You need to master AI by 2030 — and don’t betray yourself in the process

I’m seeing this a lot. 

Businesses announce they’re entering the AI era. They incorporate all kinds of new software and make ambitious promises. 

It’s the future, they say. 

Yet along the way, they lose sight of their own past. They forget where they came from and leave their values and even humanity behind. 

The result? Neither future nor past — and not much of a present, either. 

Where companies are going wrong on AI

Everyone is talking about AI, yet only 1% of companies have reached AI maturity and a whopping 95% of AI investments fail to deliver. 

I think the reason is clear. 

Companies are not connecting AI to their own identity and culture. They’re not seeing how AI can fit into their founding principles. They’re just throwing AI into the workplace and hoping for the best. 

That’s not the way. 

AI should not change who you are and what you believe in. It should be a continuation of your ongoing story. You can embrace transformation — as long as it comes from within and not without. 

The need to transform should be an impulse that motivates everyone at your company. If you only transform in response to outside pressure, you’ll lose sight of your own path. 

Even worse, you’ll lose sight of your own people. 

Finding the path forward

The other day, we celebrated another successful edition of Santex Hackathon. 

It was our best yet. 35 teams from across our global offices — up to 75% of our workforce — participated. And even a few of our commercial partners wanted to be part of it. 

During the event, teams worked together to imagine and develop AI-powered solutions to everyday challenges. 

One team came up with a platform to optimize nationwide fuel logistics. Another created a system to accurately predict soybean yields. Another, a faster method for logging working hours using just your voice. 

As I watched the Hackathon unfold, I asked myself: 

How did we get here? How did Santex grow from the small company I started 26 years ago — to this community of like-minded dreamers and believers? 

I realized the answer was simple. 

All of us truly want to be here, doing what we do — together. All of us choose each other every time we show up at the office. This is how innovation happens, through human passion, teamwork, and creativity. 

Sure, all the solutions presented at the Hackathon used AI. But it wasn’t AI that made these ideas happen, it was us. 

The future of AI is human. If you want AI to happen at your company, you need to focus on your people. 

Empowered humans will power AI

Look, there’s no way around it. By 2030, your company needs to master AI. 

And I’m not talking about simply using AI. Everybody’s already using it, so that’s not going to make you stand out in the market. No, I mean you really need to master it. 

But here’s the catch: there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. You need to figure out how AI fits into your business. And your teams and collaborators are an essential part of this journey.  

But for them to be onboard, they must feel empowered to grow and help your company grow, in turn. 

According to the latest LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, only 36% of organizations “champion” career development. Yet it’s these organizations that are leading AI adoption. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. 

When you use technology to amplify human capabilities, humans end up amplifying technology. It’s a virtuous cycle. 

And the Hackathon reflects this philosophy. 

It’s a space where our collaborators can think about AI: how to apply it, harness it, give it purpose. How to master it — for the good of our organization and society as a whole. 

Every idea at the Hackathon sought to solve an actual, local problem. Our teams didn’t pitch abstractions. They came up with tangible, practical solutions for real people in real places, right now. 

Because what’s at stake is too important. 

The future of AI is also our future as human beings. We cannot let a handful of tech giants dictate the future for the rest of us. Community experiences like the Hackathon can help us imagine a future for everyone. 

They can show us how AI can be used for good. And how it can lead us to a world we really want to live in, doing what we do — together. 

With human love, 
Juanca