At this year’s Web Summit, one thing was almost impossible to ignore: AI has moved from buzzword to boardroom priority.  

The largest audiences weren’t gathering around keynotes, flashy demos, or even the main stage. They were on the exhibit floor focused on one thing: practical business questions.  

• How do we actually implement AI?
• How do we improve productivity?
• How do we create ROI?
• What does AI mean for our teams and operations?

Microsoft’s session from “From AI Ambition to Real Business Impact” drew one of the largest crowds at the entire event, attendees standing in the aisles, staying even when there were no seats available.

After attending sessions and conversations across the event, one thing was consistent: businesses aren’t waiting for AI to become relevant. They’re already feeling the pressure.

"I’ve been to a handful of conferences. I don’t think I’ve ever seen people stay standing in a packed aisle just to catch a business session. The urgency to figure out AI isn’t coming, it’s already here."
- Karolina Siwiec, Marketing Manager

The excitement around AI is no longer just hype. Businesses are actively trying to figure out how AI fits into their operations today, not someday. But some of the most important conversations that SMBs need to hear weren’t getting nearly enough attention. Here’s what we took away.

AI Adoption Is No Longer Optional

The overwhelming turnout at AI-focused sessions made one thing clear: Businesses are no longer asking whether AI matters, they’re asking how to effectively use it, right now.

From workflow automation to AI assisted decision-making, companies of every size are looking for ways to integrate AI into day-to-day operations. But implementing AI successfully is not as simple as purchasing a licenses or deploying a tool. The businesses seeing the strongest results are focusing on systems, leadership and operational maturity first.

AI Exposes Weak Systems Faster Than It Fixes Them

One of the most insightful sessions we attended explored the shift from AI assistants to AI coworkers, and what that shift actually demands of business leaders.

The panel featured Spence Green, CEO of Lilt, and Andrew Filev from Zencoder, two leaders who have spent years thinking about how technology integrates into the way teams actually work. Their message was direct

"AI doesn’t replace the need for strong management, clear workflows, or accountability. If anything, it amplifies the gaps that already exist."
- Andrew Filev, CEO and Founder of Zencoder

Filev used a memorable analogy to make the point land:

"Even on a pilot’s worst day, the systems and processes around them ensure the plane lands safely. Businesses need to build AI the same way, with the right checks in place so that human error or AI error gets caught before it becomes a problem."
- Andrew Filev, CEO and Founder of Zencoder

The takeaway isn’t that AI is dangerous, it’s that AI rewards preparation. Before rolling out new tools, businesses should be asking:

• Are our workflows documented and understood?
• Do we have clear delegation and accountability structures?
• Are we regularly auditing outputs even when things seem to be running well?
• Are we treating errors (human or AI) as signals to improve the system, not just one-off problems to fix?

AI can meaningfully improve operational efficiency, but only if the foundation it’s build on is solid.

The Biggest AI Conversation Missing at Web Summit: Security

Here’s where we have to be candid about what we didn’t hear.

With all the energy around AI productivity and implementation, there was surprisingly very little discussion about security, governance, and data protection. For SMBs this is one of the most important pats of the AI conversation.

Many businesses are rapidly adopting AI tools without fully understanding:

• What company and client data employees are sharing with those tools
• How data permissions are structured within AI platforms
• Where sensitive information is being stored or processed
• How AI tools interact with existing internal systems

This creates real exposure across a range of areas: data privacy, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, client confidentiality and unauthorized access.

AI security and governance should not be treated as an afterthought. AI adoption without governance isn’t just a technical risk, it’s an operational and reputational one. As AI tools become more deeply integrated into daily workflows, businesses need to treat AI implementation the same way they would another other major technology rollout: with clear policies, security reviews, employee training and ongoing oversight.

If your team is already using AI tools (and they almost certainly are), whether you’ve approved them or not, now is the time to get ahead of it.  

AI Tools Alone Will Not Create ROI

Another theme that surfaced consistently across multiple panels: the gap between buying AI and actually benefiting from it is almost entirely a people problem.

"Businesses may spend $1 on AI tools, but often need to invest another $8 in helping employees learn how to use them effectively. Without that investment, most AI initiatives fail to generate meaningful value."
- Kate Niederhoffer, Chief Scientist at BetterUp

Without structured training, guidance, and visible leadership support, many AI tools often go underused, or get used in ways that create more problems than they solve.  

Some employees may:

• Resist adoption
• Feel uncertain about job security
• Or simply not understand how to use the tools effectively

Spence Green echoed this point, noting that the role of the manager is changing in a fundamental way

"Managers today need to be excellent, not just good. You’re no longer just leading people. You’re leading people and agents. And the skills required tot do that well are the same: clarity, delegation, feedback and accountability."
- Spence Green, CEO at Lilt

The businesses that benefit most from AI won’t necessarily be the ones using the most tools. They will be the ones investing in:

• Their people
• Building clear implementation strategies
• Giving their teams training and grace to learn as they go

AI is Also Changing How Businesses Research Vendors

One more shift worth paying attention to: the way businesses find and evaluate vendors is changing.

Decision makers are increasingly turning to AI platforms like ChatGPT and Claude early in their research process, often before they’ve visited a single vendor website. In many cases, they’re forming initial impressions and shortlists through AI-generated responses.

This creates a meaningful shift in how businesses need to think about their visibility and credibility online. Different AI tools pull from different sources and may describe the same company very differently. Strong educational content, clear positioning, and authoritative online presence are becoming important not just for search rankings, but for how AIsystems talk about you to your next potential client.

The Businesses That Win With AI Will Be Intentional

Web Summit made one thing very clear: AI is moving quickly, and the pressure to adopt is real. But businesses that see genuine, lasting value from AI won’t be the ones chasing every new tool, or reacting to every announcement.

They’ll be the ones that:

• Build strong operational systems before layering AI
• Invest in employee training and change management
• Implement AI with proper security and governance in place
• Approach adoption as a leadership and strategy conversation, not just a technology one

AI is no longer just a technology conversation, it’s a leadership, operational and business strategies conversation. And for SMBS, the companies that approach it thoughtfully with the right systems, the right people, and the right safeguards, will be the ones best positioned to benefit from what comes next.