Past engagement recap
AI in Business: What's actually working on the Sunshine Coast
Steve joined local leaders from ion smart business solutions, Bringmal and Tech Horizon Labs & Academy for a panel conversation on what's actually working with AI for Sunshine Coast businesses.
St Andrew's Business Network · Sunshine Coast · 10 August 2026
Key takeaways
Start with the problem, not the technology
Identify the genuine business pain point before reaching for an AI tool. And if the process is broken, fix it first: automating a broken process just makes it break faster.
It's a change management challenge, not an IT project
When leaders truly understand what AI makes possible, they stop outsourcing it to the IT team and start treating it as a strategic decision. Culture and buy-in matter as much as the technology itself.
Your company already has the knowledge. AI makes it usable.
Capture conversations, decisions and expertise as they happen ('Always Be Recording'), then use AI to apply that knowledge in entirely new workflows.
AI-native competitors are coming for your customers
For AI-exposed SMEs, the advantage is speed: understand how AI could reshape your market, deliberately choose where to defend, automate or reinvent, and back that choice with real commitment.
It's about repositioning people, not replacing them
Jobs won't disappear, but the people doing them will need to know how to work alongside AI, which is why the skills students build today will shape whether they can compete tomorrow.
What attendees said
"Spot on! Tackling AI and automation by starting small with your biggest pain point, rather than waiting for a massive, fully mapped-out blueprint, is the absolute best way to build team momentum."
Local SME
"Such a great discussion and I especially liked your point about SMEs. There's such a big difference between simply adding a few AI tools and actually rethinking workflows and parts of the business around what's now possible."
Jennifer Miller, fellow panellist