Guest post by Ronnie Hamilton, pre-sales director, Climb Channel Solutions Ireland

If compliance feels overwhelming right now, it's not just your imagination. New regulations covering cybersecurity, data protection and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are emerging and evolving – including the EU AI Act. In turn, this means heightened pressure on organisations as they try to navigate the new landscape, anticipate industry shifts, and support partners and customers.

This is also happening within the context of a marketplace defined by complex customer environments, emerging technologies, resource constraints and skills shortages. Organisations must overcome these obstacles to meet their objectives and drive success.

It's a balancing act – between daily operations and legislative requirements, agility and security, compliance and innovation. It's also more important than ever for companies, including technology vendors, to stay ahead. How then do they turn compliance with legislation into a competitive advantage?

Open (AI) conversations

AI adoption plays a critical role in maintaining a competitive edge. By embracing AI, organisations can deliver exceptional services with fewer resources, keeping costs low and service quality high. However, caution must be exercised with open and honest conversations about application and implementation.

After all, the EU AI Act introduces new obligations for organisations deploying AI solutions – emphasising transparency, accountability, and risk management throughout the AI lifecycle. That means greater scrutiny not only from external bodies but also within companies.

For instance, some may consider introducing AI governance roles or availing of offerings such as "AI Managers as a Service." These specialists help companies navigate regulations without requiring full-time in-house expertise and turn the additional cost of AI governance into a business opportunity that strengthens customer service and market position.

Risky business

It goes without say that AI is high-risk and this risk is multi-dimensional in that it encompasses technical risk, as well as agility, integrity and transparency. Therefore, businesses need to take a comprehensive approach to risk management and adhere to robust cybersecurity processes, from multi-factor authentication and regular training to incident response planning, and supply chain security.

This may also require a change in mindset to shift to a more proactive approach covering detection, protection and recovery. A lengthy recovery period following a breach can be just as harmful as failing to detect the threat in the first place. Whilst AI poses a risk and has transformed the threat landscape, it is also assisting in terms of cybersecurity strategy.

Take the integration of automation into threat detection and response processes for example. This is becoming more widespread and more important for meeting compliance requirements. It also enables companies to better manage and protect their data, one of the most valuable (and targeted) assets in the world of business nowadays.

Innovation opportunity

From tackling compliance complexity to streamlining time-consuming processes, these technologies help organisations to minimise human error, enhance efficiency and improve service delivery. That's not to mention the advantage they deliver when it comes to threat detection and resolution.

On one hand, regulatory compliance is daunting. On the other, it presents a significant market opportunity. Forward-thinking firms and vendors can use this to differentiate themselves and demonstrate expertise. In other words, it can be a driver of innovation if approached in the right way.

Only those who evaluate emerging solutions and proactively adopt new technologies, alongside proper governance and compliance strategies, will be well-positioned for success. That means investment. It also means collaboration. But it is worth the effort as finding that balance will not only allow org...