AI Success Starts with People, Not Technology
Those of us who know AI and use it well understand one simple truth: it’s not a magic wand you wave to make everything better. Implementing AI into a business — and doing it properly — takes planning, time, and knowledge.
If it doesn’t function the way it should, don’t ship it.
We’ve seen this restraint with Apple, delaying their new Siri launch by two years to fine-tune it before release. And we’ve just seen the opposite with Amazon’s new Alexa+.
New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose summed up Alexa+ bluntly:
“The bad news is that despite its new capabilities, Alexa+ is too buggy and unreliable for me to recommend. In my testing, it not only lagged behind ChatGPT’s voice mode and other AI voice assistants I’ve tried, but was noticeably worse than the original Alexa at some basic tasks.”
In his tests, Alexa+ ignored alarm cancellation requests, hallucinated shopping recommendations, and delivered incorrect information.
There are things AI excels at, and there are things it shouldn’t be doing at all. But most importantly, without keeping a human in the loop, AI will never be as good as it can be.
The Naïve AI Trap
Too many business owners still think AI will “save” their business. I hear variations of this all the time:
“I’ve given everyone a Microsoft Copilot licence — why aren’t we more productive?”
It’s the equivalent of handing everyone in your company a chainsaw and wondering why you don’t suddenly have a team of qualified tree surgeons. Without training, all you’ve done is push unrealistic expectations onto your team while convincing yourself you’ve done the right thing.
A Simple Example: Writing with AI
When you use AI to write an article, there are only two correct ways to do it:
- You write the article, and AI edits it for you.
- AI writes the article, and you edit it yourself.
Both approaches save time, and both require a human in the loop.
In scenario one, AI can only edit your work if you write it first.
In scenario two, if AI writes the article, you still have to make it yours.
Either way, AI is working alongside you, not doing the whole job for you. If you let it do all the work, the output will be generic, interchangeable, and devoid of your perspective, your voice, and your company’s unique value.
AI as a Life Skill, Not a Tech Skill
When you understand that working with AI is a life skill — not just a technical one — you start to see what’s required:
- Time and effort to embed AI into your business properly.
- Protected time and training for you and your team.
- Regular updates to training as the technology evolves.
- A culture of sharing — celebrating what works well and learning from what doesn’t.
If you can commit to this and lead from the front, your business will do well with AI. If you can’t, then don’t bother — because the companies that put in the work will eventually eclipse you.
Why This Matters Beyond Business
Research shows that communities with AI-trained workers are better positioned to start new businesses, improve public services, and modernise local industries.
Mayor Richard Parker from the West Midlands Combined Authority puts it plainly:
“In an age where artificial intelligence is revolutionising industries, the need to give all our communities the AI skills to secure high quality jobs is economically imperative.”
He adds:
“As jobs become increasingly digital and data-driven, AI will become a core skill just like English or maths. So, if we don’t make AI skills training a priority and readily available to all, then lots of people risk being left behind.”
We couldn’t agree more — and we’re delighted to see leaders in the UK echoing the beliefs we’ve championed for years. AI skills are not just a competitive advantage for business, they are becoming an essential part of economic and social resilience.
Why We Do What We Do
That’s why we do what we do at Techosaurus. Since November 2024 — less than a year ago — we’ve had the privilege of working with over 100 businesses and learners, with over 100 more already planned between now (August 2025) and March 2026.
We take people on a journey, one day a week, in person. We introduce AI gently, giving learners space to experiment, explore what works, and — more importantly — discover what doesn’t. We talk openly about change management, resistance, and the many different viewpoints that exist, encouraging them to share their own in a safe, respectful environment.
Once they’re comfortable with the tools, we show them how to get the most out of them — passing on the best tips and tricks we’ve learned from our own careers and from the hundreds we’ve already helped. We explore third-party tools that complement AI, and we fine-tune their approach so AI becomes a genuinely useful, embedded part of their business. The journey ends with them creating and presenting their own AI implementation business plan, setting out how they’ll use AI to be more productive and successful.
We’ve seen more than 100 business plans and presentations across countless sectors, then followed that up with private 1-2-1 time to help embed AI into those businesses. We have fantastic case studies, a thriving online alumni group where learners share both wins and failures, and we’re already sold out and at capacity for multiple waves of upcoming courses.
Everyone who joins our course understands the time and effort they need to put in to make AI work for them — and they all reap the benefits of that investment.
Of course, some people ask: Do I have to come to every session? Could you run it over two weeks instead of ten? Why is it so long? Those are usually the people who don’t yet understand the importance of what we’re doing, or the time it takes for these skills to bed in and be used day-to-day. I’ve seen some of them make the time, stick with the process, and end up completely won over. And I’ve seen others who can’t make the time, don’t see the value, or treat training as a box-ticking exercise — and they inevitably get left behind.
We collect feedback every day, and again at the end of each course. The most common answer to “How would you sum up this course in as few words as possible?” is simply:
“Life changing.”
We didn’t set out to make a life-changing course — that would have been far too inflated a claim. We just wanted to help people. We didn’t even realise at the start that we were teaching life skills that apply to anyone and everyone. But as we’ve completed each cohort, worked across industries, read the feedback, won awards, and watched people excel with their new skills, we’ve accepted that what we have here is something special.
Our approach is different to most — forget about the tech, focus on the person — and it works. We live it, we love it, and we’re now training others to deliver what we deliver so we can spread the message further.
We’re also working on a “no frills” online version of the course, a book on our methodology, and a Part 2 programme focused on automation, which we aim to launch by the end of 2025.
Find Out More
If this resonates and you want to see how we approach AI training at Techosaurus, visit https://tsrs.education/ai. You’ll find details about the course, upcoming start dates, and what past learners have achieved.
Final thought
Do the work, keep a human in the loop, and measure what matters. The businesses — and communities — that take this seriously, practise consistently, and invest in their people will lead the way. Everyone else will still be wondering why the chainsaws didn’t make them tree surgeons.