AI-first or left behind: a wake-up call for Sussex business leaders

By Mary Kemp, Founder at AI Potential.

Most teams still treat AI like an optional upgrade. Something they’ll ‘get to’ later.

But here’s the truth.

You’re already in the experiment.

We all are.

Ignoring AI doesn’t make it go away. It just means you get left behind.

The smartest businesses in Sussex are making one key shift:

They’re going AI-first.

What it means to go AI-first

It’s not about using AI all the time.

It’s about starting with one question before any task:

“How could AI help me do this faster, easier, or differently?”

That mindset shift changes everything. It helps you:

• Spot tasks AI can accelerate

• Learn where AI breaks or adds risk

• Build judgment on when not to use it

This is how your team learns the edges. Not from blogs. From action.

3 Moves to make AI your default starting point

If you want to future-proof your team, stop waiting and start practicing.

1. Train your team to ask better questions

AI doesn’t work unless you prompt it with purpose. Start every task with curiosity. Example: Before writing a report, ask AI how to structure it. Then ask how to improve it. One Brighton business did this and cut report-writing time by 40 percent.

2. Encourage experimentation over expertise

Forget the idea that you need ‘AI experts’. You don’t. You need teams that try things, tweak and learn. The real skill isn’t knowing the tech. It’s knowing how to learn with it.

3. Reward smart use, not blind use

AI-first doesn’t mean AI always. Some tasks still need human touch. Celebrate when teams say: “We tried AI here – but chose not to use it.” That’s strategic thinking, not resistance.

Teams who learn where AI works best will win. Teams who don’t will guess.

One Sussex council team made this shift. Instead of banning or ignoring AI, they encouraged frontline staff to test it on admin work. The result? Faster replies, less friction, more headspace for real problem-solving.

They didn’t need new tools. Just a new mindset.

Why this works

1. You build real confidence

Every task becomes a chance to learn. Every success builds momentum.

2. You discover the gaps

You stop fearing what AI might take and start seeing what it can’t do. That clarity is power.

3. You move faster than the competition

While others are still downloading apps and watching webinars, your team is getting sharper every day.

Final thought

Going AI-first doesn’t mean trusting the machine.

It means training your mind to lead the machine.

You’re already in the experiment.

Time to stop waiting.

Ask the question.

Try the prompt.

Make AI your default – before someone else does it better, cheaper and faster.