My Biggest Takeaway from the AI Summit? Use Less AI.
Last month I attended the AI Summit, and it's taken me ages to write this blog.
You might be wondering why I didn't just ask AI to write it for me.
The answer is simple: I genuinely believe there's value in keeping me at the centre of my content. I'd rather write something thoughtful than churn out content for the sake of consistency.
Of course, I've used AI to help refine this article. I'd be silly not to, and to be honest, if I didn't, you probably wouldn't read this—I'm grateful that AI helps me communicate my thoughts clearly, something I never had before. But I still believe the real value comes from a person taking the time to think, reflect, and create something worth reading. Not just for you as the reader, but for my own sense of achievement too.
So...
My biggest takeaway from the AI Summit?
Use less AI.
I know. Not exactly what you'd expect to hear from someone who spends their life teaching businesses how to adopt AI.
But hear me out.
Why "building an AI company" isn't impressive anymore…
Because AI is no longer the differentiator — everyone has access to it now. The real advantage comes from what you know, not the tools you use.
For the last three years, AI has dominated almost every business conversation.
Many people have compared it to the dot-com boom. A huge wave of opportunity where founders, investors and businesses all saw their chance to build something revolutionary.
And they have.
But we’re starting to notice a shift.
When someone says they're "building an AI company", it doesn't automatically make people stop in their tracks anymore.
As my wise friend Shania Twain once said...
"That don't impress me much."
So what changed?
What actually is the differentiator, if it's not AI?
Domain knowledge. Your intellectual property, expertise and understanding of a problem is what sets you apart — AI is simply the accelerator that helps you deliver it faster.
One of the keynote speakers, Albert Azis-Clauson, CEO at Tramlines, summed it up perfectly on the Startup & Investor Stage.
Your domain knowledge is the differentiator. Your intellectual property is the differentiator.
AI is simply the accelerator.
Yes, you should absolutely be using AI.
You should be building with it, experimenting with it and finding ways to make your business better.
But thanks to AI, it's never been easier to build software, launch products or develop new features.
Which also means...
It's never been easier for competitors to copy them.
The technology itself isn't enough anymore.
If AI features get copied so quickly, what actually builds trust with customers?
Not the technology itself — it's expertise, values and how well you understand the problem you're solving. Features get matched. Trust doesn't.
We've already watched this happen between the major AI platforms.
Take ChatGPT and Claude.
Claude introduced capabilities that many people felt were ahead of ChatGPT. There were also wider conversations around ethics and trust that encouraged people to try alternatives.
Fast forward a couple of months...
ChatGPT has already closed much of that gap.
The features will continue to leapfrog one another.
That's just how this market works.
So how do you decide which company to trust?
It becomes about much more than technology.
It comes down to things like:
Their expertise
Their vision
Their values
Their ethics
Their policies
Their understanding of the problems they're solving
Technology becomes the vehicle, not the destination.
And that's true of almost every business.
Is everyone else further ahead with AI than me?
No. Most people attending the AI Summit admitted they still feel behind — which means the perceived gap is smaller than it looks from the outside.
One of my favourite parts of attending the AI Summit is realising I'm not the only one asking questions.
The general feeling across conversations was surprisingly consistent.
Everyone feels behind.
Everyone feels overwhelmed.
Everyone is trying to work out where this is all heading.
That's reassuring, because from the outside it often looks like everyone else has it figured out.
They don't.
We're all learning.
Is AI replacing jobs, or changing them?
AI is changing how work gets done, not eliminating the need for people. The advantage goes to those who stay curious and keep adapting, not those who wait to be shown how.
One thing does feel certain.
The way we work is already changing.
The people who sit back and wait for someone else to show them how AI works are putting themselves at risk.
The people who stay curious, keep experimenting and continue learning are creating opportunities for themselves.
The competitive advantage isn't knowing every new AI tool.
It's developing the mindset to adapt.
What's the real opportunity in AI right now?
Implementation — not the technology itself. Most businesses want to use AI, but very few know how to apply it properly. That gap is where the opportunity sits.
This is where I think many businesses are currently stuck.
Most organisations want to use AI.
Very few know how to implement it properly.
That's the gap.
And it's exactly why I believe assistants, operations professionals and business support teams are in such an exciting position.
We already understand how businesses operate.
We know where the bottlenecks are.
We know which repetitive tasks waste time.
We understand people, processes and priorities.
AI simply gives us better tools to solve those problems.
In fact:
Around 77% of businesses using AI report productivity improvements.
AI is helping organisations reduce manual workloads, improve efficiency and accelerate decision-making.
Demand for AI skills continues to grow across technology, operations, cybersecurity and business support roles.
*Source: [IT Desk UK, AI Statistics](https://www.itdeskuk.com/latest-ai-statistics#:~:text=Around 77%25 of businesses using,improve efficiency%2C and accelerate decision-making.)*
These statistics reinforce what many of us are already seeing firsthand: businesses don't just need AI tools. They need people who know how to apply them effectively.
What does the future look like for assistants and operations professionals?
The future belongs to domain expertise combined with AI. Assistants who bring operational knowledge and pair it with AI tools become more valuable, not less.
Albert's point kept coming back to me throughout the day.
It's your domain knowledge plus AI that creates value.
Not AI on its own.
For assistants, that's incredibly exciting.
We bring years of operational knowledge, strategic thinking and an understanding of how businesses actually function.
When we combine that with AI, we don't become less valuable.
We become more valuable.
AI handles more of the repetitive work, giving us more time to focus on strategic thinking, relationship building, problem solving and business growth.
Our role isn't disappearing.
It's evolving.
And personally...
I think it's a pretty exciting evolution.
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FAQ
Is AI replacing assistants and operations professionals?
No. AI is changing how the work gets done, but domain knowledge, judgement and understanding of a business remain the differentiator. AI is the accelerator, not the replacement.
What's the biggest opportunity in AI right now?
Implementation. Most businesses want to use AI but don't know how to apply it properly — that gap is where the real opportunity lies, particularly for people who already understand how businesses operate.
Why isn't having "AI features" enough for a business to stand out anymore?
Because AI capabilities are easy to copy. Once a feature launches, competitors can replicate it quickly. Trust and differentiation now come from expertise, values and ethics — not the technology itself.
Should businesses be using less AI or more AI?
Both, in different ways. Use AI to accelerate the work, but don't let it replace the thinking, expertise and personal judgement that actually create value.
