EBO CEO Gege Gatt warns: Be AI-first – or be out of business

"By the end of this decade, there will be two kinds of companies: those that are AI-first, and those that are out of business," warns EBO CEO Gege Gatt at ICON’s 25th anniversary event.

At Salini Resort, ICON marked 25 years of digital innovation with a forward-looking event titled “Applying AI: From Hype to Measurable Impact.”

The half-day conference gathered business leaders, technology strategists, and innovators to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the world of work – and what it means for companies that lag behind.

ICON Co-Founder and CEO Ian Castillo opened the event by reflecting on the company’s evolution since its founding in 2000 alongside Dr Gatt. “AI is not a strategy in itself – it’s a tool,” he said. “Our experience over the past two and a half decades has taught us to identify and focus on the business challenges that need solving first.”

That spirit of pragmatism set the tone for the day, which centred on how to translate AI potential into tangible business outcomes.

“By the end of this decade, there will be two kinds of companies: those that are AI-first, and those that are out of business,” Dr Gatt warned, underscoring that AI is not just about optimisation; it’s about transformation.

ICON’s Chief Sales Officer Christine Falzon took the stage to showcase how the company is applying this philosophy through automateAP, a new AI-powered solution that streamlines the Accounts Payable process. “Gone are the days of manually processing invoices. automateAP handles processing, validation, and reconciliation in hours, freeing finance teams to focus on growth and strategy,” she said.

The event also featured insights from Kyle Anastasi, Senior Account Technology Strategist at Microsoft, who called 2025 “the year of the Frontier Firm,” noting that 82 per cent of leaders plan to adopt digital labour. He emphasised that “intelligent solutions and strategic partnerships” are critical to addressing workforce pressures and scaling efficiently.

A panel discussion moderated by Nathan Farrugia explored “AI-Driven Workplaces – What’s Changing and Why It Matters,” with speakers Ivan Bartolo (BITS Ltd), Andrew Naudi (NOUV), Claire Ciancio (GreenRoads Ltd), and Bernard Fenech (Oney Insurance). The discussion reaffirmed that AI is here to enhance, not replace, human work – but that hesitation could prove costly for companies unwilling to adapt.