Daily Archives: December 4, 2024

2025: The year of AI for business – top trends to watch out for

You might not have started thinking about your Christmas shopping yet, but I bet you’ve been thinking about what artificial intelligence (AI) for business is going to look like in 2025. If you haven’t, then settle in with a glass of mulled wine, because now is your chance.

AI has come leaps and bounds over the past few years and is currently one of the biggest opportunities for business growth. With capabilities to intelligently automate admin tasks, take on customer service tasks, and analyse masses of data, the advantages are endless. But there’s still lots of room for development, in ways which will and won’t surprise you.

Stepping into the year of AI for business
Like your list of New Year’s Resolutions, the regulation landscape is constantly changing and adapting to the needs of tech businesses. For AI development to thrive in 2025, there must be a supportive environment ready for it. There’s no denying the appetite for AI, with over 120 bills on AI currently before the United States Congress. These build upon regulations already in place, such as the EU AI Act, which promotes the rapid adoption of trustworthy AI through reduced administrative burdens for SMEs and clear requirements for AI use.
The EU AI Act defines AI systems by their risk rating, splitting them up into prohibited, high-risk, limited-risk, and minimal-risk groups. This is something we could see changing in 2025, with the potential for new legislation focusing on AI classification over risk. This approach would consider criteria such as the intended uses and basic properties of AI systems.
New legislation coming into effect next year will significantly impact how businesses can use AI. Data management is one area likely to see substantial legislative focus, ensuring that AI does not compromise the security and privacy of business and customer data.

AI developments – The weird and the wonderful
As new legislation is rolled out in 2025, it will give businesses and developers more freedom and safety to largen AI’s scope. Many of us will already have AI ingrained into our processes, but what will we be bringing on board next?

Leading the way – Microsoft

One company which has been leading the way in AI development in 2024 has been tech giant Microsoft. At its recent Ignite 2024 event, it made several announcements which demonstrate the acceleration of AI in 2025. One of these was that Microsoft Teams will let participants speak in a language of their choice, through its new AI-powered Interpreter feature. Facilitating global communication and collaboration, this is one powerful way in which AI will fuel business growth.
Microsoft also announced the introduction of its AI agents this year. These agents will drive organisational wide optimisation and automation by collaborating with workers, a step forward from the AI assistants we already have. Agents can be trained to know your organisation from top to bottom and can compile details for business pitches and presentations whilst you focus on more valuable tasks.

Cutting corners with automation

Like AI agents, other AI systems which rely on trigger-based automation will flourish in 2025. Once the system is notified of a trigger, such as an email being received, it can digest the information and deliver an automated response to the trigger. Automated AI will seamlessly slot into business processes, taking care of admin tasks which frees up time for workers in all levels of the business to spend more time with customers and focus on their long-term needs.
The rise of automated AI poses a need for focus on responsible usage. Automation means that AI could be exposed to confidential data, and without the right protection measures in place, could learn that data and share it without authorisation. Legislation will play a key role in ensuring the responsible and ethical use of AI, but responsibility lies with business leaders as well to make sure that AI adoption goes hand in hand with education. Its important to understand that we will always include a human in the loop and full observability of these interactions with AI.

AI boot camp

AI-powered systems might be forging new opportunities for businesses, but they lose their value and customer trust if inaccurate. To prioritise the accuracy of the models AI systems are trained on, we will see a shift in the New Year on how this process works. Grounding an model in accurate, secure data is extremely important. The better he data the more accurate the responses will be. Developers may synthesise their training data on large language models, and then train the AI system on a small language model.
This will approve the accuracy of the AI system, but as it adds degrees of complexity, it also poses the risk of potential bias or incorrect activity, such as the AI hallucination concept. When AI produces information like it is fact without any data to back it up, it’s a sign that something has gone wrong with the training data. Whilst 2025 will be a big year for the development of training models, businesses need to be aware of how their AI systems are being trained to avoid bias and unethical practice.

Not just a New Year’s Resolution
The huge amount of investment in 2025 is just one of many signs that AI isn’t a fleeting New Year’s Resolution. Companies like OpenAI and Microsoft have made a long-term commitment to investing in AI development, because they know we’re still unlocking its full portfolio of capabilities. Even if they’re not profiting off AI right now, it’s undoubtable that the future is rich. But this isn’t just a game for the big players, small businesses will also be staking their claim by adopting and investing in AI.
With the developments we’ll see next year in automation, robotics, and training data, it’s certain that there’ll be a flurry of businesses who haven’t explored AI yet looking to adopt. To make the most of the new developments, don’t wait until New Year’s Day to get started, reach out to the experts now to help your business get AI ready.
Chris Huntingford is the newly-promoted director of AI at ANS, a digital transformation provider and Microsoft’s UK Services Partner of the Year 2024. Headquartered in Manchester, it offers public and private cloud, security, business applications, low code, and data services to thousands of customers, from enterprise to SMB and public sector organisations.

China-Nepal business community eyes practical co-op amid PM’s visit

Chinese and Nepalese business representatives gather to discuss new opportunities for practical economic and trade cooperation at the Nepal-China Business Summit, in Beijing on December 4, 2024, with Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli in attendance to address the summit. Photo: Li Hao/GTPrime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli encouraged business groups from Nepal and China to enhance collaboration. “Trade, commerce and economic relations between our two countries are now at a new level,” Oli said on Wednesday when addressing the Nepal-China Business Summit held in Beijing.Oli also said that strong economic and trade ties between the two countries have also boosted overall bilateral relations.”The business community in Nepal views Prime Minister Oli’s visit to China as a significant step forward in strengthening Nepal-China relations, particularly in the areas of trade, investment and infrastructure development,” Chandra Prasad Dhakal, President of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FNCCI), told the Global Times on Wednesday on the sidelines of the summit.Among the agreements signed during this visit, two are directly related to economic cooperation, which is a promising development for the private sector. These agreements highlight the potential for increased collaboration in trade, investment and technical exchanges, said Dhakal.”We aspire to see a robust Nepal-China economic partnership that enhances market access for Nepalese goods in China, encourages Chinese investment in Nepal’s priority sectors, and promotes technology transfer to improve competitiveness and productivity,” said Dhakal.Dhakal believes that infrastructure is another key area in which Nepal seeks Chinese expertise and investment. The focus is on transformative projects in roads, railways, telecommunications and aviation. “These initiatives aim to shift Nepal’s status from being landlocked to becoming a land-linked nation, connecting us with regional and global markets more effectively.”The Chinese government already said that it will support Nepal’s declaration of 2025 as Nepal Visit Year in China. Nepal’s tourism industry is ready to welcome Chinese visitors, said Dhakal.Arjun Prasad Sharma, honorary vice president of Nepal Chamber of Commerce, also told the Global Times on Wednesday that tourism is one of the biggest opportunities to invest in Nepal.”We’ve been working with China very closely since our establishment more than 70 years ago. Every time I come to China, I find new opportunities. We are pleased to be part of the delegation [of the Prime Minister] to meet our old and new Chinese friends, and to find some opportunity for mutual benefits,” said Sharma.Sharma also said that the Nepalese business community loves to import from China. New business coming up is automobiles, especially electric vehicles from China. Zhang Shaogang, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), said on Wednesday when addressing the summit that the council is willing to build more trade promotion platforms, organize more economic and trade delegations to visit Nepal and support Chinese enterprises to import specialty products from Nepal to expand bilateral trade.”There is no shortage of attractive specialty products in Nepal, but they are still relatively unknown to Chinese consumers,” Zhang said.In terms of enhanced cooperation, Zhang noted that last week, the China Chamber of International Commerce, which is affiliated with CPPIT, together with 18 chambers of commerce and industry, including the FNCCI, from 17 countries along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, jointly established an alliance. This alliance aims to bring together the business communities of various countries to participate in the construction of the corridor.”The alliance will promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment along the corridor, and maintain the stability and smooth flow of regional and global industrial and supply chains,” Zhang said.At present, China-Nepal economic and trade cooperation is developing steadily. The bilateral trade volume reached $1.8 billion in 2023, up 9.1 percent year-on-year. Notably, China’s imports from Nepal increased by 59.5 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs (GAC).In the first 10 months of 2024, trade volume between the two countries reached $1.58 billion, up 8.7 percent year-on-year, demonstrating the huge potential of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, GAC data showed.

MEBAA Show 2024 showcases UAE’s leadership in global business aviation

Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi, Founding and Executive Chairman of MEBAA – the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association, and Timothy Hawes, Managing Director of Informa Markets, shared exciting updates on new features and expected attendance for the upcoming MEBAA Show 2024, during a virtual press conference held today.Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi, Founding and Executive Chairman of MEBAA – the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association, said: “With just a few weeks to go until this year’s MEBAA Show, the 10th edition marks a key opportunity to reflect on the remarkable evolution of the industry since the show’s inception almost two decades ago. It will also set the stage for the future, acting as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas that drive the industry forward.“The business aviation sector continues to experience significant growth, fuelled by rising demand for flexible travel solutions and technological advancements. In our region, the influx of high-net-worth-individuals, its strategic location, investments in infrastructure and rising number of business jet movements and deliveries is helping the Middle East maintain its position as one of the fastest-growing markets globally.  Through the MEBAA Show, we are proud to provide a platform that supports this growth, offering strategic insights, fostering meaningful connections, and showcasing the latest aircraft, products, and solutions. This year’s event reaffirms the region’s leadership in the global business aviation landscape and its role as a hub for innovation and excellence.”Tim Hawes, Managing Director of Informa Markets, said: “As we celebrate the milestone 10th edition of the MEBAA Show, we are proud to witness its evolution into a premier global platform that drives progress and innovation in business aviation. This year’s event promises to set new benchmarks, with an expanded conference agenda and cutting-edge features like the new Advanced Air Mobility Pavilion, Startup Hub, and the Luxury Boulevard, which will each highlight the latest advancements in technology and their transformative impact on the industry.“With over 145 exhibitors this year and increasing interest from international audiences, we’re seeing a record number of new participants as they recognise the value of the MEBAA Show has on shaping the future of the sector. The event will showcase the latest advancements in business aviation and foster invaluable connections. BizAv Talks will also bring together over 55 top executive and thought leaders to facilitate strategic discussions on sustainability, advanced air mobility, and future trends shaping the industry. We are excited to welcome the global business aviation community to Dubai, a city that continues to set the standard as a hub for excellence and innovation.”As the foremost business aviation platform in the Middle East and North Africa, the 10th edition of the MEBAA Show will bring together global leaders, innovators, and decision-makers to discuss key themes including sustainability, business aviation technologies and future trends that will shape the industry.With a refreshed agenda ready to foster high-level discussions and expanded features with innovative concepts to advance the sector, many industry leaders and exhibitors will be attending the show for the first time. This year the show is set to welcome more than 145 exhibitors and more than 10,000 visitors from 95 countries.The static display remains a key feature at the show. Leading manufacturers including Airbus, Boeing Business Jets, Bombardier, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, Textron, RoyalJet, Qatar Executive, VISTA, Falcon, Comlux, Aloula Aviation and more are ready to showcase their cutting-edge aircraft and highlight their innovative capabilities.New features for this year include the Advanced Air Mobility Pavilion and the Startup Hub, a dedicated platform for startups to showcase cutting-edge technologies impacting the business aviation industry, as well as the Luxury Boulevard, sponsored by Falcon, which will provide an exclusive, prime stage for high-net-worth-individuals (HNWIs) and luxury clientele to engage with world-class brands and aircraft.The returning BizAv Talks will welcome more than 55 top executives and innovators from across the globe to shape the strategic direction of business aviation. Meanwhile, networking will be taken to new heights with the Expanded networking opportunities including the Operators Programme, sponsored by Saudia Private Aviation (SPA), and a dedicated networking app, MEBAA Connect, with AI-powered matchmaking, personalised networking, real-time updates, and live session check-ins to ensure MEBAA Show 2024 is a platform to foster crucial connections and drive innovation. The NextGen programme also aims to bring more than 500 students to the show, providing them with valuable insights into various aspects of the industry to help inspire the next generation of talent.To be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the MEBAA Show 2024 will take place at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC), from 10-12 December.

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