CodeBase has partnered with Aberdeen City Council and Scottish Borders Council to offer an artificial intelligence (AI) programme for local SMEs.

The ‘AI Navigator’ programme run by technology ecosystem specialist CodeBase is designed to help SME and small business leaders use AI to improve productivity, reduce costs, and make data-driven decisions.

The Aberdeen and Scottish Borders programmes, which are free for participating companies, take place between January and March 2025, with applications closing at the end of November.

The programme is jointly funded by each council and the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  Qualifying companies must have 5 employees or more, and revenue in excess of £500,000.

Lauren Wilson, head of mobilisation at CodeBase, said: “In practice, AI is less about robots taking over the world, and more about tools that can boost your efficiency.  When it comes to organising your business operations, AI can streamline processes, save time, and create efficiencies that benefit your team, your customers, and ultimately your bottom line.”

“At the speed that AI technologies are constantly evolving, it can be hard for SMEs to keep up and work through what will deliver tangible business benefits.

“AI Navigator is positioned to cut through the noise and help SMEs focus on what is really important – howAI can be transformational to their businesses’ efficiency and keep them competitive in fast-moving markets.”

Global research by workplace communication platform Slack revealed that the use of AI tools in the workplace rose 24 per cent during the last quarter of 2023.

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Around 80 per cent of businesses said AI has improved their productivity.  At the same time, while 42 per cent of the sample said they were “excited” for AI and automation to handle tasks from their current job, 31 per cent were “neutral”, and 27 per cent were “concerned”.

“There are still a lot of misconceptions around AI, that’s something we aim to cut through on the Aberdeen and Scottish Borders AI programmes,” Wilson said. “And overall, we’re excited to get going with talented local businesses in each region at the beginning of next year.”