Many business leaders recognise the opportunities that these rapidly emerging technologies might potentially bring to bear on their business, but the challenge for many of them is knowing how best to apply it, making it bespoke to their business, and where to begin.

Our work on the Local Skills Improvement has consistently demonstrated the criticality of digital technology and AI skills to businesses seeking to remain competitive within their markets.

AI adoption has become a key policy area for Liverpool Chamber and British Chambers of Commerce over the coming years. At our AGM last week, we were joined by our colleague Shevaun Haviland, director-general of BCC, who urged delegates to embrace the productivity power of AI.

Shevaun described AI as the “juggernaut reshaping our economy”, highlighting how it enables some tasks that might have previously taken months to now be completed within just days or hours. She rightly added that business owners ought to be excited about the positive impact it might have.

BCC has partnered with AI training specialist Pair to create the AI Academy, which offers tailored content adapted to the needs of each business to help them on the journey towards AI adoption for their business. The potential productivity gains are clear, with early feedback from the Wirral Chamber pilot programme showing it could save SMEs hundreds of hours per year on more administrative tasks, which can be redirected into enhancing the core activities of the business.

Liverpool Chamber members are able to gain discounted access to the AI Academy and we shared more details of this initiative at our first Well Connected event of the year at The Spine. The event welcomed lots of existing members and also some new faces from the digital and creative sectors, many of whom are based in the nearby Knowledge Quarter Liverpool innovation district.

We also took the opportunity to showcase our plans for Navigate, a membership community for creative and tech businesses which will run alongside existing services and support, reinforcing our commitment to invest in a shared future with our members. Navigate is being led in collaboration with GoodShip* and its founder Gavin Sherratt, who is fractional lead for creative, digital and technology here at Liverpool Chamber.

The future is already here and we are here to support LCR businesses in every way we can. If you would like to learn more about AI or you want to expand your network among innovation sectors, please do get in touch.