On Tuesday 1st July, Moir Group was delighted to welcome back Simon Corah, leading futurist and CEO of Growth Mantra, for an interesting in-person event in Sydney’s CBD. Simon shared key insights on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world of work and daily life, and challenging leaders not to simply keep up by chasing the future, but to shape it.
3 crucial trends shaping AI
1. From tool to terrain
- Simon explained that AI has rapidly evolved from a helpful tool to the terrain we now work and live in. Over the next five years, AI will increasingly move beyond process improvement to influence how we live, learn, and lead.
- Global tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Apple, are accelerating this shift. Amazon alone is leading AI investment, while the Australian government projects AI could contribute $600 billion annually to the national economy, Simon explained.
- According to Simon, 75% of Australian businesses are using AI in some form. Within a few years, nearly 50% of our daily work will be influenced by AI, particularly in financial services, capital markets, and banking.
2. From automation to augmentation
- Just two years ago, AI was viewed as technical and limited, more “maths than magic” in Simon’s words. It was not expected to create original content or ideas. That is no longer the case.
- Today, AI is evolving from a process optimiser into a true collaborator by shaping workflows, generating content, and influencing decision-making at every level. As it becomes more embedded in our daily lives, AI is moving from being a tool we use to part of the environment we operate in.
- Much like the internet or electricity, AI is fast becoming invisible, essential infrastructure. It’s changing how we work, how we compete, and how we create.
- The question is no longer “Do you use AI?” but “How effectively have you integrated it into your world?”
3. Hyper personalisation and the changing future of work
- AI is rapidly evolving from an assistant to a collaborator, and now, to the creator.
- In healthcare, AI is already being used in the US to develop personalised prescription drug combinations. In education, tools like Khanmigo offer individualised tutoring and assessment. And in entertainment, platforms like Spotify now feature AI-powered DJs tailored to users’ unique listening habits.
- These examples highlight AI’s growing role in shaping hyper-personalised services, transforming industries, and shifting how we live and work. But with progress comes disruption. Global estimates suggest 400 to 800 million workers may need to transition roles by 2030.
- Simon also noted a striking gap between how employees and leaders view their roles in an AI-powered future. In addition, the fastest-growing business structure in Australia is the Pty Ltd company. This is driven by individuals leveraging AI as a strategic business partner to work more independently and creatively.
3 key challenges impacting AI
1. Teaching the next generation the skills needed
- According to Simon, as AI continues to evolve, the skills that set humans apart will become even more valuable. Traits like creativity, emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and critical thinking will take centre stage.
- Rather than simply memorising information, the future of work will rely on our ability to interpret, apply, and make meaning from data. Simon emphasised that helping the next generation build these skills is essential to not just work with AI, but to live alongside it.
2. AI and future ethics
- As AI becomes more embedded in both our workplaces and daily lives, so too does the conversation around its ethical use. From self-driving vehicles making complex decisions in real time to AI being used to monitor criminal activity online, the ethical implications are evolving just as quickly as the technology itself.
- Yet while innovation moves rapidly, regulation tends to lag. As Simon points out, there is a growing gap between what AI can do and how it is governed, particularly when it comes to data security, privacy, intellectual property, and compliance.
- The absence of landmark legal cases makes it difficult to set clear boundaries, leaving businesses and leaders navigating a space that is still largely undefined.
3. Environmental challenges and the future of AI
- In response to an attendee’s question about AI’s environmental impact, Simon highlighted a growing concern that the energy demands of AI are significant and rising. Powering large-scale data centres and keeping up with AI’s processing needs poses not just a technical challenge, but an environmental one.
- In fact, some jurisdictions have started banning new data centres due to environmental risks, such as the wildfires linked to energy overuse in California. Meanwhile, regions with cooler climate and access to hydropower, like Quebec, are emerging as preferred hubs for data storage infrastructure.
- As AI continues to evolve, leaders have a responsibility to ensure the benefits are balanced with environmental and societal sustainability.
3 leadership insights for AI’s next chapter
1. Move from adoption to integration
- The conversation is shifting from using AI to embedding it. This means moving beyond pilot projects to building AI into the very fabric of your business model. Ask bold questions like “What would this model look like with AI at the centre?” to take a whole-of-business approach.
- In addition, professionals can upskill and leaders can redesign roles and teams to work with AI, not around it. Prioritise adaptability and creativity so professionals can solve problems in new ways, alongside technology.
2. Innovate and learn fast
- AI unlocks possibilities that were previously out of reach. Simon encourages leaders to think bigger: AI can do more than improve efficiency — it can spark the creation of entirely new products and services.
- Simon cautions that innovation will not be linear. Some experiments may fail, but the lessons will be swift. Progress, Simon explained, means learning at speed, and failing at a scale your organisation can absorb.
3. Shape the ecosystem
- The organisations that thrive will be those that help shape the future, not simply react to it. This means collaborating across industries to guide responsible development and ensure technology serves a broader purpose.
- Over the next five years, AI will shift not just how we work, but who we become. As leaders, now is the time to take a proactive role in shaping how AI supports our people, our businesses, and our communities.
The organisations that thrive will be the ones who shape, not chase, this future.
– Futurist and CEO of Growth Mantra, Simon Corah
Simon Corah has been a trusted voice at Moir Group for many years. If you would like to learn more, last year Simon spoke about the impact of AI and robotics on the future of work, suitably suggesting that inherently human traits such as compassion, empathy, and creativity will become even more valuable as AI continues to advances.
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