tools and no-code solutions, startups can launch, test, and pivot faster than ever.

Failure will be less costly, meaning more risk-taking and innovation, but also a higher churn rate of competitors entering and exiting markets at record speed.

AI-generated product design and automated supply chains could mean that a direct-to-consumer brand can prototype, test, and launch a product in days rather than months.

Workforce shifts: The AI-literate employee wins

AI won’t just replace jobs, it will create new types of roles, but employees must adapt quickly.

AI literacy will become as essential as digital literacy was a decade ago. There will be a growing divide between employees who use AI effectively and those who resist it.

We’ll see a rise in hybrid job roles where AI handles 80% of the tasks, and humans focus on high-value strategy, creativity, and decision-making.

Adapt or risk irrelevance

The winners will be lean, AI-powered, and able to scale fast.

The biggest advantage isn’t size anymore, it’s agility and automation.

If businesses don’t invest in AI-powered processes now, they risk not just falling behind, but becoming irrelevant.

AI culture: If your team isn’t using it daily, you’re already behind

AI isn’t a passing trend, it’s a fundamental shift in how businesses operate. And yet, many teams still don’t use AI in their daily workflows.

• AI should be integrated across all business functions

• Employees should feel empowered to use AI, not threatened by it

• AI should be set up correctly, aligned with business goals, and continuously improved

Companies that embed AI into their culture and processes will be the ones that scale the fastest.

If your business isn’t using AI daily, you’re already falling behind.

Final thought: AI won’t replace you, but someone using AI might

Every business faces a choice:

• Resist AI and risk stagnation

• Embrace AI and scale faster than ever before

This is not about "if AI will impact your business", it’s about how quickly you’ll adapt.

The companies that move now will lead their industries. The ones that hesitate? They’ll be left behind.

What next?

If your business isn’t leveraging AI daily, now is the time to start.

What AI tools should your team integrate into their workflow today?

Let’s start the conversation.