b2b.store CEO Rob Mannion calls for AI trade support

Industry needs to take technology seriously to ensure their members are aware of AI threats and opportunities

Wholesalers need trade associations to clue up on AI to help them navigate the threats and opportunities new technology poses, according to Rob Mannion.

The b2b.store CEO called on federations representing large groups of businesses to get up to speed on AI tools and new regulations in place so they can offer practical advice to guide their members through a fast-evolving environment.

Mannion fears that without proper leadership and sector-specific knowledge, wholesalers may fall foul of possible data security pitfalls and miss opportunities for AI-driven growth.

“The various trade associations should be taking AI really seriously and they have a responsibility to help their members along – there are going to be threats for business in all sectors, but also equally enormous opportunities,” said Mannion.

“The trade associations should be getting educated, talking to experts in the field and taking a leadership role. It’s about succeeding, but it could equally go the other way for lots of businesses if they’re not doing it properly.

“Trade associations have that central view, they have the interest of the entire sector at their heart, so they should be looking at AI and the issues around it and trying to understand what the implications are for their respective sectors.”

Mannion was talking as part of a panel of experts for the ‘AI Act is Here: AI, cyber threats and ISO42001 for wholesalers’ webinar hosted by compliance experts HiComply.

Among the panel was the founder of an AI strategy business, a legal director from a law firm focusing on new technology, and HiComply’s VP of Product, who is helping businesses pass the new ISO42001 standard to guard against evolving cyber threats.

They were all in agreement that uninformed and unregulated use of AI technology by workforces is the biggest immediate threat facing businesses currently, but were also mindful that hackers are now armed with new tools to force data breaches too.

As Mannion pointed out, these could be big problems for wholesalers if they’re not taken seriously.

“If you’re a national wholesaler with tens of thousands of customers, any breach will be plastered all over the trade magazines and more mainstream press as well,” said Mannion.

“It depends if it’s a small breach, like an individual has inadvertently put some confidential content that’s now training an AI system, or whether it’s a major breach of hundreds of thousands of records – it depends how catastrophic it is.

“Companies have the responsibility to put the relevant governance in place now. AI is new, but governance and data isn’t new and everybody knows what to do and they need to get a move on.”

b2b.store is hosting its own webinar, How WhatsApp is Driving B2B Growth webinar, on Thursday 18th September. Visit the following link to register your interest https://my.demio.com/ref/1WNiRTUkkp13VYoo