AI in Business: Threat or Opportunity?
AI in Business: Threat or Opportunity?
As an NED for Obelisk AI, I see firsthand how tailored AI and automation solutions are reshaping business.
But I also hear the growing concern, especially from younger professionals and seasoned experts alike, that AI is here to replace people. That it signals the end of many jobs.
I understand people’s concerns as change can be uncomfortable.
History tells a different story. There are countless examples of technology advancing human progress and transforming businesses – automobiles, planes, the internet, email, mobile phones, to name just a few. The world successfully adapted, creating new industries, new opportunities, and entire ecosystems that are now part of everyday life.
With AI, it’s not the change itself, it’s the pace of change that is unsettling for so many.
So, let’s take a moment to look at this from another angle:
Firstly, AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to empower us.
I know that might sound like a cliché, but consider what’s already happening when businesses combine automation with AI:
- It takes care of repetitive tasks, freeing us up to focus on creativity, strategy, and human connection.
- It helps small teams increase productivity, driving innovation at scale.
- It’s creating entirely new roles we couldn’t have imagined a decade ago – AI trainers, prompt engineers, ethics consultants, and more.
The real risk isn’t AI replacing people. It’s people not being equipped to work with AI.
That’s why, as an industry, we have a responsibility to:
- Equip people with the digital skills they need to thrive
- Build ethical frameworks that prioritise people
- Harness AI to amplify human potential, not replace it
Can you imagine giving up all the modern advances – no cars, no phones, no internet – for a day, let alone permanently?
Let’s not fear the future. Let’s work together to shape it.
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