Partner Article

North East businesses urged not to be left behind as AI becomes "standard infrastructure"

New research shows the pace of major AI model releases has roughly quadrupled since 2023, with costs falling as providers compete on price, and We Are Zenith says the gap between businesses using AI and those still "planning to" is widening fast.

The South Tyneside-based recruitment and workforce development specialist runs a free monthly AI Cluster for North East businesses, designed to cut through the noise around artificial intelligence and help firms find one practical use for it.

"AI has stopped being a niche topic for researchers or an experimental side project," said Steven, who leads the AI Cluster at We Are Zenith. "It's now standard business infrastructure. But most small and medium-sized businesses, in construction, care, retail, hospitality, professional services, manufacturing, simply don't have the time to sit and read AI news every week. Understandably, a lot of them are watching from the sidelines, unsure where to even start. That's the gap the Cluster exists to close."

Each session brings local business owners together for a live demonstration of AI completing one real task well: a quote drafted, a rota built, a week of admin cleared, followed by an open floor where attendees bring their own bottleneck and work through it with a coach and their peers.

Every business that attends also receives a free AI Opportunity Audit: a one-page plan setting out the two or three highest-value uses of AI for their business, and the hours each could save.

We Are Zenith says the advice echoes what's being seen across the industry more widely: businesses succeeding with AI aren't the ones chasing every new release. They're the ones who pick one repeated task, test it properly, keep a person checking the important decisions, and measure the time or quality it actually saves.

"Human oversight still matters enormously," Steven added. "AI can draft, summarise and speed things up, but people still need to make the calls that matter: money, legal, anything customer-facing. The businesses pulling ahead are the ones building a reliable process around AI, not just handing decisions over to it."

The Cluster also gives businesses a first look at what's covered in We Are Zenith's Level 3 and Level 4 AI apprenticeships, for those thinking about building AI skills into their team for the longer term.

"If AI still feels like a moving target, you're not behind; most businesses are in exactly the same position," Steven said. "The Cluster is free, there's no obligation, and it's a chance to see what's actually real and relevant to your business, and where to start."

Businesses interested in attending the AI Cluster, or finding out more about the AI Opportunity Audit, can register their interest by emailing steven@we-are-zenith.com.

About We Are Zenith

We Are Zenith is a North East England recruitment, apprenticeship and workforce development organisation built around three pillars: Recruit, Develop and Retain. The business works with employers across the region to attract talent, build skills and support long-term growth, including through its Level 3 and Level 4 AI apprenticeship pathways.