Don’t fear AI; embrace it as your “digital twin”: Tom McGarry

Arival recently held its event between 23-25 November in Edinburgh, Scotland. Arival Activate Edinburgh was the company’s first event dedicated to the UK, Ireland, and the Nordic regions. At the same, Tom McGarry, Head of Business Development at Holiday Extras, persuaded audiences at Arival Activate that AI shouldn’t be feared – introducing the concept of treating AI as a “digital twin”.  Taking to the stage to demystify artificial intelligence and champion its accessibility for businesses of all sizes, McGarry presented a compelling case for why “AI is genuinely for everybody,” drawing on Holiday Extras’ own successful implementation of AI across its organization.

McGarry argued that AI is capable of augmenting human capabilities and driving efficiency.  “AI won’t take your job,” McGarry asserted, “but somebody using it will.” He emphasized the importance of a people-focused strategy in AI adoption, ensuring that no one is left behind.

McGarry shared practical examples of how AI has transformed workflows at Holiday Extras, such as automating the analysis of customer feedback and freeing up valuable time for employees to focus on higher-value tasks.  He encouraged attendees to identify the most tedious aspects of their jobs and explore how AI can help alleviate those burdens.

“If you can reframe that question to be, ‘What is the most boring part of your job?'” McGarry explained, “what you’ll get is an answer that’s ripe to go after, to solve with AI.”

He concluded by highlighting the democratizing power of AI, stating that “AI can level a playing field for us all…It doesn’t matter how you used to be.”  He encouraged attendees to embrace creativity and experimentation with AI tools, showcasing a compelling video trailer created by Holiday Extras using readily-available AI technology – showing what’s possible already.