AI wants a seat at the business table

Artificial intelligence (AI) is on everyone's lips. At the individual level, it has slotted neatly into human routines, but what's happening within the business ecosystem? In many cases, companies still haven't grasped the full extent of what AI can do. A lack of trust, the vast investment required and the murkiness of European regulation make it an outsider in the office; the lover a worker turns to now and then, out of the employer's sight, who, for want of understanding, sees no benefit in it. To shed this fear, Foment del Treball is running the Forward Tech Summit, bringing together business owners and experts in technology and AI to show that embracing innovation could change the business world; for the better.

"If everyone implemented AI properly in their companies, we'd save time," says Sasha Rubel, Director of Public Policy for Generative AI in EMEA at AWS. In her talk at the event, Rubel was unequivocal: AI is a reality, and companies need to embrace it. For her, the impact of artificial intelligence isn't just economic; it isn't about optimising for greater productivity, but about triggering social and cultural change. "This isn't about working more, it's about winning back more time for ourselves," Rubel repeats, pointing to data showing that AI implementation speeds up processes by 30%.

That said, AI's proven effectiveness doesn't mean every company finds it easy to adopt. Rubel identifies three key factors: talent, integration within public administration, and European regulation. For a start, tech specialists are in short supply, and the recruitment process alone takes around seven months. Rubel argues that businesses need to find professionals and train them far more effectively to meet the opportunities AI creates. Daniel Calleja, director of the European Commission Representation in Spain, agrees; among the state's clear priorities for AI, which he raised in his talk at the event, is the hiring and training of professionals.

"Barcelona is backing AI," notes Jordi Valls, Fourth Deputy Mayor for the Economy, Housing, Finance and Tourism at Barcelona City Council. In his view, the city is ready to integrate these new technologies, though he cautions that "integration shouldn't be fast, but balanced," meaning a step-by-step approach that avoids missteps or "losing sight of ethics." The reality, according to Rubel, is that public administration also has a role to play in this transformation. She acknowledges that if government backs and champions change, companies are far more likely to view it favourably and trust it. That's why she's calling on Catalan administrations, in general, to start genuinely adapting AI into their own processes.

A cautious Europe at the centre

Without doubt, however, European Union regulation was the single most repeated topic of the day. And not only on stage: it also came up in the corridors, in the coffee-break conversations of many of the experts present. Europe is cautious, and it doesn't operate the way the United States or China do, where AI is already reaching very high levels. Here, the rules call for patience, and the fragmentation of regulations between countries makes unifying a single market harder: "We have a single market for toothpaste, but not for AI," Rubel quips wryly. Calleja, however, maintains that "a common, strong and responsible policy is needed," and, therefore, "things need to move more slowly."

What's more, the Director of the European Commission Representation in Spain points out that "it isn't just a matter of regulation" and adds that greater business capacity is needed too: more investment and more companies. "Barcelona has the potential to become one of Europe's AI hubs," says the expert. It's a view shared by Josep Sánchez-Llibre, President of Foment del Treball, who, in an aside during his opening remarks at the event, added that businesses need "sufficient scale" to compete in AI's "new era."

Ultimately, AI is an immovable reality, and as such, businesses need to make room for it. The experts reflected on every possibility for business growth this new technology could bring, but they also agreed on the need to stress that human capabilities still have their place: "It's not about thinking AI will take our jobs, but that it will change the way we work," Rubel concludes.