Latest news with #organisations
Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Times
We need to cut costs but it's difficult to get my team on board
Q: We are experiencing revenue decline after several years of double-digit growth. We need to cut costs but I'm finding it difficult to get my senior leadership team on board. Most of them have not been through a downturn before. Any ideas? A: This is a very common problem. About half of UK organisations are looking to reduce costs as a result of economic headwinds, surveys suggest. This isn't easy and addressing it requires considered strategic, cultural and operational change. In good times, people get used to seeing their teams and their budgets grow. As an executive team, you need to treat this as a big change and deliver that message consistently from the top. You need to involve the whole organisation. It takes time
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
COP30: Calls for tropical forest protection at next climate change conference
There are calls for the next climate change conference, COP30, to focus on saving tropical comes after a new report shows they disappeared faster than ever last the study also highlighted how governments and communities are finding ways to help these environments and make a positive South East Asia, area of forest loss slowed down in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, thanks to organisations working together. What did scientists find? Tropical rainforests, like the Amazon, are sometimes called the 'lungs of the planet' because they absorb and store carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas which scientists think help cause rising global also produce oxygen, which living creatures animals need for a result, rainforests are seen as one of the best tools against climate when researchers looked at satellite data they found that the world's tropical forests disappeared faster than ever recorded last report estimates that an area the size of eighteen football pitches were lost every were the main cause, overtaking land being cleared for farming, for the first breaking heat levels also led to more drought as well as the increased risk of fire. Experts say that burning forests release rather than store carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that plays a major role in global warming. How are countries making a positive difference? The research also showed positive news from South East countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia have managed to reduce forest loss, despite difficult Goldman, co-director of the Global Forest Watch project, explained that this was the result of an effort by governments and communities working together to enforce "no burning" countries, including Brazil, have seen success in the past with similar researchers also agree that this year's UN climate summit COP30 - which is being hosted in the Amazon in Brazil - will be important for sharing and promoting forest protection idea being worked on is looking at rewarding those countries which maintain tropical forests financially, to help them keep their forests standing, rather than chopping them down.
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Half of Hong Kong organisations audited by watchdog collect personal data using AI
Half of 48 organisations checked by Hong Kong's privacy watchdog collect or use personal information through artificial intelligence (AI) systems, with most having contingency plans for data breaches. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said on Monday no contravention of privacy laws was found during the compliance checks conducted from February to May this year. The checks covered 60 local organisations across sectors such as telecommunications, banking, retail, education, public utilities and government departments. Among them, 48 used AI in their daily operations, with most having done so for more than a year. The watchdog also found that 24 organisations collected or used personal data through AI systems. Nineteen retained the data, although the retention periods were specified. All 24 organisations had alerted users and also specified the purposes for which their data was to be used, it added.
Arabian Business
14-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
AI won't fix your business if your systems are still broken
With landmark AI advancements announced seemingly every week, it's easy to get swept up in the frenzy — one moment, the focus is on a new GenAI model, the next, on agentic AI or AIOps. Tempting as it may be to see AI as the next frontier, let's be clear — this isn't the beginning. We're well into the AI era, and for most businesses, the question is how to proceed most effectively. Becoming AI-native is no longer a differentiator; it's a hygiene factor. On the face of it, this will undoubtedly seem like a tall order. But rest assured that this is not uncharted territory. Many organisations have successfully navigated similar transformations, albeit with different objectives. So rather than give in to FOMO, we can look to the past for perspective. Think of the digital-first pivot: success didn't happen overnight, and it wasn't about being first. It was about getting it right. Lessons from the digital-first decade Think back to when organisations first went digital. There was resistance, confusion, and, for some, the illusion that simply launching a website or setting up an e-commerce portal was enough. But true digital-first businesses did more than just bolt on new tools. They reimagined entire business models, streamlined operations and rewired customer interactions. Banks moved services online, retailers embraced omnichannel experiences, and governments digitised citizen services. The same principle applies to AI. It's not about which AI tool to use — it's about rethinking workflows, augmenting human intelligence, and embedding AI into everyday operations. The winners in this new era will be those that don't just use AI but integrate it into the very fabric of how they work. Business leaders must, therefore, understand how to embed an AI-native culture into their organisation in the most natural way, just as they did when becoming digital-first. Overcoming the fear factor With every major shift, there's fear, and today, it's AI that sparks anxiety. But just as digital transformation didn't eliminate the need for people, neither will AI. The key is understanding that AI doesn't replace human expertise — it enhances it. Take finance teams. Could an AI system send out contracts and invoices without oversight? Could a chatbot handle a complex, high-stakes customer negotiation? Not likely. AI excels at speeding up processes, eliminating repetitive tasks and surfacing insights — but human judgment remains irreplaceable. What sets AI-native organisations apart is their approach to upleveling talent. When businesses transitioned to being digital-first, they didn't just introduce new tools and platforms; they invested heavily in upskilling their workforce at all levels. Large banks trained their entire workforce — not just IT teams — to work with digital platforms, while logistics companies retrained warehouse staff to work alongside automated systems rather than be replaced by them. AI demands the same investment in people. The most advanced AI systems in the world won't help a business if employees don't know how to work alongside them. Training and reskilling will determine whether an organisation truly becomes AI-native. Forward-thinking businesses aren't just hiring AI specialists; they're embedding AI literacy into their entire workforce. Laying the foundation: IT comes first If AI is the next great shift, IT is where it begins. Just as a weak digital infrastructure made digital transformation difficult, legacy systems will prevent businesses from becoming AI-native. Many organisations still operate on such systems, patched together over decades. These weren't built for AI, and layering AI tools on top of them often leads to breakages rather than breakthroughs. The first step therefore is to be open to the idea that even the most complex legacy systems can now be modernised with the help of AI. Historically, people have said, 'No, it's too complicated.' However, today's AI capabilities make it possible to untangle even the most complex legacy systems. Embedding AI into everyday workflows In the early days of digital transformation, businesses didn't overhaul their entire operations overnight. Instead, they started with areas that were low risk but high impact — rolling out cloud-based collaboration tools, digitising paper-based processes, and automating routine administrative tasks. Email replaced fax machines. Cloud storage eliminated filing cabinets. Employees didn't just accept these changes; they embraced them because they made work faster, easier, and more efficient. AI adoption follows the same trajectory. Once the IT foundation is solid, AI should be woven into daily operations in a way that enhances — not disrupts — the employee experience. HR processes, for example, are a natural starting point, just as payroll digitisation and automated expense reporting were during the digital era. AI-powered self-service tools can streamline leave requests, retrieve company policies instantly, and simplify benefits management. These small yet meaningful improvements set the stage for broader AI adoption. When employees see first-hand how AI simplifies their work, resistance fades. When approached in this way, the transformation isn't forced — it's organic. AI becomes something employees actively want, not something they fear. AI-native: The new imperative If the last 20 years have taught us anything, it's that businesses don't succeed by merely adopting new technology — they succeed when they redefine themselves through it. Look at Mashreq Bank, which embraced digital-first banking, shifting nearly all customer interactions to mobile apps, eliminating the need for physical branches. Or Aramex, which integrated AI to optimise delivery routes and predict demand, setting a new benchmark for efficiency. Now, businesses are at a new crossroads. Becoming AI-first isn't a futuristic ambition — it's an immediate imperative. The question isn't whether AI will be part of an organisation's strategy, but whether AI will define its very DNA. Those who wait risk being left behind, while those who embrace AI-first thinking will lead the future of business.
