78 IN VIEW FESTIVAL OF BUSINESS
THE AI ARMS RACE IS ON – CAN WE WIN IT?
Melissa Conlon
Lancashire businesses have been urged to take the continued emergence of artificial intelligence seriously or risk being left behind by their tech-savvy competitors.
In a rallying cry from the main stage of the Lancashire Festival of Business, Heath Groves, chief executive of tech consultancy Sundown Solutions, told them: “Step up, stand up, wake- up and start taking this exceptionally seriously.
“Imagine someone coming and taking all the lunch off your table, because it’s coming.”
Heath Groves
Speaking as a member of a panel discussing how to harness AI and technology effectively, Heath said the emergence of Chinese app DeepSeek meant it was “game on” in the global “AI arms race.”
And looking at Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to make the UK an AI superpower, he pointed to last summer’s cancellation of £1.3bn of funding for tech and AI projects.
He said: “Every second of every minute of every hour of every day is ruthlessly important in the AI arms race. We have lost five months and we weren’t top of that table at the start.
Dan Knowles
“We’re told we are going to be a global leader in AI. Is someone going to tell me how are we going to do that?”
Heath told the audience that the next 12 to 18 months will see the emergence of ‘AI agents’ in businesses that can perform and train like employees.
He also predicted that AI is set to have a major impact on the professional services sector.
Dan Knowles, founder of Northern Reach, which specialises in delivering tech and innovation focused business engagement projects, said the UK’s world-leading universities had a vital part to play if it was to compete internationally.
He said: “We have to be in a position to attract world leading global talent. We have to keep supporting our universities to get the best people, to invest in and develop new tech and innovation so we can commercialise it and take it into industry.
“If we are going to be a world leader it is going to be done through supporting higher education.”
He added: “Every business owner, every entrepreneur should be thinking about how AI drives unit economics in their business; how you’re using AI to automate, to make things easier, to get stuff out quicker.”
Dan also pointed to the future arrival of National Cyber Force to Lancashire and the opportunities that will unlock.
MANAGEMENT
CARBON
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
Develop your business through our Degree Apprenticeships
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
B CORP CLUBS & FORUMS
The Chamber’s Clubs and Forums include the Chamber Low Carbon Energy & Environment Forum, Circular Economy Club (CEC), the Green Rose Environmental Management Programme and the RedCAT Technology and Innovation Forum.
We offer a wide range of Higher and Degree Apprenticeships that enable employees to gain the skills and experience that today’s industry needs. Our apprenticeship programmes help employers to fill skills gaps and attract and retain the best talent.
We offer programmes from Level 2 to Level 7 and we currently have over 2500 apprentices with 40 apprenticeship programmes to choose from.
Call 01772 895500 Email
business@uclan.ac.uk
FOR MORE INFORMATION GET IN TOUCH:
info@chamberlowcarbon.co.uk chamberlowcarbon.co.uk
Scan HERE
uclan.ac.uk/business
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94
