We are earlier in the AI journey than many people realise

Last week, I had the pleasure of delivering the keynote and MC’ing an AI event hosted by Leitrim, Westmeath and Longford Local Enterprise Offices in the beautiful Drumhierny Woodland Hideaway in County Leitrim.

There were over 100 women in business in the room - a brilliant mix of business owners and leaders from across different sectors, all trying to better understand what AI means for their businesses and where to even begin.

We also heard from a few emerging business owners who shared their own digital and business journeys very openly and honestly, which added a huge amount to the conversation.

One thing that really struck me afterwards was just how early we still are in this journey.

There’s a huge amount of conversation happening around AI right now, but in reality, most businesses are still at a very early stage of practical adoption.

Many people are using AI’s like: ChatGPT, Claude & Gemini, and also maybe some light ‘baked-in’ AI such as within Canva, and some cautious experimentation…

Even some of the tools I demonstrated, like:

* Perplexity for research

* Wispr Flow for dictation

* Granola for meeting capture

* Gamma AI for presentations and design

These felt completely new to many people in the room.

And honestly, I think that’s important.

Because I don’t believe the biggest challenge businesses face right now is access to AI tools.

The tools are already here. In fact, further skilled tools are constantly emerging…

The real challenge is helping people understand where AI genuinely adds value, how to use it confidently, and how businesses adapt without overwhelming teams in the process.

I think we’re much earlier in AI adoption than many people realise.

The businesses that will navigate this period best won’t necessarily be the most technical.

They’ll be the ones with leaders who stay curious, adaptable and open to change, while still keeping people, culture and clarity at the centre of the conversation.

What I loved most about the day was the honesty in the room.

Business owners openly sharing where they are, what they’re struggling with, what they’re curious about and where they still feel uncertain.

That willingness to learn, adapt and keep moving forward matters enormously.

A huge credit as well to the teams across Leitrim, Westmeath and Longford Local Enterprise Offices for creating space for these conversations and continuing to support businesses through what is a very significant period of change.

Chat soon.

Miriam