Humans Round the Table: February 2026
Businesses are looking for “quick-wins” before committing to deeper integration. Five senior professionals dissect the messy reality of AI adoption.
Many thanks to the Humans Round the Table for their insights: Andreas Koidis (Founder, Merklebaum), Yin Noe (COO, RankBee), Celia Rizothanasi (Founder, Intelligent Acceleration), Kjeld Sanders (Head of Commercial Development, Triodos Bank), and Marc Stöcker (CTO, Leagues).
So what is everyone doing about AI?
In the February 2026 edition of Humans Round the Table, I was joined by five senior professionals from diverse sectors to discuss the messy reality of AI business adoption.
The roundtable converged on a sense of pragmatic urgency, as businesses identify “quick wins” to demonstrate ROI before committing to full-scale organisational rewiring. While there are valid concerns about labour displacement and the pace of regulatory adaptation, the consensus is that non-participation is no longer an option.
AI is fast becoming the infrastructure for a new “machine-to-machine” economy. While the transition will be turbulent, the long-term hope is for a world where agents handle the friction, allowing humans to focus on strategy, creativity and deeper connections.
Takeaways for SMEs
1. Target the core, not the periphery
Successful firms are moving AI into the “value chain” rather than just using it for surface-level tasks. In high-stakes sectors, this means building “copilots” for complex analysis rather than simple automation.
2. AI Search yields high-intent traffic
Early data shows that traffic sourced from AI models can yield up to 300% higher engagement than traditional search. Users interacting with AI tend to have higher purchasing intent, which is shifting digital strategy from keyword SEO to “attribute-based” content.
3. Keep humans in the loop
LLMs still struggle with text mining in complex environments. In business strategy or lending, the loss of nuance in stakeholder interviews can lead to false conclusions, indicating that human oversight remains non-negotiable.
4. Data sovereignty remains an issue
European businesses face a difficult trade-off between local data regulations and the practical necessity of using high-quality US-based models. While some firms are running models on local hardware to maintain control, the funding gap for European alternatives remains a hurdle.
5. Solve the right problem
As technical barriers drop, the premium on “prompting” is being replaced by a demand for strategic thinking and “Socratic questioning”. The ability to frame the right problem is becoming more valuable than the ability to generate the technical solution.
Be a Human Round the Table
The shift from experimental AI to core business integration is well underway. While the path involves navigating technical limitations and regulatory hurdles, the focus has shifted firmly toward measurable ROI and long-term business benefits.
AI may be moving at an incredible pace, but the messy reality of business adoption requires these “reality checks” more than another technology update. If you would like to take part in a future session and share your own insights, please contact me directly on LinkedIn.