The first UK AI conference for small to medium enterprises (SMEs), aiming to explore the potential impact of artificial intelligence for small businesses.
The event aims to bring industry leaders, AI experts, and forward-thinking SME decision-makers to explore the potential impact of AI, with experts including Dr. Clare Walsh, director of education, the Institute of Analytics, as keynote speaker.
Walsh is joined by Piers Linney, entrepreneur and former investor for TV show Dragon’s Den. Linney will offer his perspective on the role of AI in levelling the playing field for SMEs, while interactive workshops will guide participants through practical AI adoption strategies.
Walsh’s talk, Small But Mighty: Empowering SMEs with Data Democracy, aims to examine five steps to democratise data and data analytics as well as what SMEs can do immediately to drive AI adoption.
Topics discussed during the conference will include AI adoption strategies for SME success, optimisation of SME operations and cost savings with AI automation, AI-enhanced customer engagement for SME growth, ethical AI practices and more.
Walsh commented: “AI is no longer a technology limited to large corporations. SMEs must embrace AI if they want to remain competitive in today’s fast-paced market. With AI tools now more accessible and affordable than ever, small businesses can use them to gain insights into how they can immediately improve their business model without having to break the bank.
“A recent report by Microsoft in 2024 highlights that almost half (47%) of UK SMEs have yet to adopt AI tools, despite the significant opportunities it presents. The same report projects that AI could contribute £550 billion to the UK economy by 2035, underscoring the potential economic impact if more businesses integrate AI into their operations. However, 31% of SMEs are also lagging in adopting basic digital infrastructure like cloud computing, indicating broader challenges with technology adoption among smaller firms. This conference is about providing them with the roadmap to get started and the support they need to succeed.”
AI transform will take place on 23 October 2024 at The Slate, Coventry, UK.