30572_Kao Data Critical Careers_Pages - Flipbook - Page 61
Were there any pivotal moments
that encouraged you to stay in
the industry?
What are you really excited
about for the industry?
t will sound a bit corny, but it really is the people
I get to work with in this industry that make me
stay. The founders are not just running businesses;
they’re mostly on missions to change the world.
’ve got a really long list of these on any given day but let’s focus on a couple; Firstly, we’re
making real strides in helping small and medium-sized businesses integrate AI into their
operations, which is super exciting. The AI Opportunities Action Plan really hit the nail
on the head, highlighting the importance of AI Adoption as well as AI Innovation. So, whilst
it’s amazing that we’re creating and growing new AI-昀椀rst startups and products, we’re also
recognising how important it is to help all businesses harness AI for growth and productivity.
We’ve therefore recently launched AI Empower – helping Greater Manchester SMEs move
from AI curious to AI empowered. We were massively oversubscribed for the programme but
it’s great now to be working with businesses from sectors like construction, media, professional
services and social care to AI accessible and useful in their day-to-day operations.
I
I’m lucky enough to be working day in and day out
with innovators and founders who are tackling some
of society’s most challenging issues – improving health
outcomes, addressing the climate emergency, ensuring
inclusive access to education. I could spend so long
telling you about the speci昀椀cs, but the headline is that I
feel really honoured to get to play a small part in some
of these innovations having a real-world impact.
Another factor is the level of collaboration and
openness that I’ve found in the industry. It really is
unmatched. I spent a lot of years in quite formal
corporate environments and remember clearly loving
into tech and loving the fact that all the hard work was
done in quite a different and deeply collaborative way.
The novelty of that still hasn’t worn off and I really enjoy
the culture of introductions. Everyone is so keen to
share someone who’s been helpful to them and might
be able to help you.
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I
Secondly, I’m thrilled about the broadening discussion around AI skills. Previously, the focus
was heavily on technical skills like data science and machine learning. These are vital but only
part of the picture. It’s great to see that the conversation is moving on to consider how AI
can be woven into the majority of roles, not just the tech specialists. We see that quote a lot
(attributed to a variety of people!) “AI won’t take your job but a person using AI might”. So,
starting to see a focus on how we help people become AI enabled in their jobs is important
and timely.
And what excites me the most? The sheer innovation that’s bubbling up! Every time we
put out a call for new projects or programmes, I’m amazed by the fresh ideas that emerge
—whether it’s from our PhD community or nascent startups. The continual emergence of
new applications, the expanding role it plays in different sectors and the opportunities to
work across disciplines now (think, AI meets material Science meets biomedical devices –
mindblowing!) keeps things incredibly exciting. There’s no danger of the pipeline of ideas
and talent running out – so it’s our job to harness as much of that as we can.
