If AI feels overwhelming, you’re thinking about it wrong.

AI is happening. Right now. Now for real, right now. Please for the sake of your future self, PAY ATTENTION.

At a recent panel discussion, some of the biggest names in AI talked about where this is all headed and what business leaders should be doing today to stay ahead. They’re building the future and it’s WILD. The panel featured:

• Prem Akkaraju - CEO, Stability AI

• Ramin Hasani - Co-Founder & CEO, Liquid AI

• Jack Hidary - CEO, SandboxAQ

• Jim Keller - CEO, Tenstorrent

• Alexander Sukharevsky - Senior Partner & Managing Partner, QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey

If your company isn’t figuring out AI now, you might not be around in a few years. I don’t say that to be an alarmist - I genuinely mean that. These experts didn’t just talk theory. They shared exactly how AI is reshaping industries and what leaders need to do today to avoid getting left behind. Here were some of the key takeaways and some practical/tangible things you can do to get started today.

1. AI is changing every industry. You need a plan.

"If you don’t have an AI strategy today, you’re already behind," said Alexander Sukharevsky. AI is already running supply chains, handling customer service, and speeding up product development. The companies that wait too long to get on board are going to be playing catch-up forever.

How to start today:

• Pick one AI project and get moving. It could be an AI-powered chatbot to handle customer questions or an automation tool to clean up repetitive tasks. Just start.

• Put together a small AI team. They don’t have to be experts. Just people willing to learn and test new ideas. Give them a 90-day challenge to experiment with AI in a real business function.

• Use the basic AI tools like ChatGPT + Zapier to automate small, annoying tasks. Free up your team’s time for bigger problems.

2. AI is revolutionizing marketing

Prem Akkaraju said AI-generated video is months (not years) away from being indistinguishable from human-created content. That means marketing teams will be able to create hyper-personalized, high-quality video content on demand. No big production teams. No massive budgets. Just AI creating whatever you need in seconds.

How to start today:

• Try AI-generated content. Use tools like Runway ML for video editing, ChatGPT for copy, or Midjourney for graphics. Test them out and see how much time they save.

• Rethink your content strategy. AI can create more content faster, but you still need a plan. How can AI help personalize your messaging for different customers?

• Set ethical guidelines. AI can be a huge advantage, but you don’t want to end up accidentally making deepfake nightmares. Establish some ground rules for what’s okay and what’s not.

3. AI that respects privacy will win

"AI will only be as powerful as the trust it builds," said Ramin Hasani. AI can do amazing things, but if people don’t trust it, they won’t use it. Companies that use AI to protect data, not just exploit it, will be the ones that last.

How to start today:

• Audit your current AI tools. Are they collecting more data than they need? Are they following privacy laws? Fix any gaps now before regulators come knocking.

• Look into edge AI computing, which means running AI on local devices instead of the cloud. This reduces privacy risks and speeds things up.

• Be transparent. If you’re using AI to handle customer data, tell them how it works and how you’re keeping their info safe.

4. AI is speeding up scientific breakthroughs

Jack Hidary shared how AI is helping scientists develop new drugs, discover materials, and run super-accurate simulations in record time. AI isn’t just crunching numbers. It’s making discoveries that used to take decades.

How to start today:

• Start using AI-powered simulations. AI can test different scenarios way faster than traditional methods.

• Partner with AI-driven research firms. Even if you’re not in science, AI can help optimize supply chains, improve production, and cut costs.

• Look into AI-driven predictive analytics to forecast customer trends or industry shifts before your competitors do.

5. AI hardware is about to get a lot cheaper

Jim Keller talked about how new AI chips are slashing costs and making AI way more accessible. Right now, AI computing is expensive, but that’s changing fast.

How to start today:

• Look into alternative AI hardware options. Companies like Tenstorrent and NVIDIA are making AI computing faster and cheaper.

• Upgrade outdated systems. AI runs best on modern hardware. If you’re still working on 10-year-old servers, it might be time for an upgrade.

• Consider cloud-based AI services. If you don’t want to invest in new hardware, services like Google Cloud AI or AWS AI let you run AI models without buying expensive machines.

Wrapping up

AI isn’t coming.. it’s here. If your business isn’t experimenting with AI right now, I’m worried for you. Truly. This isn’t hype. It’s really happening and everyone should be trying to figure out how to use it.

I’ve been saying this daily to my team and to clients. Challenge yourself to approach problems with the framing of, “How might AI help me solve this faster/more efficiently? What can I delegate/automate to AI? What can I offload so I can focus more energy and time on relationships, strategy, and connecting dots at a higher level?”

The folks that internalize this AI-first mindset faster will have the upper hand in business and work going forward. I am absolutely convinced that the companies/people that win in the next decade will be the ones that figure this out fastest.

What should you do now?

• Pick one AI tool and test it this week. Seriously. Just pick one. It doesn’t matter which one. Even if it’s just for summarizing meeting notes… TRY. IT. OUT.

• Have a team meeting and talk about where AI could help. Find one simple process to improve.

• Stay informed. AI is evolving fast. Subscribe to AI news sources, follow AI leaders, and keep experimenting.

How are you/your company using AI? Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to hear what’s working for you 😊

Onward & upward!
Drew

P.s. If we haven’t met yet, hey there! I’m Drew Burdick, Founder and Managing Partner at StealthX. We work with brands to design and build great customer experiences that win. I share ideas weekly through this newsletter and over on the Building Great Experiences podcast. Have a question? Feel free to contact us. I’d love to hear from you.