As AI becomes increasingly embedded in professional life, questions around productivity, trust and security have moved from theoretical to practical. We spoke to Mark Challis, Head of Cyber & AI Security and part of EIP’s Technology & AI team, about returning to EIP, how his views have evolved, and how organisations can use AI responsibly without forcing adoption for its own sake.
You’ve returned to EIP at a point where AI tools are becoming part of everyday work. From your perspective, where is AI genuinely improving productivity, and where do teams need to be more cautious?
When I returned to EIP in 2018, I could never have imagined how quickly AI would develop over the following years. However, one thing that hasn’t surprised me is seeing how we as a firm have embraced it. EIP has always been ahead of the technological curve, and today we're proud to be an AI frontier firm.
I am genuinely excited about the potential for AI to improve our working lives. Summarising meeting notes, researching new projects and streamlining repetitive tasks are just a few of the areas across our Microsoft ecosystem where we are already seeing significant benefits from the use of AI, in particular Microsoft Copilot.
As with most new technologies, the use of AI does come with caveats. AI is excellent at giving you a strong starting point, but can still require human judgment, review and context.
Caution should always be taken when inputting confidential information into any AI system, and equally when sharing AI-generated content, whether internally or externally.
Security concerns often grow alongside adoption. What do you see as the biggest risks when AI is introduced without enough thought around data, decision making or governance?
Data leakage is a huge risk, and often one of the biggest reservations people have around AI. Without a governance framework, it's difficult to see where data is going or how it's being processed
That's why we've built our approach around four pillars: sound data, a proper engineering team, and thoughtful adoption, and security.
Together, this has helped us build an internal AI Use Policy, detailed guidance on which AI tools can be used, and ongoing training to support staff.
There’s often pressure to ‘use AI to save time’. How can organisations avoid treating AI as a shortcut rather than structured support?
AI can help save your time, but only when used correctly. Without the right guidance and training, there's always a risk of cutting corners rather than improving outcomes. At EIP, we ensure that everyone is supported along their AI journey – with the emphasis being to provide our users with the right tools to work more efficiently, taking away repetitive tasks and using the time saved to produce a higher-quality end result.
At EIP, we are proud to have created our very own hybrid intelligence service, Visser AI. This is a great example of what a frontier AI firm can create and showcases our philosophy towards AI.
It isn't here to replace anyone; but rather enables work to be human-led and AI-accelerated. This will ultimately allow us to offer a cost reduction and faster turnaround of client work, without compromising on quality.
Looking ahead, what skills or mindsets will be most important for professionals working alongside AI responsibly?
In my view, the most important mindset is critical discernment - treating AI outputs as suggestions rather than absolute truths. At EIP, work is still managed by people, drawing on their years of experience and skills, whilst utilising all of the things that AI is good at.
For EIP alumni navigating AI adoption in their own organisations, what’s one practical piece of advice you’d offer that goes beyond simply ‘embracing AI’?
Start with governance and build on the right foundations. Does your organisation have an internal AI policy? Who approves new tools? Have you checked with a client before inputting any of their data into AI? Once these foundations are in place, adoption becomes much smoother and beneficial for both the company and clients. AI is moving fast, and having a clear governance framework in place is essential.
Really useful guide, thank you. I've been to INTA a few times now and the hotel recommendation is spot on — book early or you'll be paying a premium for something much further away.