In December, I ran the last in Season 8 of the Activate AI training sessions on the Isle of Man, in partnership with the IOM Government’s Digital Isle of Man office, wrapping up a busy year both for myself and AI generally on the Island.

Public events are always tricky this time of the year, with Manx businesses getting ready for the Christmas break, but the last event (AI Governance for Senior Executives) ended up being one of my favourites, with great engagement and discussion from the attendees.

By the end of Season 8, I’d completed over 80 hours of training for Activate AI, for around 350 attendees, many of whom came back to me after training to talk about what they are currently using AI for in their business.

In that respect, there is the beginning of movement on the Isle of Man, with some Manx businesses looking at AI more, even starting to discuss implementing solutions.

Now, however, Manx businesses really need to push forward on their AI strategies and start seeing real results.

As we move into 2026, companies everywhere that are not using AI yet, that are not tracking and streamlining processes, and that are not looking at bringing in experts to help them make change, are falling further behind.

The pace of AI is only increasing, and though the AI bubble might appear to burst, in reality, it will just be a culling of the herd.

The global economic marketplace is shifting, and every business is affected, with margins getting thinner and the speed and efficiency of every aspect of a company becoming critical.

For a long time, we’ve been saying every company needs to be a tech company.

Now, every company needs to be an AI company.

If yours isn’t, then you simply can’t keep up with the rest of the world, and after 18 months of running live events, livestreaming, and having regular discussions with businesses of all sizes, that is what I am seeing.

Those who have accepted the change and are using AI (even though they may not like it) are the ones doing well. Those who are taking the “wait and see” approach… not so much.

Before I wrap up, I’d like to thank a few people, as without you, these talks would not have been possible.

First, everyone who has attended one of my talks, livestreams, or training workshops. Without you, and particularly your engagement, questions and feedback, these would have been much less entertaining, both for me and attendees.

Next, Ben & the team at Digital Isle of Man. In the words of one attendee, “this is the best government initiative in years”. Without Digital driving this forward, these simply would not have happened.

To Chamara and the team at Launchpad, as having a great venue in the centre of Douglas is key to holding these events and workshops, and having them be a success.

Finally, to my fellow Activate AI partners. Raising awareness of AI across an entire country is more than the job of a single business, and Activate AI has been a collaborative effort with everyone bringing their own thoughts, knowledge and approaches to the table. Giving event attendees access to that variety and the option to make educated choices as a result is part of what made Activate AI a success.

So, what to expect with AI in the Isle of Man for 2026?

With the Chief Minister’s backing and driven by Digital Isle of Man, the Isle of Man Government’s new “AI Office” is scheduled to launch in January. While we do not know yet exactly what form it will take or where it will be driving AI adoption, it will certainly bring change.

Hopefully, with that level of high-profile engagement, more Manx businesses will follow suit, and we will see Island-wide adoption of AI, potentially driven by clearer regulation and possibly financial support.

While we also don’t know what the plan is for the Activate AI talks or if they will continue or not, I will be continuing to run closed-door on-site sessions, such as my Certificated “AI Essentials & Prompt Engineering” 2-day course, as well as launching a new Certificated “AI-enhanced Marketing Mastery” course, among others.

If you would like to be first to find out when these are available, be sure to join the newsletter.

And, if you are thinking about whether you should look at AI for your business in 2026, the answer, without hesitation, is yes. But you have to take that first step.