Wholesale trade associations need to clue up on AI to help their members navigate the threats and opportunities the technology poses, says Rob Mannion, chief executive of b2b.store.
While Mannion doesn’t mention them directly, the FWD and SWA are the two associations that represent the wholesale sector and both have the tools to offer practical advice to guide their members through the 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.
Read more: B2b.store set to host free WhatsApp webinar for wholesalers
“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.
b2b.store is hosting its own webinar, How WhatsApp is Driving B2B Growth webinar, on Thursday 18th September.
