AI in the AM

Why I Started AI in the AM – Tech Leaders Breakfast Event

There’s a conversation happening in boardrooms, tech teams, and leadership meetings across Scotland right now. It’s about AI – but not in the buzzword, hype-cycle way. It’s the much more honest version:

Are we doing this right?  Can we actually trust it? Are we doing this to solve a problem or to avoid being seen as falling behind?

Those conversation are exactly why I started AI in the AM.

In October 2025, I hosted the first Scottish Data & AI Leaders breakfast at The Ivy in Glasgow called “AI in the AM”. The idea was simple: get a small group of like-minded Data and AI leaders in the same room, over breakfast, and have a proper conversation. No slides, no pitches – just honest discussion about what’s working, what isn’t, and why. Five events later across both Glasgow and Edinburgh – I can honestly say it’s become one of the most valuable sources of gaining insight and knowledge within this space.

What makes these sessions work

The magic isn’t in any single insight or takeaway. It’s in the mix of people around the table. Startups alongside established enterprises. Different sectors, different challenges, different levels of AI maturity. That variety is where the real sparks fly. Hearing how a fast-moving startup thinks about AI adoption compared to a large, complex organisation, or how the same question lands completely differently depending on your industry, creates conversations you just wouldn’t get in a room full of people doing the same thing. And as always, some brilliant new connections are made by the end of it. Arguably the most crucial part is that people are willing to be honest. “We don’t have this nailed yet” is said a lot. That’s not a weakness; it’s a conversations starter.

The big questions we keep coming back to

Across the past five sessions, a few themes keep resurfacing: How do we build trust in AI systems? How do we upskill people to use AI safely and responsibly? What does good AI governance actually look like in practice? There are rarely clean answers. But there’s real value in realising you’re not the only one figuring it out as you go. We’ve also had some brilliant discussions around real-world use cases – the successes and the failures – and what actually separates the two. That kind of candid, experience-based knowledge is invaluable.

Building a community / network

What’s been brilliant to see is the genuine enthusiasm for building a strong Data & AI community here in Scotland. Every session ends with new connections made, new ideas sparked, and more often than not, conversations that continue long after breakfast is cleared away. AI has been a buzzword for a long time. But it’s really something to sit in a room and hear how companies are actually trying to implement it and to get the honest reality of it, not the polished LinkedIn version. That’s what AI in the AM is all about.

Testimonials

Don’t just take my word for it. Please see the attached document for a list of testimonials from recent attendees.

Pull up a seat

If these are questions that your organisation is wrestling with, I’d love to have you along to the next one. The more diverse the voices around the table, the better the discussion. Feel free to email matthew.macalpine@cathcarttechnology.com to find out more.