For the past couple of years, the corporate world has been in an AI frenzy, with thousands of firms racing to implement the latest tools. But according to new research, only a slim 5% of companies are actually seeing a significant return on their investment.

We’ve seen plenty of organizations treat AI as a shiny new toy. However, the "Elite 5%" view it differently. Unlike those stuck in endless pilot programs, these leaders treat AI not as a standalone IT project, but as a core business strategy.

• The data shows a clear divide in how high-performers approach implementation.
• Organizational Integration: The 5% don't just "bolt on" AI; they redesign their workflows around it.
• Data Readiness: Successful firms ensure their data "foundations"are clean and accessible before they even touch a model.

The role of the leader is shifting from "adopter" to "value architect." Instead of simply automating tasks, top executives are focusing on:

• Strategic Alignment: Ensuring every AI initiative solves a specific, high-value business problem.
• Cultural Transformation: Investing in upskilling staff so the workforce can collaborate effectively with AI agents.
• Risk & Ethics: Building "Responsible AI" frameworks from day one to avoid costly reputational damage.

Real value from AI isn’t found in the technology itself, but in how deeply it is woven into the fabric of the business. To join the top 5%, you must move from experimentation to integration.

Read more of our insights on Business Reporter.

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While AI is estimated to contribute $15 trillion to the global economy by 2030, our latest research reveals a significant disparity between AI's recognized potential and its actual implementation across industries. This adoption gap presents both a challenge and a strategic imperative for business leaders in 2024 and beyond.

The Current State of AI Adoption

Our research, which polled 415 business leaders and professionals and analyzed 21 sources and report across North America and Europe to paint a clear picture of the AI adoption landscape.

Most companies are still in the early phase of AI adoption. In our poll, 43% of companies reported still being in the early implementation phase and 15% reported being in the planning stage. Those who are in the mature implementation and leading stages of adoption make up a minority of 13% and 10% respectively.

This reflects a global trend across industry reports and underscores a significant disparity between AI's recognized potential and its actual implementation across industries.

The Perception Problem: Limiting AI's Potential

Our research reveals a crucial insight into why this adoption gap persists: the overwhelming majority of professionals and business leaders see Automation and Process Optimization as the most valuable application of AI for their work.

While this is indeed a significant benefit, it represents only a fraction of AI's potential impact. This narrow focus on automation is significantly limiting the adoption stage, perceived value, and potential impact of AI in many organizations.

Working research out of the University of California, Berkeley supports this view, highlighting that many leaders are stuck looking at AI through the lens of current tasks and processes. But this approach can only show small, incremental changes, missing the big picture of how AI could completely reshape how work is done.

By focusing too much on automating what already being done, laggards are essentially trying to predict the future by looking in the rearview mirror. To truly harness AI's power, organizations need to imagine entirely new possibilities, not just slightly better versions of what is done today.

Instead of starting with "How can AI do our current jobs?", leaders should ask, "How can AI create new forms of value for our business?". This shift in thinking opens up a world of strategic opportunities that go way beyond just cutting costs or speeding up old processes.

The Path Forward: From Implementation to Transformation

The AI adoption gap represents a pivotal moment for businesses across sectors. Organizations that successfully navigate these early implementation challenges, broaden their AI applications, and progress towards mature AI integration stand to gain significant competitive advantages.

"At a time when technology is driving unprecedented change, it is key to separate hype from reality and make strategic bets on AI to lead the next wave of innovation and transformation."
Joshua Wohle and Melinda Jacobs

Co-Chief Executive Officers, Mindstone Learning

Our report highlights that this approach is in step with the few companies who are leading in AI adoption and explores other key barriers and strategies to scale.

Bets and Moves: The real pulse of Generative AI in business

Mindstone’s State of Generative AI Q3 Report

Download the report

The rise of AI brings with it an uncertain future for many professionals. How will AI shape the workforce? Will it replace jobs or transform them? The answer is unclear, but one thing is certain: preparing for a range of possible futures is key to thriving in an AI-driven world.

A strategy that has evolved and been proven effective for long-term planning and de-risking through uncertainty is scenario planning, originally developed by Shell. By applying these same methods, you can map out potential futures and develop strategies that minimize risk, no matter how AI evolves.

But where do you begin? There are 4 key strategic questions you need to ask yourself to get a clearer picture of the future and your place in it.

Q1: What’s Driving the Future of Work?

Before thinking about how AI might impact your career, it’s important to understand the forces shaping the future. From political decisions to social trends, here are the key factors that will influence how AI transforms industries and job roles.

Q2: What Are the Biggest Uncertainties?

AI is full of unknowns, but two big questions will shape the future of work:

These uncertainties create very different futures depending on how they play out.

Q3: Four Futures: Which One Will Shape Your Career?

Based on these uncertainties, we can imagine four very different future worlds. Each one presents its own challenges and opportunities.

Q4: What Can You Do Now to Stay Ahead?

No matter which future unfolds, there are key steps you can take to minimize risk and ensure you stay competitive.

While these are broad scenarios, AI’s impact will vary based on your industry, role, and location. Now is the time to think about how these futures might affect your field and plan accordingly. Being proactive will help you stay ahead of the curve.

The good news is that AI experts like Diego Rodríguez are optimistic, suggesting that AI will change jobs rather than eliminate them. Regardless of whether you share that optimism, the best way to prepare is to upskill, focus on what AI can’t do, and stay flexible. By following these strategies, you’ll be ready to thrive in any future the AI-driven world presents.

LONDON – 1 October 2024: Mindstone, a global training platform and community focused on the practical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for non-technical staff, and leading learning company Pearson have partnered to launch Pearson’s new Generative AI Certification program. This collaboration combines Pearson’s expertise in education and certification with Mindstone’s proficiency in practical AI application, creating a comprehensive solution for AI upskilling across industries.

As AI becomes increasingly ubiquitous in the workplace, proficiency in AI tools is rapidly becoming as essential as competence in Microsoft Office. This shift has led to soaring demand for practical AI skills, with employers now expecting a baseline level of AI literacy from their workforce. The World Economic Forum predicts 75% of companies plan to adopt AI technologies by 2027, however, a significant gap often exists between academic AI knowledge and its real-world application. Mindstone and Pearson are directly addressing this disconnect by offering training and credentialing that bridges theory and practice, validating both the theoretical understanding and practical competence in AI that today’s professionals need to thrive in an AI-driven work environment.

Pearson’s new Generative AI Certification program, launched on October 1, 2024, is industry- and tool-agnostic, making it relevant for professionals across all sectors. Mindstone has played a key role in ensuring the certification is aligned with industry needs. Additionally, Mindstone will provide Generative AI training courses aligned with the certification, ensuring that candidates gain practical Generative AI skills and reach the required proficiency to successfully complete the certification.

The AI Certification program assesses a comprehensive range of skills and knowledge areas crucial for practical AI application in the workplace. This includes a deep understanding of how AI works, ethical considerations and risk management in AI deployment, various use cases across industries, and core techniques to maximise AI’s potential in daily work. What sets this certification apart is its strong emphasis on practical application, ensuring that certified professionals not only understand AI concepts but can effectively leverage AI to enhance productivity.

The certification will be evaluated every six months to keep pace with innovation and AI trends. 

“We’re excited to join forces with Pearson to create a world-first, globally recognised AI certification,” said Joshua Wöhle, CEO and Co-Founder at Mindstone. “Our expertise in practical AI application, combined with Pearson’s unparalleled experience in certification and education, will provide professionals with a credible way to demonstrate their AI competency. This partnership represents a significant step in our mission to equip the global workforce with the AI skills needed for the future.”

Gary Gates, managing director for Pearson VUE and Certiport said, “Working with Mindstone is another example of how Pearson collaborates across the industry to stay at the forefront of technologies like Generative AI. Bringing essential AI education to people through professional certification and credentialing programs helps them realize the life they imagine through learning.”

About Mindstone

Mindstone is an AI training platform that unlocks 60%+ productivity gains for your business by training your non-technical staff to use AI in their daily jobs. We combine our best-in-class personalised learning technology (which itself leverages a ton of AI under-the-hood to improve the learning experience), with learnings from running the biggest practical AI community in the world.

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a tool; it’s becoming a vital partner in driving innovation and efficiency. But the real revolution isn’t about machines taking over jobs; it’s about AI working alongside humans to reshape the way we think about productivity and innovation.

Jonathan Gilmore, CEO of Fractal explained how AI’s role in business goes beyond automation at the Mindstone's London AI Meetup, demonstrating how human-machine collaboration is set to redefine the future of work.

Rethinking Work: Collaboration, Not Replacement

For years, the conversation around AI has been dominated by the fear of the robots taking our jobs.

In some way, this automation anxiety has not been completely unfounded with reports of some companies reducing personnel for work that is now done by AI this year. However, Gilmore and other experts like Stanford University's Behnam Tabrizi and NinjaTech AI's founder Babak Pahlavan suggest this is a short-sighted strategy and a narrow way to look at AI’s potential.

While machines handle high-volume data and routine processes with efficiency, evidence still suggests that AI does not consistently make better decisions than humans, particularly when it comes to complex judgments involving human factors.

As businesses increasingly adopt AI technologies, many are discovering that success is not simply about delegating tasks to machines or humans based on who can do it better. Instead, Jonathan Gilmore posits that navigating the future of work means learning how to surf the jagged frontier.

Originally coined by Ethan Mollick et al., a leading voice on AI’s impact on work, the jagged frontier is the shifting, uneven boundary where AI capabilities and human intervention intersect in ways that are more nuanced than a simple division of labor.

The AI ROI Gap: Why Businesses Aren’t Reaching Full Potential

Gilmore emphasizes that companies need to rethink their organizational structures to ensure that human and machine collaboration is fluid and dynamic.

If businesses want to surf the jagged frontier, they must move beyond traditional workflows and embrace adaptive systems that can seamlessly switch between human and AI leadership, depending on the task at hand.

However, successfully reengineering organizational design starts with a strong foundation of AI competency. Both employees and management must understand basic familiarity with AI tools as well as build a deep understanding of how AI fits into larger systems. This means understanding how AI transforms processes and rethinking the way teams work.

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The Blueprint for Thriving Human-Machine Teams

Teams need to be educated not only on how to operate AI systems, but also on how to collaborate effectively with AI in real-time, identifying when AI outputs need refinement or when human oversight is necessary for tasks that involve complex decision-making.

As Gilmore suggests, companies cannot succeed with AI by simply adopting new tools. The key to thriving in the age of AI lies in redesigning the organization to foster human-machine collaboration and grounding that shift in comprehensive AI competency training.

By doing so, organizations will empower their teams to work alongside AI—not just as users of technology, but as strategic collaborators who understand how to harness AI’s potential to drive meaningful business outcomes.

Mindstone AI MeetUp: Discover the ideas, innovations, and practical insights that matter.

From booking errors that strand passengers to "hiring" bots over humans, the real-world impact of AI is hitting faster than expected – and raising a minefield of ethical dilemmas.

But while laws and regulations lag behind, the tech giants at the cutting edge of AI aim to police themselves, with an insider framework called the Presidio Principles.

Cutting through the complexity, their guidelines boil down to four key points every organization using or building AI needs to get right:

1. Making AI's purpose all about empowering humans, not replacing them
2. Prioritizing transparency so we understand how AI makes decisions
3. Establishing clear ownership of the data that fuels AI systems
4. Always disclosing to users when they are interacting with non-human AI

Ethics advisor Guillermo Miranda, who has worked with the likes of IBM and Boeing, unpacks why each of these principles is critical to keeping AI ethical and beneficial as it grows increasingly advanced – and how to practically apply them in the real world.

For leaders, innovators, and anyone seeking to harness AI's potential without stepping on ethical landmines, Miranda's breakdown of the Presidio Principles isn't just fascinating – it's an essential roadmap for navigating one of the most important issues of our time.

Don't deploy AI without considering these vital guardrails. Check out the full talk now to put the Presidio Principles into practice.

The basics of Gen AI Ethics - Guillermo Miranda | Mindstone

IntroductionLook, a little introduction.My Journey from Law to TechnologyLet me confess, I am a lawyer. But I’ve been redeeming myself for the last 20 plus year

Mindstone

In the pressure cooker of a major IT meltdown, every decision feels like life or death. The margin between catastrophe and control? Training. In this pulse-pounding talk, Uptime Labs mastermind Joe Mckevitt unveils how his team is harnessing AI to forge cool-headed crisis commanders through hyper-realistic, interactive incident simulations.

Ripping a page from the playbooks of pilots and firefighters, Uptime Labs has constructed a virtual crucible where IT responders are baptized by fire. Fueled by cutting-edge language models, learners are dropped into a meticulously simulated company, complete with living, breathing Slack channels and AI-powered characters with all-too-human quirks. Here, they must detect the smoke of disaster, rally virtual teams to douse the flames, and emerge victorious - or watch it all burn down.

With a technical deep-dive that feels like a thrilling heist, Joe reveals the AI alchemy animating these uncannily immersive worlds. From parsing intent to spinning up sprawling webs of memory across scores of characters, you'll see the breakthroughs breaking down the barriers between simulation and reality.

But brace yourself for the main event: a live demo that packs the emotional punch of a Hollywood blockbuster into five unforgettable minutes. You'll feel the heat of the spotlight, the rush of adrenaline, the sweet relief of disaster narrowly diverted.

Yet even as the smoke clears, Joe has his eyes on the horizon. A world where video and audio blur the seams of illusion, where bias is hunted down and eradicated, where each drill dials up the intensity until unshakable confidence is forged. Where trauma-tempered veterans are minted without the scars.

If you're a first responder in the digital trenches, a crafter of mind-bending learning experiences, or simply electrified by the transformative might of AI, this is your call to adventure. Step into the fire and witness the future of crisis response - and the power of AI to reforge reality - in this unforgettable odyssey.

Revolutionizing L&D in IT Crisis Response using immersive AI - Joe Mckevitt | Mindstone

IntroductionSo hello, everyone. I’m Joe from Uptime Labs. Thanks, Josh, for the invite for the live demo tonight.Tonight, I’ll go through really the takeaways.

Mindstone

Imagine a world where captivating learning games on any subject materialize out of thin air, conjured by the power of AI. In this jaw-dropping live demo, GPT wizard Joshua Wöhle takes you on a journey to the frontier of educational experience design, where the only limit is your imagination.

Witness the astonishing alchemy of GPT as Joshua transforms a humdrum article into a multi-dimensional learning odyssey, complete with risk, reward, and real-time feedback. Marvel as complex game mechanics emerges from a few simple prompts, painting a vivid picture of AI's untapped potential.

But the real gold lies in the secrets Joshua unveils along the way. Gleaned from countless hours in the GPT trenches, his hard-won techniques for optimizing language model output will make you rethink everything you know about AI. From the arcane art of chain of thought reasoning to the surprising power of emotional cues, Joshua leaves no stone unturned in his quest to bend GPT to his will.

The magic reaches a crescendo when the audience steps into the circle, their ideas and inspirations fuel for GPT's relentless creativity engine. Behold the birth of a learning experience like no other, a living testament to the power of human-AI collaboration.

Whether you're a learning professional, a business leader, or simply someone who's hungry to glimpse the future, this talk is a clarion call. It's a invitation to reimagine what's possible when the ancient craft of teaching merges with the awesome might of artificial intelligence. Witness the revolution for yourself - watch the full demo now and be forever changed.

Everyday AI use cases across L&D - Joshua Wöhle | Mindstone

Introduction to Live DemonstrationsOK, we’re going to continue now.So I’m going to try a live demo, like Joe, although I’m doing it on OpenAI stuff, not on my o

Mindstone

The AI gold rush is on - but beneath the glitter lies a labyrinth of legal tripwires. In this indispensable talk, tech law maestro Natasha Ahmed is your guide through the maze, shining a light on the hidden hazards threatening to ensnare the unprepared.

From the quagmire of IP rights in training data to the quicksand of AI output ownership, Natasha unearths the legal sinkholes that can swallow businesses whole. She exposes how casual AI use can quietly poison the wells of privacy, confidentiality, and security.

With lawmakers and regulators lost in the labyrinth themselves, businesses are left to navigate by dead reckoning. Can you trust vendor terms to be your compass, or are they leading you further astray? Is your team unwittingly leaving a trail of confidential crumbs for others to follow?

But Natasha isn't just the bearer of bad news - she's your cartographer for this treacherous new territory. She maps out the must-have provisions in vendor contracts, the internal policies that fortify your defenses, and the training that keeps your team on the right path.

Packed with cautionary tales and battle-tested strategies, this talk is both a dire warning and an empowering toolkit. Whether you're an AI trailblazer, a corporate leader, or just trying to chart a safe course in this brave new world, this unflinching look at AI's legal landscape is your essential guide. Watch now and ensure your business journey doesn't end in a legal dead end.

Managing AI: Legal Risks - Natasha Ahmed | Mindstone

IntroductionHi again, so I’m Natasha.I’m a partner at This Here Law Firm.I’m in the tech transaction team, which in English means I work on commercial contracts

Mindstone

In the age of privacy and compliance, open-source AI isn't just an alternative - it's an imperative. In this code-level expedition, AI infrastructure trailblazer Paul Hetherington takes you step-by-step through building a private, open-source chatbot that goes toe-to-toe with ChatGPT.

Uncover the transformative potential of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), the secret weapon that allows open-source language models to draw upon real-time data. Paul unboxes an arsenal of tools, from vector databases to Redis to Google's Custom Search API, equipping you to construct an information retrieval powerhouse.

But this isn't just theory. Strap in as Paul conducts a live demo of a fully-private, open-source chatbot, showcasing the jaw-dropping capabilities of the newest open-source models. Witness why data quality trumps model size in the quest for AI performance.

Paul confronts the elephants in the room, from the ever-present specter of context length limitations to the whiplash-inducing velocity of open-source model evolution. He distills hard-won wisdom, arguing for a ruthless focus on product and UX, and enlisting battle-tested tools to tame the beast of deployment.

Whether you're in the trenches of ML engineering, at the helm of an AI startup, or simply electrified by the future of open-source AI, this talk is a wellspring of epiphanies. Join the full session to learn how to wield the might of open-source AI while conquering its most daunting challenges. The age of private AI supremacy is here.

Optimising and deploying open source LLMs - Paul Hetherington | Mindstone

IntroductionHello, everyone. Good to see some nice friendly faces. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken here now.Is it closing up? Yeah, there you go. Thanks.Bac

Mindstone

What if you could transform your unique expertise into a thriving digital product business - without any design or tech skills? In this game-changing talk, consultant Burça Bulut Ozan lays out a simple, AI-powered system for turning what you know into what you sell.

Step into a world of possibilities as Burça reveals the digital products that are ripe for the making, from eye-catching printables to in-demand online guides. She demonstrates how to brainstorm winning product ideas and pinpoint the perfect selling platforms, all with the help of ChatGPT.

But the real magic happens when Burça unveils how AI tools like DALL-E and user-friendly platforms like Canva eliminate the need for design chops. She walks you through crafting irresistible visuals and product layouts that sell themselves.

The proof is in the pudding: Burça shares real-life examples of digital products hitting it big on Etsy and beyond. She breaks down the secrets to success, from carving out an original niche to riding the waves of trends.

If you're tired of letting your valuable know-how gather dust, this talk will show you how to spin it into digital gold. Watch the full session now to unlock a step-by-step roadmap for building a profitable digital product empire, no experience necessary. Your knowledge has never been more valuable.

Digital Products - income streams with ChatGPT - Burce Bulut Ozan | Mindstone

IntroductionThank you so much, everyone. So it’s great to be here today. So I’m gonna walk through, but let me first introduce myself briefly.I’m Burça Bulut Oz

Mindstone

What do a private equity powerhouse, a VC trailblazer, a serial entrepreneur, and a top startup lawyer have in common? A front-row seat to the AI revolution reshaping the startup landscape. In this game-changing panel discussion, four industry insiders pull back the curtain on the real story behind AI's startup invasion.

Discover why AI adoption has skyrocketed among startups, jumping from 20% to 60% in just one year. The investors unveil the AI innovations capturing their attention and checkbooks, from cutting-edge infrastructure to AI-powered features that dazzle customers.

But it's not all unicorns and IPOs. The panelists also bare the scars of hard-fought battles in the AI arena, sharing candid stories of investments that soared and soured. They compare notes on the diverging US and UK AI startup scenes and divulge their predictions for the coming year.

For anyone seeking an edge in the startup world, this panel is a rare chance to absorb wisdom from investors at the peak of their game. Whether you're an ambitious founder, a savvy investor, or captivated by the future unfolding before our eyes, you won't want to miss these revelations. Watch the full discussion now to glimpse the emerging trends, looming challenges, and extraordinary opportunities ahead.

The Power Players of AI Progress: PE, VC, and Angels Unveiled (Panel Discussion) | Mindstone

IntroductionI have the pleasure of hosting this panel tonight. I’m going to get everyone to introduce themselves in just a moment.Purpose of the PanelThe aim of

Mindstone

Imagine if developing a complete, fully-functional piece of software took minutes instead of months and required no coding skills. In this mind-expanding talk, Robert C. demonstrates how this is now possible through the power of collaborating AI agents.

Forget what you know about AI language models working in isolation. Robert explains how teams of specialized AI agents, when working in concert, can tackle complex software projects with unprecedented speed and quality. The latest research proves it: multi-agent systems consistently trounce solo agents.

But the real magic happens when Robert introduces Chatforce, a groundbreaking platform that lets anyone assemble and direct AI teams to build real software. In a live demo, Robert uses Chatforce to create a complete game in just 20 minutes, for a mere $2, all without writing a line of code himself.

Whether you're a software developer, business leader, or just curious about the future of AI, this talk is a must-see. Watch now to witness the staggering implications of accessible, multi-agent AI systems in action. The era of AI-accelerated software development is here - are you ready?

Talk is Cheap, But AI Agent Communication Pays Off - Robert C | Mindstone

IntroductionHi, my name is Robert, and I’m going to start off this presentation by asking you a question.Can anybody tell me the difference between an LLM and a

Mindstone

Imagine having the power of ChatGPT on your personal computer, usable anytime, anywhere, without your data ever hitting the cloud. In this game-changing talk, tech leader Joshua Wohle shows you how to get state-of-the-art AI running on your laptop in minutes, zero coding skills required.

Through a live demo, you'll see advanced language models executing locally on a basic MacBook Air - no developers, cloud servers, or fancy hardware needed. Wohle breaks down how this puts cutting-edge AI in the hands of everyone, with huge implications:

• Total privacy: your data never leaves your machine
• Offline access: get AI assistance with or without internet
• Accessibility: AI superpowers are no longer limited to programmers

Whether you want to experience the magic of local AI yourself or explore the possibilities it unlocks, this talk is a must-see. Check out the complete session now to get started.

ChatGPT On Your Own Machine Without Code - Joshua Wohle | Mindstone

IntroductionSo I am going to try and show you how we can run some of these large language models on your own machines. And I’m doing that basically ripping off

Mindstone

Worried superintelligent AI will outsmart and replace us? This data scientist argues evolution tells a different story.

In this talk, Akshaya Kadidal reveals how the cockroach has survived human extermination attempts for centuries despite our god-like intelligence. He shares the surprising fact that 99% of species went extinct before neurons even evolved.

Current AI may be smart, but Kadidal contends it lacks the resilience, curiosity and creativity forged by eons of evolutionary pressure that allowed the 1% to flourish.

But humanity's real superpower? Our unparalleled ability to cooperate flexibly at scale. This edge let us best the Neanderthals and achieve wonders like the pyramids.

Will we outsmart our AI creations or be outsmarted by them? See the evolutionary case for betting on Team Human in the full talk.

Reviewing Existential Risk from Superintelligent Machines through Evolutionary Example - Akshaya Kadidal | Mindstone

IntroductionI’ve been a data scientist from a time when we were called statisticians. Now we’ve picked up fancier names. Currently I’m working as a technology t

Mindstone