A future-focused consultancy dedicated to helping organisations gain a competitive edge in the age of AI.

Over the past several years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has evolved from being a trendy buzzword into a top strategic priority for thriving in today's digitally driven world. By now, most businesses know that they need to adapt AI in order to stay afloat, but many still don't know where to start or how to leverage this technology to gain a competitive edge.


That's where we come in.

We are not a tech company.

Instead, we focus on business impact. The work we do aims to help you understand how technology will reshape your organisation moving forward and to arm you with the right capabilities for success. Here's what we offer:

Consulting & Strategy
We can advise on everything from culture to operations to help you devise the right strategy for future proofing your business.

Keynotes
Our CEO is a twice published author and globally-recognised speaker on AI who can deliver an engaging session at your next event.
Training & Workshops
We offer a range of training options to help equip you and your team with the right skills and knowledge for navigating the next generation of business life.

Latest News

By Katie King 29 Dec, 2023
Is it me, or did we blink on New Year’s Eve of 2022 and somehow arrive at the last working day of 2023? Now, it may feel like this year went by in a flash, but when taking time to reflect, there’s actually a lot to make note of. Loads of exciting things happened this year in the world of AI, and as a result, it was a busy year for us here at AI in Business. Before we ring in the New Year, let’s reflect on some of 2023’s biggest highlights as I share some of what I learned through it all. Gen AI's Breakout Year It would be remiss of me not to lead with the biggest AI development of the year: generative AI. While this technology is not new by any means, 2023 was a boom year for it thanks to overwhelming levels of public interest in free tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, DALL E, and more. For many, these tools offered a first taste of AI and its capabilities, and a low-risk way to experiment with this technology. It is therefore unsurprising that it became the leading topic of 2023. But along with this new hype around Gen AI came hysteria, misinformation, and fear. I spent as much of this year boosting excitement about Generative AI as I did myth busting. There remains a disconnect between Gen AI’s actual capabilities and our expectations of it. As impressive as it is and as much as it has developed in this past year alone, it still can’t accomplish everything. One key lesson I shared in every Keynote speech and training session is that AI is an assistant, not a boss. It is here to augment, not replace. An Ever-Evolving World of Work Regardless, the Generative AI hype unfortunately spurred a lot of hysteria surrounding the future of jobs this year, with some outlooks more positive than others. The World Economic Forum released a Future of Jobs report for the first time since 2020. In the 2023 edition, they predicted that by 2027, 42% of business tasks will be automated and that as a result, 50% of organisations expect it to create job growth and 25% expect it to create job losses. On a bleaker note, Goldman Sachs made headlines in March and caused quite a stir after estimating that 300 million jobs could be lost or diminished by AI. Understandably, the future of work was a hot topic this year and will continue to be top of mind for professionals across every industry sector as we move into 2024. I had the pleasure of training and speaking to HR leaders and agents of change in Amman, Jordan in both March and June, and at the WorkBuzz Live event in London in November. My focus was helping them understand how AI will reshape how they approach recruitment, retention, employee satisfaction, and people management. Empowering the Next Generation Someday, those leaders and change makers will need to bring in fresh talent into their organisations and maybe even to fill roles that do not yet exist. In 2023, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to continue my work with the next generation of the workforce as they prepare for their future AI-enabled careers. This past spring, we took our Leaders of Tomorrow AI Schools programme international for the first time with our third cohort in Cape Town, South Africa. The insights and ideas produced by the students never cease to amaze and impress me, and certainly fill me with reassurance that our future is in very capable hands. I felt this sentiment again after delivering the annual Peake Lecture to the students at Eltham College earlier this month. One Step Closer to Widespread Regulation By the time those students enter the workforce, AI will be a more regulated technology thanks to strides made in 2023. The most notable of these is the progress the European Parliament made in passing the EU’s AI Act. The final details of the Act are currently being agreed upon by the various member countries, but it is expected to be passed and enacted in 2024. When that happens, the AI Act will become the world’s first official AI law and pave the way for other national frameworks. Here in the UK, a landmark AI Summit was held wherein the UK took steps to form its own regulatory body. Similar progress was made in Canada, Brazil, and China amongst others, with the lattermost enacting rules that regulate the development and use of all generative AI technologies. Alongside the progress being made at the national level, individual industries are making strides of their own towards regulation. This includes law itself, and this summer I had the chance to brainstorm and explore the dilemmas involved in embracing a currently unregulated technology with the legal counsel for some of the world’s top companies at the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Global Summit. Also, in Toronto, Canada, at the SAS Banking Summit, I led discussions with leaders from various global financial services firms about the future of banking. In such a heavily regulated industry, ethical AI adoption and application is of top concern. That’s why so many firms in the industry have restricted their teams’ use of open-source tools like ChatGPT. I expect we will see more industry bodies and individual companies coming up with their own frameworks and guidelines in the year to come. A Year of Firsts Thanks to the surge in AI intrigue and growth this year, 2023 took me to several new locations around the world for the very first time. In February I had the pleasure of visiting India for the first time. During a magnificent whirlwind ‘Golden Triangle’ tour, I developed a deep admiration for this wonderful and still developing country of promise and contradictions. Times are changing and it’s exciting to see progress in the cyber cities. India is currently ranked 15 th in the top 25 AI nations but has the 'the greatest upward potential' according to research by Tufts University's business school. When you consider that India stands out as a global leader in AI skill penetration surpassing even the United States, it’s easy to see how it could one day become an AI superpower. On the opposite end of the spectrum from bustling, vibrant, and busy India sits the tranquil and stunning landscapes of the Faroe Islands, which I had the pleasure of visiting to deliver a Keynote speech at Tonik. Situated in the North Atlantic and a self-governing archipelago that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroe Islands is far from an AI powerhouse clawing for dominance against the likes of the US, China, or even India. And yet, what Tonik and my Keynote there demonstrated is that every industry, role, and country around the world can benefit from AI regardless of its size or global standing. I see AI as a great equaliser, levelling the playing field between the heavy hitters and the underdogs. The Faroese are such bright, inspiring, and creative people whom I truly valued my time with, and I have no doubt that they will do great things with this technology. Keynotes and training took me to many exciting places, but also enabled me to work with many interesting people across a wide range of industry sectors. From talking packaging with Gallus in Switzerland, to shedding some light on the future of education for the supporters of Monaco Aide et Presence in Monte Carlo, to speaking about the future of flavour with The European Flavour Association (EFFA) in Amsterdam, it has been fascinating framing AI’s benefits and impacts through the lens of so many different sectors and roles. With demand for our AI services reaching new heights this year, various accolades rolled in as well. In 2023, I ranked in the top 10 of the Technology for Marketing Top 100 Marketing Influencers Index. I won the award for Top AI Strategist; was named a Top 10 Influencer to Follow by the AI Time Journal, and was featured in the CIO Times’ list of "Most Iconic Women Leaders Creating Waves in Modern AI Industry." Flattering for a humble girl from Tottenham. As lovely as these honours are to receive, they’re simply a perk. What I have truly found most rewarding this year - and in the time since I started my own AI journey a decade ago - is getting to stand in front of an interested audience and discuss the very real impacts of this revolutionary technology that is reshaping every aspect of our personal and professional lives. This past year has enabled me to do that at a bigger scale than ever before, and I am truly grateful. I also encourage those I work with to take a proactive rather than a passive approach to helping shape how AI evolves in their industry sector and country. Looking Ahead If the past few years have taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. I could lay out my predictions for 2024, but that seems like a fool’s errand given how swiftly and often this technology evolves. Instead, I will close with my hopes for the year ahead. In a time of so much division and upheaval, my hope is that AI can help us make the world a better place. Technology cannot fix all the problems that man created, but it can help us work towards solving some of the UN's major goals linked to disease, climate change and much more. If this sounds like a pipe dream, I assure you it is not. I refer you to this TED talk from Max Tegmark, who I interviewed for my first AI book and admire deeply. He outlines a very optimistic outlook of how we can make AI work for us and not the other way around. I wish you all a very Happy New Year and look forward to working together in 2024. All the best, Katie King CEO of AI in Business
By Katie King 04 Jul, 2023
It has been a busy few months, with Keynotes and training opportunities taking me all over the world. I have had the honour of heading to the Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Monaco, Jordan, and beyond. On these trips, I have engaged in amazing and insightful conversations with professionals from various industries and job functions about their challenges and opportunities. But the one topic that always seems to come up is ethics and regulation. At present, AI is still technically unregulated. The EU is very close to enacting their AI Act, which would then become the world’s first official AI law. This will likely spur other nations to follow suit and serve as the blueprint for subsequent AI laws. In the meantime, various countries—including the Vatican—have published their own guidance and best practice to help provide guardrails. Industry and trade bodies have also done the same. But even so, many still fear AI and worry about its potential to cause harm. Is it possible for AI to be ethical, and how can that be achieved without proper regulation? Main Ethical AI Concerns Ethics are a major concern for any new technological advancement, not just AI. Any new, unexplored territory requires consideration and some governance so that it cannot turn sour or cause harm. Ethical AI is any use of AI that does not cause harm and does not contribute to harmful societal structures. Technology should make our lives better, not oppress us or widen existing gaps within our society. In the case of AI, the two primary concerns are privacy and bias and the resulting impacts that improper use of technology and poorly trained algorithms can have on society at large. AI is purely data driven. Unless we feed it information, it cannot do its job. Ethics come into play when we start to consider where this information is coming from, how it is sourced, how it is used, and how it is managed. Are data collection methods transparent and non-invasive? Are customers aware that their data is being collected and used? There is often an unspoken agreement between businesses and their customers these days wherein the customer agrees to let the business collect and use their data in exchange for better, more tailored experiences. Alongside this, there is an expectation that their information will be used responsibly and safely. We have seen the fallout from various data breaches over the years. When these breaches occur, businesses bear the consequences both operationally and reputationally. While there are no solidified AI laws yet, there are data protection regulations in place in the form of policies such as GDPR. These guidelines do offer some protection, but many fear that there are too many gaps and loopholes when it comes to AI. Potentially more dangerous is the impact of bias on AI use. While AI is not inherently biased, it is a product of the data it is trained on. If you put rubbish in, you get rubbish out. Therefore, we need to be mindful of what we are inputting into these algorithms and how that might impact the results produced. For example, we have previously seen issues with the use of facial recognition in law enforcement, as it was resulting in racial profiling. The algorithms behind these tools were trained on a biased data set that taught the AI that individuals of certain racial groups were more likely to be offenders, leading the technology to categorise innocent people falsely and unfairly as threats. These technologies may be well intentioned, but if trained improperly or not given proper oversight, they can become harmful. Bias can be extremely harmful in people-focused business functions such as HR and marketing. Say, for example, you’re looking to use AI for your hiring and recruitment. You would train the algorithm using data about your current staff and likely data from past successful employees. That information will train the algorithm to identify what a ‘successful’ candidate for your organisation looks like. That can be great for finding talent that may be a good culture fit. But consider this. If your organisation is predominantly male and white, you’ve just taught the algorithm to find more white male candidates. You may be overlooking candidates who would be perfect for the role simply because they do not match the criteria set by your data. That means less opportunities for groups who may already be underrepresented. In marketing, an AI system may not effectively forecast or make judgments for specific groups if it is trained on data that is skewed towards one race, gender, or socioeconomic group, which could result unwittingly in prejudice. The products customers are recommended, the messaging they receive, and the experiences they are delivered could all be impacted by bias. Should this happen, it may damage the brand’s reputation, generate unfavourable press, and result in diminished sales and clientele. This is a real problem right now, as AI is still widely unregulated though we have government and trade bodies working on that. But it is also a concern for the future, because if we don’t start off on the right foot now, we will only make the problem worse down the road. Ethical AI Behaviours So, what can be done? If there is no legal guidance for AI, how can we ensure it does not cause harm to ourselves, our businesses, our stakeholders, and our society at large? We as individuals have no say in how the AI tools themselves are created, but we do have power over how we use them. We also have a distinct advantage over technology: the ability to determine right from wrong. AI cannot make moral judgements the way that we can. It lacks the context and rationality that we as humans possess. We saw a prime example of this play out recently with KFC in Germany. The company’s marketing team trained an AI algorithm to monitor a calendar of events and holidays and send out push offers to customers related to that event. No one considered that Kristallnacht—which is the event that is largely regarded as the start of the Holocaust—was included on that calendar. As a result, the bot sent out a message to customers telling them to celebrate Kristallnacht with cheesy chicken. This of course sparked outrage and the brand was forced to apologise. While it is easy to point the finger here and say that AI was in the wrong, that is not actually the case. AI is a specialised technology trained to complete the specific tasks it is created for. In the KFC incident, AI performed its job exactly as it was supposed to. It followed the calendar it was trained on, and sent the offer. This is not a failure of technology. It is a failure of human oversight. That is the key to using AI ethically in an unregulated world. Humans need to remain in the loop and work in partnership with AI rather than leaving it to its own devices. AI is not perfect. It is not all knowing and all capable. Humans still have a part to play. It is on us to ensure that the decisions we make using technology are not harmful, and we need to be aware of potential risks. I have worked with many businesses to create their own ethical frameworks for their teams, and have trained many professionals on what to look out for. If you are interested in a training session, consulting, or booking a Keynote, get in touch with our team.
05 Apr, 2023
Cape Town, 5 April 2024 – A programme aimed at educating young people on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of work and society, has named its first international winners at World Travel Market (WTM) Africa. The students of Manenberg Secondary School in Cape Town, South Africa, took home top honours for their project which applied AI to a triple bottom line approach for enhancing sustainability in tourism. Organised by UK author and Keynote speaker Katie King, this programme follows two successful UK cohorts. The group is the programme’s third winners and the first outside of the UK. The students of Manenberg Secondary School and Gardens Commercial High School participated in learning sessions delivered by various industry experts designed to educate them on AI and how it will shape their futures. Katie King served as both the programme facilitator and the first guest speaker, sharing some of the insights from her recently published second book, AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing , as well as job outlooks and skills data that will impact the students’ future careers. This cohort of the programme focused on the travel industry, and Marketing Executive Simone Seekoei of Amadeus delivered a session that highlighted the trends and outlooks in this space. The students also benefited from a session from Proitroom’s Senior Business Development Manager, Michael Puffett. He explained the importance of the travel tech business as a sector in which to build an exciting career. After completing their training, the students participated in a competition where they applied AI to real-world problems impacting the travel industry. The competition entries were judged by Katie King and Lord Tim Clement-Jones, Co-Chair of the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence. The two finalist teams presented their ideas in front of a live audience at the World Travel Market Africa event at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 4th April. The winning team considered how AI could be applied to enhance three different forms of sustainability in the tourism industry: economical, ecological, and cultural/social. Their project examined each of these areas in depth and considered the impacts that technology could have to improve profits, the planet, and the lives of people. The runners up presented an idea for AI-powered humanoid bots who could assist tourists with various tasks, including taking photos and recording videos. Regarding the winning project, Lord Clement-Jones commented: “I am pleased to have been able to act as judge once again for the Leaders of Tomorrow programme, as the ideas of these young students never cease to amaze. I was very impressed by all of the projects submitted, but the winning project was a real standout for me. A well-rounded AI approach is one that considers impacts not just on profits, but also on humans and the environment. These young people kept that at the idea and managed to come up with applications that were both impressive and feasible. I would certainly love to see some of their ideas come to life someday!” For Katie King, the completion of this cohort marks the third successful iteration of a programme she dreamed up during the pandemic as a means of supporting the next generation and serving a greater purpose with her work. It also marks the first time the programme was held outside of her home country. She says: “It has been really rewarding to be able to run the Leaders of Tomorrow programme three times now. When the project began in 2020, I had hopes to bring it to other schools around the world someday. To have been able to do it here in South Africa is a real dream come true, and I am very grateful to the team at World Travel Market Africa for making it possible. I continue to be impressed by the students and their fantastic ideas, and these young leaders make me confident that our future is in great hands. I look forward to bringing this programme to more schools and more countries moving forward.” To learn more about the programme, please visit this page . -ENDS- About AI in Business: The team at AI in Business is helping organisations globally to harness AI and data analytics for business growth, efficiently and safely. Our work spans a wide range of services, from consultancy and workshops to delivering Keynote and motivational speeches. We help clients to stay current, to stay ahead, to innovate, and to achieve their business goals. To learn more, visit our website: https://www.aiinbusiness.co.uk/ For enquiries, please contact Ashley Przybyla: ashley@zoodikers.com World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events, online portals and virtual platforms across four continents. The events are: WTM Latin America takes place annually in the city of São Paulo and attracts around 20,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers qualified content together with networking and business opportunities. In this its tenth edition – there have been nine face-to-face events along with a 100% virtual one, which was held in 2021. Next event: Monday 3 to Wednesday 5 April 2023 – Expo Center Norte, São Paulo, Brazil http://latinamerica.wtm.com/ WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa under the Africa Travel Week umbrella. In 2022, WTM Africa facilitated more than 7 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 7% compared to 2019 and welcomed more than 6 thousand visitors (unaudited), the same number as in 2019. Next event: Monday 3 to Wednesday 5 April 2023 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/ About ATW Connect : Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel, LGBTQ+ travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology. https://atwconnect.com/ Arabian Travel Market (ATM) , now on its 30th year, is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #IdeasArriveHere Next event: Monday 1 to Thursday 4 May 2023, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html Arabian Travel Week is a is a 10-day long festival of events taking place within and alongside Arabian Travel Market 2023. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes the live ATM exhibition, ILTM Arabia, ARIVAL Dubai, Influencers’ events and activations, as well as Travel Forward. It also features the ATM Buyer Forums, ATM Speed Networking Events as well as Business Traveller Africa Awards 2023. Arabian Travel Week takes place from 1 – 10 May 2023 https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html WTM London , the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. The show facilitates business connections for the global (leisure) travel community. Senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating travel industry contracts. Next live event: Monday 6-8 November 2023 at ExCel London http://london.wtm.com/ WTM Global Hub, is the new WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub. https://hub.wtm.com/ About RX RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. We elevate the power of face-to-face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.rxglobal.com RELX About RELX RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 33,000 people, of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. The market capitalisation is approximately £33bn, €39bn, $47bn.* *Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
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