The AI divide – why businesses that don’t get AI now might not get to compete later
We’re seeing a widening gap between the businesses that we speak to each day. This isn’t just a technology gap, it’s also a mindset gap.
On one side there are companies and people pushing the boundaries of AI, building AI agents that work together autonomously, accelerating often complex processes that used to take days into just a few minutes.
They’re building internal Multi-Capable Platforms (MCP) – for those new to AI, an MCP is an open standard that defines how AI agents can connect to and interact with external tools and data sources.
These businesses are building systems where AI doesn’t just answer questions, it then takes action, interacts with other agents and delivers their specified outcomes without constant human prompts.
On the other side? There are people who still think AI is a fad and are still arguing that ChatGPT can’t even write an email. There are also leaders who think AI is a ‘nice to have’. These leaders in many cases are not realising that in many industries it is already a competitive differentiator.
The gap is growing faster than expected
With ChatGPT having been launched in late 2022, we’re no longer really in the early adoption phase for generative AI. We’re now in the early maturity phase, where businesses that moved early to identify their use cases and build proofs of concept are already seeing the benefits.
AI technology is moving fast. Last week saw yet another huge list of features launched by Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic. The mindset shift within businesses about AI needs to move just as fast.
Companies embracing AI are changing how work gets done day to day:
- AI agents are managing processes across departments
- Agent-to-agent communication is starting to reduce human bottlenecks
- Content is created, summarised and actionable in record time.
This is already happening in businesses we speak to. And every week, the AI knowledge gap between adopters and those who are yet to move feels like it grows wider.
The power of base understanding
The challenge that we are seeing when we speak to clients is that if you don’t know what’s possible, you can’t challenge the status quo or imagine how it could be improved. We absolutely understand a lot of businesses are at capacity with their day to day operations but we firmly believe that leaders and their teams having a foundational understanding of modern AI capabilities, is now as essential as knowing how to use email was in the early 2000s.
Without it:
- You won’t spot high-impact use cases within your business
- You’ll begin to struggle to collaborate with your customers, suppliers or colleagues who are looking to innovate
- You risk buying tech that doesn’t fit and gathers dust instead of delivering value
We spoke to a colleague last week who is part of a successful small business. His level of knowledge of AI was almost zero. In just a few minutes we talked him through some of the work we are doing with our clients and some common use cases in his industry. He later called us to say that after we chatted, he started exploring AI to help reduce the level of admin he has. He was taken aback at just how easy the tools were to use. He managed to complete a task that used to take over a week in under 3 hours. He is now exploring more and more use cases.
This is the mindset required.
AI isn’t a tech strategy, it’s a business strategy
Treating AI as ‘just another IT initiative’ is like thinking the internet was purely a way to send emails. AI is transforming how decisions are made, who makes them and what gets automated.
For most businesses we speak to, it’s not about replacing people it’s about augmenting them. But if your team doesn’t have the tools and training on how to use them, they’re not being augmented. They’re potentially being outpaced by your competitors.
Don’t get left behind
Businesses that wait for a perfect AI strategy risk becoming perfect case studies of missed opportunity. The good news is that you don’t need to start with big, expensive, high-risk mission critical tasks or try and solve your biggest challenges.
Start with curiosity. Start with education. Start with understanding how LLMs work, what agents are, how MCPs can be built, and where they can drive value in your business.
In the age of AI, the biggest risk is not making mistakes, it’s doing nothing.
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How we can help
At iwantmore.ai, we specialise in helping businesses bridge the AI divide turning curiosity into capability and capability into competitive advantage.
We work with organisations to:
- Assess AI readiness: Understand where you are today across people, processes, and platforms.
- Identify high-impact use cases: Through discovery workshops and hands-on collaboration, we surface the areas where AI and automation can add the most value specific to your business.
- Design and implement practical solutions: From AI agents to process automation, we help you build solutions that deliver real business outcomes not just tech demos.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your existing efforts to the next level, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
We understand you are busy but don’t get left behind. Start your AI journey with confidence. Contact us and let’s explore what’s possible for your business.
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