Episode #20 - AI in Business 2026: Reality Check and Strategic Insights

In this episode of Ctrl Alt Dev, Sean and Paul dive into the current state of AI adoption in businesses, debunking hype and sharing practical advice for leveraging AI effectively. They explore how AI is becoming infrastructure, the pitfalls of adding complexity, and the importance of focusing on operational friction to generate real value.

Key Topics:

• The shift from AI as a curiosity to core infrastructure in business operations
• Why most AI investments haven’t yielded measurable ROI
• The importance of starting with business bottlenecks, not tools
• How to identify and eliminate friction points using AI
• The psychological transition from FOMO to fear of waste
• The growing role of AI agents and automation in revenue recovery
• The risks of stacking multiple tools without a strategy
• The future of AI regulation and global governance
• The new mindset: AI as a human and human multiplier, not a replacement

Connect with Paul & Sean here:

Paul Rhodes – paul@ggapps.co.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ukwebdevelopment/

Sean Sale – sean@justapplications.co.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/seansale/

Resources & Links:

• Sleeping Beauty Tool – https://www.justapplications.co.uk/aithatwakesyourdeadleads
• Whisper Speech-to-Text Tool
• Fireflies AI Meeting Recorder
• Replit AI Coding Environment
• The International AI Cooperation Declaration
• Book: “The AI Effect” by John Smith

Remember:

Focus on fixing the friction points in your business first. AI is a tool for removing complexity and empowering humans — the real winners will be strategic architects who bridge technology with measurable business outcomes.