AI is on the streets, and in our future, guest blog by Matt Jenner, Founder of Coursensu

Picture San Francisco; hilly, like Scotland - but no match for the history. A wee bit warmer perhaps but comparable ambition and also a magnet for global citizens. I recently visited and noticed something striking: AI isn’t confined to labs and offices - it’s everywhere. From self-driving cars weaving through traffic to billboards promoting automation, AI is integrated into the city's fabric. This visual, tangible presence of AI on the streets is a powerful reminder of how technology influences every corner of our lives.

For startups, educators, and innovators in the Scottish tech sector, this is both an opportunity and a challenge. AI is not a distant trend - it’s already here. To keep pace, we need to adopt a tactical approach that evolves into strategic implementation. We can all start with serious learning experiments, pick something and use it to learn AI with purpose. Ultimately, we must aim for deeper, systemic integration.

AI still carries many unknowns, the beauty within this is the inherent flexibility and potential to experiment. In San Francisco, companies test AI in real-world environments with real people, moving from pilot projects to strategic infrastructure over time. Scotland can adopt this same mindset in our own businesses and this willingness to experiment lends itself to our historic culture of curiosity and innovation.

But experimentation without a clear goal won’t get us far. That’s why it’s crucial to have a vision of how these experiments could scale into fully-fledged, strategic technical implementation. AI is a tool, but the way we use it can define whether we’re simply keeping up with trends or becoming pioneers in our own right.

Take Coursensu as an example. I founded my EdTech (Education Technology) company in Edinburgh, incorporated in Scotland and am supported by Techscaler, the Scottish startup accelerator. Coursensu is a learning design platform, it provides a collaborative visual canvas to plan and prepare engaging learning experiences. I started the company because millions of people still learn from courses and training designed in a spreadsheet.

Initially, AI was an optional extra - users could experiment when they wanted. However, I made it a strategic priority from day one. As the platform evolves, so too has the role of AI. Now, Coursensu offers users much more choice with how they want to use the AI co-pilot. This has evolved alongside AI, and as the capabilities have expanded AI has become more embedded.

Our journey with AI illustrates that when we started small with experiments it didn’t curtail thinking big. What began as optional is now integral to the platform’s functionality, and users increasingly rely on AI to assist with tasks, making learning more dynamic and personalised, while operating at scale. This is the trajectory AI will take in many industries - it begins as an add-on, then becomes foundational.

Much like San Francisco’s autonomous cars, AI is part of the infrastructure of modern life. The question isn’t whether AI will become part of your business - it’s whether you’ll be an active participant or just watch as it goes past. Like a taxi, you can either jump in, or you can stand by while others head off. The choice is yours, but make no mistake - AI is here, and it’s not slowing down.