'AI isn’t an add-on, it’s a new way of working’ says OpenAI exec

Artificial intelligence has moved from hype to reality at a blistering pace. For businesses today, the question is no longer if AI will impact their organisation, but how quickly they can adopt it to build a competitive advantage.

In the latest episode of the Business Leader Podcast, we speak to Matt Weaver, head of solutions engineering for OpenAI in EMEA, about how business leaders can cut through the noise, deploy AI responsibly and achieve measurable results.

Weaver works directly with companies of all sizes, as well as universities and governments, helping them turn tools like ChatGPT into real business outcomes. His message to leaders is clear: AI is not a dd-on – it’s a new way of working.

When most people think of ChatGPT, they still picture a chatbot spitting out text. But as Weaver explains, that’s outdated. AI has moved beyond question-and-answer mode into the agentic era where tools don’t just respond, but act.

“Agentic means AI tools can actually do work on your behalf,” he says. “They can access your internal knowledge sources, connect to business systems like Google Drive or SharePoint, and take actions. You can delegate tasks safely and securely.”

This shift transforms AI from a passive assistant into an active business partner. One example is Virgin Atlantic, which is working with OpenAI to extend its trademark personal service into the digital space.

“They’ve been building a concierge service into their app,” he explains. “It can recommend restaurants, help navigate the airport and even locate lost baggage. The idea is to bring that Virgin personal touch to every digital interaction.”

The benefits aren’t limited to customer service. Weaver himself uses ChatGPT for planning and analysis, replacing hours of spreadsheet work with a single file upload and a one-page summary – often enhanced with insights sourced from the web.

“What used to take me two hours now takes five minutes,” he says.

For resource-stretch teams, these gains can be transformative. To embed this into a business effectively, Weaver recommends his “golden rule of three”:

1. AI literacy: Just as the internet became essential, AI will soon be table stakes. Providing training and resources to build confidence and skills. OpenAI has an academy that offers free courses to help employees use AI effectively.
2. Executive sponsorship: Adoption starts at the top. Leaders need to use AI visibly and champion it openly.
3. Experimentation: With AI evolving so quickly, it's necessary to encourage teams to experiment and iterate.

“If you do those three things at the same time,” Weaver explains, “you’ll see huge uplift in productivity and employee satisfaction.”

But he cautions against restricting AI access to a small group of employees because this prevents the network effects that fuel adoption.

“When everyone has access, you get those moments at lunch where colleagues share how AI saved them hours,” he says. “It creates a flywheel of ideas and excitement. That only happens if the whole team is involved.”

Another trap is treating AI as an add-on. “AI shouldn’t be bolted on to existing processes,” Weaver warns. “It needs to be part of a new mindset: whenever you face a problem, ask how AI might help.”

For business leaders, ROI is key. So what should be measured? Weaver suggests tracking three key metrics.

First is adoption rates: how many employees are actively using AI and how often. Second is time savings: surveying employees to understand how many hours they might have saved. And third is employee satisfaction: are people more engaged and able to focus on higher-value work?

OpenAI’s survey of enterprise users found that 95 per cent of employees report saving time weekly, 77 per cent say they can complete tasks they couldn’t before and 71 per cent feel more satisfied at work.

If that's the case, the revenue impact should follow. OpenAI’s research shows that companies which adopt AI grow revenue 1.5 times faster than their peers. However, the more immediate benefits are time saved, productivity increases and employees freed from repetitive tasks to focus on strategic value.

Despite the benefits, there are concerns around the use of AI. Recent news reports and LinkedIn posts reveal that users’ searches were appearing in Google, but OpenAI and Weaver are quick to address this.

“In the consumer version, there was an optional checkbox to share conversations on Google. That feature never existed for enterprise customers and we’ve now removed it entirely. For team and enterprise accounts, data is encrypted, private and never used for training,” he says.

There are of course, also fears around job losses. There have been warnings that thousands of jobs could go, especially in white-collar work. But Weaver reframes the conversation: “There are parts of work I hope go away, like manual data entry and wading through long reports. Yes, some roles will change, but just as we couldn’t imagine being an influencer or podcaster 30 years ago, AI will create new roles we haven’t thought of yet.”

Weaver’s final message is simple: “Leaders need to lead. Educate yourself, champion AI use openly and create a culture of experimentation.”