AI: How to Get Started Now

At the M2 AI Summit, Asa Cox, the founder and CEO of Arcanum, delivered a keynote that cut through the hype and laid out a pragmatic roadmap for business leaders eager to harness the power of AI. Arcanum, a leader in AI integration, is one of only 20 companies globally to have secured a Strategic Collaboration Agreement for Gen-AI with AWS. Cox, with nearly a decade of experience in applied AI, came equipped with both insights and a sense of urgency.

As he took the stage, Cox addressed a recurring theme from pre-event surveys: the need for practical advice. “How do you get started now?” This question set the tone for a keynote focused on actionable steps rather than abstract concepts.

Cox painted a vivid picture of the current state and future potential of AI. “We are in this mode where we’re still the humans in control. Hooray for humans,” he quipped, bringing a light-hearted moment to the session. “But at the moment, we are actually obligated to input into the AI. We’re in an input-output mode.” This, he explained, is just the beginning.

He introduced the concept of “agentic AI,” where autonomous AIs handle specific tasks with an understanding of organisational goals and policies. “This is not a next-year technology. This is a nearly-now scenario,” he stressed. His assertion was clear: businesses must stop viewing AI as merely an enhanced search engine or a conversation tool like ChatGPT. Instead, AI should be seen as a transformative technology capable of revolutionising business models, recruitment processes, and entire industries.

Cox also described a future where AI would no longer be a supplementary tool but a primary driver of productivity and quality. “Co-pilots are coming,” he said, referring to AI systems that will soon take on more substantial roles in decision-making processes. “What’s going to very quickly happen next is the seats are going to swap. The AI is going to be doing the work, and the humans are going to be on the side, checking what the AI is doing.”

This shift, Cox explained, would fundamentally alter how businesses operate. He envisioned a world where teams of AI interact with other AI teams across companies, negotiating and managing tasks instantaneously. “There will become a new communication protocol,” he noted, “AIs instantaneously negotiating with other AIs, and the humans will have to focus on the human side of building trust, building relationships.”

Cox didn’t shy away from the challenges ahead. He urged business leaders to act now, highlighting the rapid pace of AI development. “At the moment, you’re in a position where there’s no regrets on spending,” he advised. Investing in AI, he argued, is essential—even if it means facing a steep learning curve and initial setbacks. “Because if you don’t, you won’t build the muscles to be able to do this stuff.”

Practicality remained at the forefront of his talk. He shared tips for getting started: using AI tools as study buddies, asking these systems to critique their own answers, and engaging in hands-on AI workshops. “You can’t start fast enough. Just get involved,” he urged. His call to action was unmistakable: embrace AI now to avoid being left behind.

During the Q&A session, Cox addressed the issue of organisational inertia. When asked what stops companies from adopting AI, he pinpointed the lack of momentum and suitable use cases. “The inertia is typically you haven’t found the right use case or the right team to implement it,” he said. “You’ve got to get the organisation on side to start really moving forward.”