Although still in its infancy the AI revolution has already begun. Like any big change in the business world there will be challenges but with them come incredible opportunities. This article will explore how to prepare yourself for the coming changes so you can use them to your advantage.
Multiple studies show around 90% of businesses are now beginning to use some form of AI in their business operations. When the internet first arrived many businesses did not realise how important it would become. This is not the case with AI every industry and almost every business knows that AI is about to change everything.
The above graphic is from a snapLogic survey of AI use in business. ML- Machine Learning
In business mindset is incredibly important. People who see AI as a problem are more likely to resist change and miss new career possibilities. Continuing to learn and develop skills after formal education has never been more important. AI will continue to advance in ways we currently can’t even imagine so to remain effective we must commit to lifelong learning.
This includes knowing about emerging technologies and becoming familiar with systems being introduced in your industry. This does not mean we all have to become technical experts but at the very least we should understand AI’s capabilities and limitations.
There are many free or low-cost courses available online. Being proactive shows your adaptability and willingness to grow which are attributes employers greatly value.
AI fluency is about knowing what AI can do, how to prompt it, how to interpret results and how to avoid errors like hallucinations or bias. Collaborating with AI can speed up research, automate administrative tasks and support data-driven decisions.
A good place to start is becoming familiar automation tools within existing software such as Microsoft Co-Pilot and Google Workspace AI features. People who work with data will want to explore the AI tools now available within Tableau and Power BI and everyone could benefit from playing around with LLMs such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. Different tools have different strengths and weaknesses so you will want to explore a variety of them.
Every industry will experience AI differently. Healthcare is starting to see AI supporting diagnostics, scheduling and patient monitoring. In finance AI is transforming risk assessment, fraud detection and investment analysis. In retail AI inventory systems are being introduced and AI used to analyse customer experience.
Research how AI is being adopted in your industry to identify emerging roles, skill gaps and opportunities. Opportunities are abundant the following graph shows what stage of deployment companies surveyed using AI are at.
McKinsey study looking at the state of AI in 2025
Of the businesses surveyed who have begun to use AI only 7% have fully scaled meaning 93% are still in the process of deploying AI with 62% still in the very early stages.
One of the biggest problems facing companies is the skill gap. This means employers don’t have employees with enough knowledge about AI and machine learning to implement AI the way they would like to. In the same snapLogic survey mentioned above businesses said the number one problem they faced in implementing AI was a lack of skilled talent.
snapLogic survey of AI use in business
For those already in the AI space and those willing to upskill and learn this presents huge opportunities. There are more jobs than people to fill those jobs. As is always the case in business when there is more demand than supply, there is a lot of money to be made.
Don’t panic if you are not a very technological person. You should still follow the advice above and become familiar with AI tools and trends within your industry however you can also focus on the things AI can’t do. AI will continue to excel at pattern recognition, data processing and repetitive tasks but it cannot replace certain uniquely human abilities.
Critical thinking will be essential in evaluating options, identifying risks and asking the right questions as well as in evaluating AI-generated information.
Problem solving skills allow people to identify issues AI cannot. AI cannot replace the subtle understanding that comes from years of dealing with people, systems and constraints.
Strategic decision making requires an understanding of context, priorities and long-term implications.
Ethics will become increasingly important as AI continues to advance, employees who can challenge assumptions and navigate questions around privacy, fairness and transparency will be invaluable.
Interpersonal skills and clear communication will be more important than ever. Focus on improving your written clarity and structured thinking. Practice giving concise updates, explaining complex ideas simply and giving useful feedback/ constructive criticism.
Management skills such as planning, prioritising and executing work efficiently will remain human tasks even as AI tools improve. Focus on developing strong organisational habits such as breaking work down into steps, setting timelines, coordinating stakeholders and keeping projects on track.
