Chiara Marcati, Chief AI Advisory and Business Officer at AI71, highlights why businesses must embrace AI in 2025 to stay competitive, relevant and pin it as a long term strategic journey
As industries worldwide are transformed by the rapid rise of AI, business and tech leaders face countless opportunities and challenges on multiple fronts as they try to build an AI strategy and get its full potential. The Middle East is witnessing an unprecedented wave of AI adoption powered by the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031.
Artificial intelligence is a promising technology for automating tasks and improving efficiency, but today’s reality is far more profound. AI is no longer just a tool to optimise existing processes; it fundamentally reshapes how businesses operate, compete, and innovate. The companies that succeed in the AI era embrace this transformation not as a short-term project but as a long-term strategic journey.
AI is no longer just about marginal efficiency gains; it’s about fundamentally rewriting how businesses work
This transformation is driven by the rise of agent-based AI-intelligent systems that autonomously execute workflows end-to-end with minimal human intervention. These AI agents are quietly revolutionizing enterprise operations, enabling companies to rethink their core business models rather than automate tasks.
AI agents are quietly revolutionizing enterprise operations. They execute end-to-end workflows, navigating systems and processes with minimal human intervention. Suddenly, CEOS aren’t asking: How do we use AI? How do we build around it? The genuine opportunity isn’t in optimization – it’s in reinvention. Yet, despite the promise, many companies struggle to realize AI’s full potential.
Five key barriers that create a cycle of doubt and stall progress:
- Noise: The AI landscape is flooded with tools, vendors, and buzzwords, leading to paralysis and tech-first decisions without strategy.
- Fear: Executive hesitation due to AI’s perceived opacity and risk of failure delays impact.
- People: A fluency gap between business and technical teams prevents outcome alignment.
- Data: Fragmented, inconsistent data remains a significant challenge. Ironically, AI agents are the key to making sense of this data.
- Legacy Technology: Outdated infrastructure cannot support AI at scale, isolating even the most innovative tools.
Five key barriers- noise, fear, people, data, and legacy tech, create a cycle of doubt that stalls AI transformation. Playing the AI long game means focusing on real business outcomes, scaling successes, and investing in platforms and people,
Companies that embrace this approach are not just automating workflows, they are reshaping what it means to compete in the AI era. This transformation demands courage and a willingness to forgo immediate returns to build long-term capabilities.
The future belongs to organisations bold enough to become AI-native, designing themselves from the ground up to harness intelligent systems.
As AI continues to evolve, the question for business leaders is no longer “How do we use AI?” but “How do we build our business around AI?” The answer will define the winners of tomorrow’s economy.
