AI Appreciation Day on 16 July recognises how AI is being used across government and education. It also brings attention to how prepared different sectors are when it comes to using these tools properly.
We know that different industries are now using AI tools, and it has become a huge topic as to whether or not AI is a tool with more benefits than dangers.
We have seen headlines throughout the years on how AI is being used, or misused, and with this, organisations and governments are doing all they can to ensure policies and protections are in place for responsible AI use.
What Has The Government Done For AI So Far?
The government has done a lot with AI thus far. Recently, they had launched the AI Accelerator Programme under the Government Digital Service in March this year. It is mainly for data scientists already working in government. The course runs over 12 weeks and includes practical projects, group work, and hands-on learning with real tools.
So far, 24 people across departments have completed the course. They learned to use tools like Flask and Pytorch to create working AI applications. One participant built a solar output prediction tool, which uses AI to forecast sunlight and temperature. The course also teaches responsible AI use and the basics of machine learning.
The next round of training is planned for September. The goal is to build long term skills in the Civil Service and help public services run more efficiently.
How Do Different Companies ‘Appreciate’ AI Tools?
Experts have chimed in on how they use AI, and what AI Appreciation means to their companies…
Our Experts:
- Chivonne “Chi” Hitchens, VP of Vibes and Vision, HG Workshops
- Kristina Suskevic, Country Head, Skrivanek Group
- Gleb Tkatchouk, Product Director, ARTA by AIBY Group
- Pavel Buev, SEO & SEM Expert, Pynest.io
- Anthony Whitney, Biofeedback Specialist and Licensed Mental Health Counsellor, Integrative Biofeedback Counselling
- Michiel Prins, Co-Founder and Director of Solutions Architecture, HackerOne
- Freddy Kuo, Chairman, Luminys; Chairman, SYNC ROBOTIC; Special Office Executive Assistant, Foxlink
- Caleb Johnstone, SEO Director, Paperstack
- Jawa Sivasankaran, President, Cyware
- Bernard Meyer, Sr. Director of Comms & Creative, Omnisend
- Johnny Hughes, CMO and AI Council Chair, Avenue Z
- Dr. Christina Inge, Instructor, AI in Marketing Graduate Certificate, Harvard University
- Michele Tropeano, UK Country Manager, Fiverr
- Chris Sander, Head of Sales EMEA, Vanta
- Christian Lund, Co-Founder, Templafy
- Manoj Nair, Chief Innovation Officer, Snyk
- Eduardo Crespo, VP EMEA, PagerDuty
- Samantha Wessels, President of EMEA, Box
- Pri Nagashima Boyd, VP of Data, Analytics and AI, Pleo
Chivonne “Chi” Hitchens, VP of Vibes and Vision, HG Workshops
“At HG Workshops: The Craftaurant, we don’t just craft with our hands. We craft experiences that connect, heal and uplift. And while our space is deeply rooted in creativity, community and cozy vibes, we also believe in working smarter; not harder.
“That’s where AI comes in. We use it ethically and intentionally. Always with a human-first lens.
“Here’s how we’re vibin’ with AI behind the scenes:
• Helping us write marketing copy that actually sounds like us; warm, relatable and full of personality.
• Sorting customer feedback so we can level up every workshop experience without the admin overwhelm.
• Tracking craft and wellness trends so we stay one step ahead of what our guests want.
• Streamlining our event booking and internal workflows so our team can focus more on creating, less on clicking.
• Drafting captions, emails, and workshop outlines so we can stay consistent without burning out.
“We don’t believe in outsourcing the soul of our brand. But we do believe in letting AI support the mission, as long as we stay rooted in intention, ethics and human connection.
“To us, AI appreciation means respecting what the tech can do without letting it take over the parts of our business that require heart. We use it to support our team, elevate our guests experience and make space for more joy, creativity and impact.”
Kristina Suskevic, Country Head, Skrivanek Group
“At Skrivanek, we see AI not as a replacement, but as a partner that enhances human expertise. We use AI to streamline processes – cutting costs, speeding up delivery, and enabling large-scale multilingual communication. But in every case, human review is important, and mainly central.
“When developing our own AI-powered language learning tool, Langzy, we embraced AI for scalability but quickly learned its limits. We encountered hallucinations, layout distortions, and misinterpretations. Only with strong human QA and cross-functional collaboration were we able to turn a good product into a trustworthy one.
“We also applied AI in translating onboarding materials for a global client. The speed was impressive, but users reported the tone felt robotic and confusing. Our human linguists stepped in to soften language, clarify meaning, and make the content relatable.
“In short, we appreciate AI for what it does best: speed, volume, and pattern recognition. But we rely on people to guide it, refine it, and ensure every message builds trust across languages and cultures.”
Pavel Buev, SEO & SEM Expert, Pynest.io
“For me, appreciating AI means using it with intention. At Pynest, we see AI as a way to remove friction, not decision-making. We let it draft, organise, and prioritise — but the judgment, the empathy, the nuance? That stays with us. Appreciation, in this case, is about using AI to protect human energy, not replace it. If a tool gives my team more time to think, to care, to solve harder problems — that’s a win. Otherwise, it’s just noise.”
Anthony Whitney, Biofeedback Specialist and Licensed Mental Health Counsellor, Integrative Biofeedback Counselling
“I recently tried an AI-powered assistant Yung Sidekick built for mental-health professionals, and it has transformed my practice. The tool has reduced my administrative burden, allowing me to focus more on what truly matters: my clients.
“The insightful session summaries are nothing short of impressive. It’s like having a dedicated assistant who understands the nuances of therapy. The ability to record and generate comprehensive progress notes has significantly streamlined my workflow and saves me time.
“An independent study involving 70 psychotherapists has recently evaluated the impact of using Yung Sidekick, versus traditional documentation practices. Key findings include: 55% reduction in average time spent on documentation, from 20 to 9 minutes per session, 40% drop in preparation time, from nearly 15 to 9 minutes per session, and improving adherence to treatment plans. And I can personally attest that it’s a powerful tool for mental-health professionals looking to optimise their practice.”
Michiel Prins, Co-Founder and Director of Solutions Architecture, HackerOne
“AI Appreciation Day should be a reminder that the best technology serves its users first. To keep pace with today’s cybersecurity threats, security professionals are increasingly turning to AI agents that help their teams make smarter decisions, act faster, and strengthen their security posture.
“By instituting AI security agents with capabilities such as program-wide detection and integrated workflow automation, it simplifies security and development teams’ workflows, reducing the time spent on back-and-forth coordination while accelerating action. The result is stronger security with less friction.”
Freddy Kuo, Chairman, Luminys, Chairman, SYNC ROBOTIC, Special Office Executive Assistant, Foxlink.
“AI Appreciation Day is a moment to recognize the industry innovation and advancements in AI and robotics that are reshaping industries. From autonomous inspection systems and mobile robotic platforms to smart security solutions, robotics powered by AI is accelerating a new era of technology that is improving our daily lives.
“These breakthroughs reflect a growing ecosystem of collaboration among technology leaders, researchers, and developers who are working together to solve real-world challenges through intelligent, adaptive machines. Today, we celebrate not just the technology, but the vision, ingenuity, and dedication behind it.”
Caleb Johnstone, SEO Director, Paperstack
“The AI appreciation is putting technology to the service of improving our work and do not eliminate the human in the process. AI tools help us analyze a large amount of data in no time, automate tedious jobs and scale ad test to see which versions and copy perform the best. This assists our team in working more efficiently and enabling us to allocate more time on strategy and creativity which is what we are all about.
“We however are equally aware of the responsibility of working with AI. It does not simply mean making the processes quicker or more efficient. To make sure the tools we work are ethical we are proactive to look at bias and transparency. We also ensure that we do not allow AI to take over human judgments and intuition but to supplement it. AI is supposed to aid our performance not replace it. AI appreciation means balance to us: harnessing it to make us more creative and productive and ensuring it is performed in a thoughtful and responsible way.
“To incorporate AI in our area of work, we can help unleash new potentials to our clients. It enables us to concentrate on strategic level, and at the same time be able to make sure that the work on the ground gets done more efficiently. The ever-evolving nature of AI assures our prospects of ensuring that we employ it in a manner that our work will remain human-like and equitable.”
Jawa Sivasankaran, President, Cyware
“AI agents are redefining cyber threat intelligence operations. Our industry’s challenge was never a lack of intelligence but the capacity to operationalise it. On this AI Appreciation Day, we highlight Agentic AI as the ultimate force multiplier, transforming data overload and complexity into a decisive advantage and enabling teams to act with clarity, speed, and precision.
“These agents move beyond static automation, ushering in a new era of intelligent, adaptive defense where enrichment and triage happen seamlessly and insights are never lost. Their power comes from deep contextual understanding, collaborative reasoning, and the ability to work with human analysts and each other. The infusion of agentic AI into threat intelligence platforms marks a shift from fragmented tools to unified, context-aware operations that elevate human decision-making and deliver resilient, synchronised cyber defense.”
Bernard Meyer, Sr. Director of Comms & Creative, Omnisend
“Every month at Omnisend, we set aside one Friday as AI Day. There are no meetings or regular tasks – we use that time to build tools that save us time the rest of the month. Our rule is simple: if it’s repetitive, hand it over to AI.
“We first started with small games to get comfortable with tools like v0, Cursor AI, and Lovable, then moved on to building things we actually use. From custom GPTs to internal CRM tools, every team now saves hours each month thanks to what they’ve created on AI Day.”
Johnny Hughes, CMO and AI Council Chair, Avenue Z
“At Avenue Z, AI appreciation means honouring innovation with intention and responsibility.
“That’s why we launched AI Office Hours, a weekly open forum where Avenue Z’s AI Council explores ethical use cases, shares recent news surrounding AI use, evaluates the latest productivity tools, and educates our employees on how to successfully blend AI with real human strategy.
“Avenue Z also conducts proprietary AI research. Our AI Visibility Index AIVx analyses how brands across sectors, from Fintech and eCommerce, are ranking in AI search among LLMs like Chat GPT and Perplexity.
“Appreciating AI means being proactive about governance and transparency. We ensure every tool we adopt serves our mission – to drive meaningful, measurable impact for the brands we serve.”
Dr. Christina Inge, Instructor, AI in Marketing Graduate Certificate, Harvard University
“At MindStory, we approach AI with a clear north star: human-centered efficiency, not soulless automation. We believe AI should augment decision-making, not replace human wisdom or empathy—especially in marketing and communications. That means:
Using AI to reduce busywork so teams can focus on strategy
Rejecting surveillance-based AI that compromises privacy or trust
Embedding ethical guardrails in every implementation—from prompt structure to data sourcing
“We use AI the way you should use salt: strategically, ethically, and never in large amounts without testing it first. It should enhance—not overpower—the flavor of your work.”
Michele Tropeano, UK Country Manager, Fiverr
“With the UK’s labour market undergoing a quiet revolution – and AI at the heart of this shift – Fiverr sees firsthand how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work. Today, we are seeing new categories and jobs that didn’t even exist a few months ago, thanks to AI. The opportunity is there and the forward thinkers are already embracing it. Our research finds more than one in five UK business leaders now rely on freelance talent to plug AI skills gaps, as full time employees struggle to keep pace. From this, we’re seeing the rise of a new kind of digital worker: agile, AI-native, and independent.
“Vibe coding in particular has sparked recent debate – as code gets more generative, human taste becomes the differentiator. Vibe coding shifts the developer’s role from technician to that of a curator – transforming codes into design, feelings and experiences.
“Ultimately, AI is only as powerful as the people behind it. On AI Appreciation Day, it’s time to not just celebrate the technology, but also the growing community of freelancers who are adopting it, innovating with it, and leading the way in this dynamic new era of work.”
More from Artificial Intelligence
Chris Sander, Head of Sales EMEA, Vanta
“As we acknowledge the power and opportunities AI brings to businesses, we must also acknowledge and plan for the risks. In cybersecurity, AI is a double-edged sword – it brings efficiency and reduces human error, but also must be managed appropriately. Despite the technology bursting onto the business scene, our research finds just 42% of organisations have, or are in the process of putting, a company AI policy in place.
“So, organisations must get organised and get compliant. In addition to AI policies, pursuing frameworks like ISO 42001 and NIST AI RMF will raise the bar for AI security standards. While UK organisations may not need to meet every EU AI Act requirement, compliance is recommended, especially when engaging with AI in the EU. The more AI scales, the faster we need to scale compliance and control alongside it.
“Without proper management, AI increases threats, risking reputational damage and customer trust. Organisations should become compliant today to safely unlock AI’s benefits and keep the UK at the forefront of technology innovation.”
Christian Lund, Co-Founder, Templafy
“ROI from AI becomes clear when it’s linked to specific, measurable outcomes, like streamlining document workflows, reducing manual work and ensuring brand compliance at scale. Our collaboration with Tietoevry is a great example: by implementing our platform, they were able to generate over 100,000 brand-compliant documents in six months, showcasing how automation can deliver tangible business value.”
“For B2B AI vendors, demonstrating ROI is about embedding AI into existing tools and workflows. Our AI-powered document agents integrate with platforms like Microsoft 365 to automate everyday document tasks – like retrieving the right slides or updating legal disclaimers – without disrupting how people already work. That combination of seamless integration and measurable productivity gains is what makes the value of AI real to clients.”
Manoj Nair, Chief Innovation Officer, Snyk
“Appreciation means balancing AI benefits with guardrails to keep software safe.
“One of the most transformative areas of AI is within software development, where a flywheel of faster innovation propels the whole field, making software developers’ lives both easier and more complex. Just taking vibe coding as an example – it’s incredibly powerful for rapid prototyping and making software development more accessible. Yet it comes with important security considerations since you’re not directly controlling every line of code. The key is understanding both its potential and limitations.
“These AI tools require human experience for sense-checking. Anything intended to be used in the wild, with user data, privileges, or that can be used as an attack vector by a bad actor, is likely to become a problem if experienced people aren’t overseeing the process.
“Not all AI is equal. GenAI currently risks hallucinations and people-pleasing, but other types like symbolic AI solutions can be used to apply rules and fact check. It’s important with any AI process to insert human planning at the start, accountability during, and review for the output. Smart design can use specialist security AI, for example, as a guardrail for vibe coded outputs – encouraging both productivity and experimentation with trust and quality control.”
Eduardo Crespo, VP EMEA, PagerDuty
“There are numerous great use cases for AI to augment people power, such as within incident management. Technology infrastructure has grown increasingly complex, interdependent and often fragile. AI can be deployed to support maintenance and incident remediation to help reduce service downtime.
“The volume of telemetry, number of API calls and any other measure of modern IT complexity also put unrealistic demands on IT operations management teams. AI solutions can help minimise ‘noise’, and when combined with human experience, lead to greater uptime and business resilience. And increasingly, technical architectures will include agent to agent operations and create room for strategic work on novel and less understood issues by humans.
“Organisations must recognise their team skills and urgently prepare them for greater AI integration to support vital operations tasks. Human skills include investigation, analysis, fault finding and reverse engineering. Appropriate skills can be acquired through various sources, but mentoring and documentation within organisations is critical to keep in-house information current and widespread.”
Samantha Wessels, President of EMEA, Box
“This AI Appreciation Day, it’s clear that enterprises are moving beyond the AI hype to implement scalable and intelligent AI solutions that deliver real business outcomes. Successful AI implementation isn’t about the technology alone. It’s about reimagining your entire organisation. The companies winning aren’t just automating—they’re fundamentally redesigning how work gets done.
“At Box we see this transformation firsthand. Our recent State of AI in the enterprise survey reveals that 94% of enterprises are already leveraging AI to stay competitive and unlock valuable insights from unstructured data. Early adopters report impressive gains, averaging 37% productivity improvements. We’re witnessing a surge in the adoption of autonomous AI agents, with 87% of organisations now deploying these agents to accelerate knowledge work across the enterprise.
“Organisations achieving high productivity and ROI integrate AI as a strategic asset, not just a tool. By doing this they’re driving innovation, streamlining operations, and enhancing business decision-making.”
Pri Nagashima Boyd, VP of Data, Analytics and AI, Pleo
“AI Appreciation Day is a timely reminder for finance teams to move beyond theory and start implementing automation to streamline operations. Referring to AI as merely the “future” of finance risks delaying the adoption of tools that are already driving real impact today. The gap is widening between teams leveraging automation – gaining visibility, reducing admin burdens, and freeing up strategic thinking – and those still on the sidelines.
“While there’s increased momentum around adopting AI, integration should be thoughtful, measured and tailored. Start by identifying platforms that suit your workflows. Look closely at which tasks consume time and mental energy – these are often ideal candidates for automation. Next, ensure cross-functional teams are brought along the journey. Investing in AI literacy and upskilling is essential for long-term success.
“Finally, let go of the idea that you need the perfect system or perfect moment to begin. AI tools will continue to change and develop, but the sooner you start adapting, the easier it becomes to evolve with them.”
