Author name: Molly Ferncombe

QuantumBlack’s latest analysis shows AI agents now complete complex tasks twice as fast as a year ago, signalling a major shift in enterprise performance. HSBC, Unilever and Rolls-Royce are among the organisations already experimenting with agentic systems to accelerate compliance, innovation and engineering insight, evidence that corporate AI adoption is moving rapidly from theory to practice

In this exclusive contribution for The Executive Magazine, Kenny Alegbe, Founder of Brim AI, reveals why successful AI adoption has little to do with headlines and everything to do with three fundamental principles. Drawing from his work across the UK, Alegbe shows how pragmatic leaders are embedding AI to deliver measurable returns—from 30% increases in proposals to 6% cost reductions—whilst maintaining complete control over operations

Whilst 95% of AI pilots crash and burn, delivering no economic value, a select few organisations are achieving extraordinary breakthroughs—slashing operational times from hours to minutes and unlocking entirely new revenue streams. The difference isn’t technological prowess or timing; it’s the courage to abandon incremental thinking and completely reinvent core business processes. As ServiceNow’s Matt Higham warns, companies clinging to cautious experimentation whilst competitors embrace radical transformation may find themselves in an impossible position: not just behind the curve, but permanently left behind