By Adam Brown
Fresh from the buzz of London Tech Week, one theme resonated louder than any other: AI is no longer the future, it’s today’s strategic imperative. We’ve moved rapidly from viewing “AI-first” as a niche buzzword to recognising it as a fundamental principle of competitive business.
This shift isn’t just talk. It’s matched by action and backed by substantial investment. At London Tech Week, the Prime Minister announced an additional £1 billion in funding to scale the UK’s compute power by a factor of 20. The clear message: Britain intends to be an AI maker, not an AI taker. Coupled with this, an additional £187 million is being invested in a national skills programme aimed at training 7.5 million people in AI and digital skills. This isn’t just ambition. It’s strategic action at a national scale.
The urgency isn’t lost on industry leaders either. As Nvidia’s Jensen Huang put it, AI is becoming infrastructure. In other words, just as fundamental as electricity or connectivity. This perspective echoes strongly with insights from Fujitsu’s Integrated Intelligence event earlier this year, where AI was described as the “new operating system” for business. When technology reaches infrastructure status, ignoring it ceases to be an option.
Speed is a leadership choice
This was perhaps most sharply articulated by AWS’s Tanuja Randery, who crystallised the issue succinctly: “Speed is a leadership choice.” If there were ever a time to choose disruption, it’s now.
But why this urgency? Because traditional competitive advantages are evaporating. Leaders like David Butress of Ovo and Des Traynor of Intercom observed that product differentiation alone is no longer a reliable moat. Competitors, armed with cutting-edge tools, can replicate surface-level innovation quickly and effectively.
What’s left, then, as a lasting advantage? The answer is speed: the ability to deliver value rapidly, enabled by a structure that leverages AI across your entire organisation. This is not just about adopting new tools; it’s about transforming how your organisation fundamentally operates.
The cost of hesitation
The AI Daily Brief podcast recently underlined a sobering reality: AI-driven disruption will be bigger and unfold faster than most anticipate. Over the next one to two years, businesses that hesitate risk being left irretrievably behind. This isn’t intended to be alarmist, but rather a reflection of a widely-held strategic view I encountered repeatedly at London Tech Week. The cost of under-investing now far outweighs the risks of over-investment.
The pace is so relentless that every delay is exponentially costly. Leading companies aren’t just investing in AI tools; they’re developing operational agility and cultural readiness. They’re not just preparing for today’s opportunities. They’re positioning themselves for tomorrow’s exponential leaps. Those who lag behind must face not only the challenge of catching up but also the question of how, or even if, they can.
Investing in readiness: Scotland at the heart of AI transformation
Recognising this strategic imperative, we’re proud this week to kick off our next programme of AI Readiness Workshops in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. This initiative will help up to 60 ambitious Scottish companies transition from AI experimentation to measurable, transformative outcomes.
At a time when national and international investment in AI is accelerating, Scotland sits at the heart of this strategic opportunity. The workshops align perfectly with the broader UK vision: driving local businesses forward by clarifying their AI strategy, preparing them culturally and operationally, and equipping them to capitalise on immediate and future AI-driven opportunities.
The workshops will offer clear pathways on leveraging AI opportunities, navigating cultural impacts, establishing robust governance frameworks, and practically assessing data and AI readiness.
The message is clear
Passive observation is no longer an option. The pace has been set, the funding is flowing, and the choices you make today will determine whether you lead the transformation or fall victim to disruption.
The journey begins now. Are you ready?