Why AI Readiness Is The Next Competitive Advantage

Haris Pylarinos is the founder and CEO of Hack The Box, a leading cyber readiness platform for the AI era.

AI readiness, rather than AI itself, will be the next competitive advantage. Here’s why.

If you’re of a certain age, you may remember the mid-90s at the peak of the internet era. While kids played Pac-Man at the arcade, organizations began connecting online and found an easier path to compete in the global economy through email and instant access to information. As internet access spread, the novelty faded.

But a few organizations leveraged the internet for more than connection. Some reimagined their operations, and others used it to transform entire industries. Netflix challenged Blockbuster in entertainment. Priceline let consumers book travel without an agent. The technology became ubiquitous, but what those companies did with it created competitive advantage.

AI is about to repeat history.

The Readiness Gap

Advanced AI models, cloud infrastructure and security tools are becoming commonplace. Tools like Replit and Lovable let non-developers create whatever applications they imagine using natural language. That opens endless possibilities for innovation. But imagine employees across an organization creating their own digital tools to solve discipline- or department-specific challenges.

This is one of the many challenges keeping chief information security officers (CISOs) up at night. We’re past contemplating AI adoption; it’s happening. So how do leaders coach employees to use it responsibly and productively while maintaining security and enforcing governance across the organization?

Human Expertise Needed

But companies aren’t just looking for AI skills. According to the same PwC study, entry-level roles that involve AI skills are seven times more likely to require capabilities such as judgment and leadership, which aren’t traditionally entry-level requirements. So while AI skills are in demand, human expertise is, too.