AI has become synonymous with innovation in B2B marketing, but its true potential goes far beyond creating faster email campaigns or automating mundane tasks. The real challenge is to use AI as a springboard for more strategic shifts.

In this article, we’ll explore how B2B leaders can pivot effectively, leveraging AI to empower their teams, redefine workflows, and drive meaningful growth.

(Spoiler alert: It’s not just about adopting tools or tweaking productivity. It’s about rethinking how your team works, collaborates and measures success.)

Transformation requires visionary leadership

Too often, teams treat AI as a quick fix. Need more content? Use AI. Want to save time? Use AI.

But without a clear vision, you’re just speeding up what you’re already doing. And if what you’re doing isn’t working, AI won’t magically make it better.

Adopting AI tools without addressing mindset and workflows is like using a new gadget without reading the manual. Many B2B teams treat generative AI as a shortcut for faster output, but this approach fails to unlock its full potential.

In fact, the leaders who thrive in this new era are the ones who see AI as a partner, not a replacement. B2B marketing leaders need to rethink the metrics they prioritise, encouraging experimentation, and creating space for AI to enhance creativity rather than replacing it.

Four strategies to lead the AI-driven pivot

• Think beyond productivity

AI is great for saving time, but what are you doing with that extra time? Too often, teams use AI to churn out more of the same, instead of stepping back and thinking strategically.

Tip: Use AI to free up your team’s bandwidth, then challenge them to focus on high-value activities like audience engagement and campaign strategy.

Also Read: AI and ethics in digital marketing: Building trust in the tech era

• Reimagine success metrics

Traditional metrics like click-through rates are fine, but AI can unlock deeper insights. Traditional KPIs like click-through rates or basic lead generation are insufficient in an AI-driven world. AI offers the ability to measure predictive analytics, customer sentiment, and lifetime value.

Tip: Use AI analytics to uncover what your audience truly values. Let those insights guide your campaigns, rather than chasing vanity metrics.  For example, Shift your focus to metrics that reflect long-term engagement and ROI, leveraging AI to uncover deeper insights about your audience.

• Foster a culture of experimentation

AI is evolving, and your team needs to evolve with it. That means being willing to try new things—and fail occasionally, experiment and iterate.

Tip: Create a culture where experimentation is celebrated. Encourage your team to test bold ideas and share what they learn, even if it doesn’t always work out.

• Invest in continuous learning

AI tools are just the beginning. To truly lead in this space, your team needs to stay ahead of the curve.  Leverage training resources or incorporate regular opportunities in your teams’ learning and development roadmap.

Tip: Make AI literacy a priority. Offer regular training and/or host brainstorming sessions to explore new use cases.

Conclusion

AI is more than a tool because it can be a catalyst for change. Yet, to unlock its full potential, B2B leaders need to lead with vision, curiosity, and a commitment to transformation.  It will involve rethinking how your team works and how they work with other teams.

The question isn’t whether AI will change marketing. The real question is: Will you lead the change—or get left behind?

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Today’s fear of losing the benefits Mother Nature has been showering for ages can best be dealt with through environmental education. This will help address the pressing eco-living challenges that make some people panic.

Luckily, however, there’s the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the academe that presents a transformative opportunity to enhance every learner’s experience. This article will help you explore how AI, with all its advancements, can significantly enhance environmental education.

AI prowess: Transforming and enhancing environmental education

Personalised learning experiences with AI

In today’s educational scene, AI has enabled almost all educational content to meet the individual needs and learning paces of students. It can easily analyse data on students’ preferences, strengths, and weaknesses, furthering and customising their learning paths.

For example, students struggling with understanding climate change can be given additional resources like interactive simulations and targeted quizzes to reinforce their learning processes. This more personalised approach can make sure that each student receives the support they need so they can grasp the complex environmental concepts fully.

Also, integrating an AI voice generator or making text-to-speech content into the teaching tools mix can make learning even more engaging. They can offer apt audio explanations that are more tailored to each learner’s coaching pace.

Interactive and immersive learning through AI

The more interactive and immersive the learning, the more attention-getter your educational content, and that’s how AI is transforming today’s young generation and academia. AI’s most compelling advantage in imparting learning is its ability to create these more dynamic environments. 

Fronting this advantage is making students experience ecosystems firsthand, not just reading about them, through:

• Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) learning modules

These modes of learning, through VR and AR, allow students to explore various ecosystems and observe wildlife up close, making it more immersive and relatable. Also, these tech-savvy media of instruction can explore fantastic locations, like the Arctic tundra, without leaving their classroom.

• Firsthand experiences with AI

Your students can virtually dive into enchanting coral reefs or witness the horrible effects of deforestation. These will be enriching stories to tell when they’re with their siblings and friends who still lack knowledge about people’s footprint in nature.

• Engaging and impactful learning through AI

AI can give students an immersive experience that will make their learning more engaging and fun. It’s also where they’ll develop a deeper connection with the environment through their AI-driven learning experiences.

With AI, student learning is no longer hemmed in by textbooks but with a stimulating, personalised, interactive, and immersive coaching style. These learning avenues make education more impactful and relatable, helping students connect with their courses or subjects more deeply.

Education with AI: Enhancing your research capabilities

The more advanced AI of today can significantly enhance every student’s research capabilities by opening doors to vast amounts of information and advanced analytical tools. Even AI-driven platforms can now curate and summarise the latest scientific research, helping students stay in the know about the latest and most trending developments in environmental science.

Also Read: The future is here: Seizing the first-mover advantage in AI entrepreneurship

Also, the invaluable assistance of AI in data analysis is quite astounding, enabling students to complete complex research assignments and projects efficiently and more accurately. This can be quite beneficial for higher education students and researchers who are working on more highly advanced and efficient environmental solutions.

Gamification of environmental education with AI

The academia is one recipient of the revolutionising benefits of gamification, especially in the realm of environmental studies and research like:

• AI-powered educational games

Many students become more interested and immersed in AI-created interactive games, which make learning about the environment more fun and competitive. These games also help turn boring lessons into more engaging and enjoyable activities. 

• Virtual conservation projects

Some of these learners are students who become interested in virtual conservation projects, solving environmental problems to advance in their gamified learning platform. It’s a more hands-on approach that helps students understand and relate to more complex environmental preservation concepts.

• Teaching key concepts

These games are so lighthearted that teaching sustainability, resource management, and biodiversity conservation has never become so attractive to learners. It’s where students can learn more lessons about the environment in a more relaxed, enjoyable, and interactive way.

These are just some of the ways where AI has so empowered education with tools and strategies to enhance every student’s environmental education, that even if faced with the increasingly complex environmental challenges, the next generation may become more eco-friendly and eco-conscious citizens and leaders.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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Dear reader,

The impending shutdown of TikTok’s US operations marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate about national security, data privacy, and digital freedom. With 170 million American users and a global presence supported by US-based infrastructure, TikTok’s potential ban exemplifies the complexities of regulating technology in an increasingly interconnected world.

At the heart of the controversy lies the tension between safeguarding national security and preserving freedom of expression. The US government’s mandate for ByteDance to divest TikTok stems from concerns about data accessibility by Chinese authorities. While such concerns are valid in the context of rising geopolitical tensions, critics argue that a blanket ban infringes upon First Amendment rights and disrupts the livelihoods of countless creators and businesses reliant on the platform.

The situation has been further muddled by political posturing. President-elect Donald Trump’s deliberation over an executive order to delay the ban contrasts sharply with the outgoing Biden administration’s firm stance on enforcing the law. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court’s indecision underscores the legal ambiguity surrounding the issue.

This lack of clear direction has left TikTok users and businesses in limbo, highlighting the absence of a cohesive strategy for balancing security concerns with the rights of private entities.

TikTok’s assertion that a US ban could disrupt services globally raises significant questions about the unintended consequences of such policies. The platform’s role as a cultural and economic phenomenon cannot be understated, and its shutdown could set a concerning precedent for the future of global tech regulation.

Ultimately, this episode serves as a reminder of the need for nuanced policymaking. As governments grapple with the challenges of digital sovereignty, the TikTok saga underscores the importance of balancing security imperatives with the principles of openness and innovation.

Sainul,
Editor.

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NEWS & VIEWS

TikTok may shut down in US on Sunday: sources
The decision will depend on whether the Supreme Court intervenes to block the ban | Under current legislation, new downloads of TikTok are prohibited from Apple and Google app stores.

Oyo investors plan to sell stake at US$3.9B valuation
Early Oyo investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, are in talks with family offices to sell their shares | Peak XV, another early investor in Oyo, recently sold part of its 3% stake, earning US$80-US$90M.

Digibank Sygnum achieves unicorn status after US$58M raise
The round was led by bitcoin-focused venture capital firm Fulgur Ventures | The Swiss and Singaporean company plans to use the funds to expand into new markets, including the EU, EEA, and Hong Kong.

Singapore, Thailand authorities move to block crypto betting site Polymarket
Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory Authority blocked access to the prediction markets platform in December, as it was deemed to be providing unlawful gambling, a spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday.

India’s Breathe Well-being lays off 100 employees: sources
The layoffs were reportedly due to the healthtech startup’s inability to raise fresh funding, leaving it with a runway of just six months to a year | The startup, which helps manage and reverse Type 2 diabetes, has raised over US$10M to date.

Skor scores US$6.2M funding to tackle Indonesia’s credit market
The investors include Argor Capital, QED Investors, and Saison Capital | Skor’s product Skorcard is designed as a digital-first product, with a purpose-built mobile app that uses “gamification” to engage users.

Singapore bitcoin rush defies MAS warnings
According to Gavin Chia, CEO of investment platform Moomoo, the trading volume of bitcoin ETFs in Singapore increased by over 200% in November compared to October 2024. Over 50% of the platform’s crypto traders in 2024 were Singaporeans.

SC Ventures, ENGIE Factory launch Qatalyst to transform carbon finance market
The goal is to simplify and expedite the identification, due diligence, and oversight of carbon abatement projects, thereby addressing longstanding inefficiencies in the sector.

iMyanmarHouse launches C2C marketplace for individuals to connect, exchange goods
iMyanmarMarket’s emergence comes after the late 2022 exit of OneKyat, a C2C e-commerce platform previously owned by Carousell | iMyanmarMarket is also looking to expand into the business-to-consumer (B2C) sector.

Urban solutions, sustainability take centre stage at SMU’s LKYGBPC startup challenge in 2025
This year’s LKYGBPC is enhancing its support for participants by connecting finalists with Southeast Asia’s leading business families.

Amazon to acquire Indian BNPL firm Axio
The financial terms were not disclosed, but sources estimate the transaction exceeds US$150M | This acquisition marks Amazon’s second purchase in India within a year, following its acquisition of video streaming service MX Player in June 2024.

SG corporate finance firm W Capital secures Series B funding
received investments from existing seed shareholders, a single-family office, and leaders from listed companies | W Capital Markets has executed over 50 transactions valued between US$36.6M and US$2.19B.

Kaya Founders plans to invest in 10 to 15 startups in 2025
Kaya Founders focuses on pre-seed and series A startups in the Philippine market, with an emphasis on technology-driven solutions, AI, and financial services.

Meta warns of feature rollbacks after antitrust ruling in India
Meta Platforms may be required to withdraw certain features in India due to a directive from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) | These restrictions could affect Meta’s ability to provide personalised ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram in India.

SG women’s health startup Aura Fem Health secures US$200K in funding
Aura Fem Health aims to address the gaps in women’s healthcare, considering mental, physical, and environmental factors | Currently, Aura serves users in ten countries, mainly in the US and Europe, targeting women aged 40 to 55.

Grab, BYD partner to expand EV fleet in Southeast Asia
The partnership will bring up to 50K EVs to Grab’s driver-partners in the region | This collaboration aims to reduce the costs of EV adoption and promote sustainable transportation.

FEATURES & INTERVIEWS

Rise of the machines: 20 robotics startups shaping Southeast Asia’s future
Singapore leads the region in robotics adoption, particularly in manufacturing and service industries, due to its robust R&D infra and favourable investment climate.

How NEU Battery Materials is powering the circular economy for lithium
NEU Battery Materials has developed a proprietary electrochemical redox-targeting technology to sustainably recycle Li-ion batteries.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The banking revolution: Balancing convenience and security in the digital era
In the digital age, banking undergoes a transformation where convenience meets security, and fintech revolutionises financial management.

From teaching to a writing startup: Why and how I’ve pivoted my career
Don’t stop learning and trying new things. Even if it seems useless or controversial at first, every skill you have will come in handy one day.

How millennial investors are taking control of their wealth creation
Tech is making investing more accessible for young investors in Southeast Asia but disinformation can threaten financial wellbeing.

How Generative AI will advance embedded lending
The latest developments in generative AI will bring some significant developments to the lending industry with more personalisation.

How fintech in Asia is enabling and making education affordable for everyone
Financing has always been the key barrier for enrolment and retention and is a top-of-mind issue for schools.

Edutech in a post-pandemic world: Where do we go from here?
Edutech stands to furnish massive opportunities to startups that seek to provide solutions for the ever-evolving education sector.

How the metaverse opens new opportunities for education
Education in the metaverse will be more democratised, the academic curriculum will be more equitable and open.

How to navigate through the vast opportunities in the finance industry
As the scope of the finance industry continues to evolve, a career in the industry can be fast-paced, dynamic, challenging, and enriching.

Openness and collaboration in education is what the world needs
To solve the problems of tomorrow, we need to leverage digital technology to match the world’s best minds with the best education resources.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

US$25B lost: Crypto’s deepfake defence is failing
With minimal technical knowledge, AI can now generate hyper-realistic deepfake content | As a result, it is becoming increasingly hard to distinguish between legitimate and deceptive media.

How this founder went from being a tutor to a modern-day mompreneur
As a mompreneur every day I am tasked with managing the home and the office and juggling between the two.

Leading the pivot: Transforming B2B marketing in the age of AI
The question isn’t whether AI will change marketing; the real question is: will you lead the change or get left behind?

How to use AI positively and stay ahead in your career
The real question isn’t whether AI will take over but whether we’ll take advantage of it to stay ahead in our careers.

Beyond drug discovery: How generative AI is revolutionising content creation in biotechnology
Generative AI is set to revolutionize scientific data processing, analysis, and presentation, prompting biotech leaders to rethink content strategies.

The future of education is AI: Here’s how it will look
With the right kind of AI, edutech enterprises can not only shape the future of curriculum, but also the very culture of learning.

How AI and digital strategy are shaping the future of connectivity
A platform-based approach helps telcos future-proof with digital integration, automation, and intelligence.

Gina Romero’s quest of unchaining women through AI and digital tasks
“Making sure that women have access to technology is a gamechanger, it creates opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise exist,” says Romero.

How a hospitality career helped me jump into tech
This article focuses on my journey where I changed the trajectory of my career and went on to become a full-stack software developer.

Is Vietnam the new AI destination? NVIDIA might say yes!
The partnership with NVIDIA highlights the commitment of Vietnam to high-tech development and a skilled workforce.

The digital silk road: How Southeast Asian startups are redefining cross-border collaboration
The journey of Southeast Asian startups represents more than a regional success story – it offers a blueprint for global technological collaboration.

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In the bustling world of hospitality, where every interaction shapes a guest’s experience, ensuring that staff are well-trained and deeply engaged is paramount.

Matt Spreigel, founder and CEO of Singapore-based Atiom, recognised a critical gap in traditional training methods and embarked on a journey to redefine how hospitality companies develop their teams.

Atiom, an AI-powered, gamified platform, isn’t just another training tool; it’s a novel approach to building high-performing, satisfied, and loyal workforces.

Spreigel’s journey began not in a boardroom but on the back of a motorcycle in Maua, Kenya, while he was interning at a micro-finance bank. Immersed in a vibrant culture, surrounded by children he’d never met, he had an epiphany: “Every day we change forever.”

This experience instilled in him the belief that each moment holds the power to transform, inspiring him to approach each day with a sense of limitless possibility. This mindset set the stage for his future entrepreneurial endeavours.

Also Read: The future of gamification: Connecting brands with consumers through games

A year later, a move to China to study Mandarin evolved into a decade-long immersion. Struggling with intensive study hours, Spreigel discovered the power of Anki flashcards.

This tool, which used frequent short study sessions and applied learning, allowed him to learn effectively. It was a key step in developing Atiom’s spaced repetition learning methodology.

When Spreigel encountered a challenging workplace training scenario during his time at a multinational company in Shanghai—eight days of PowerPoint slides in Chinese—he knew there had to be a better way. He supplemented his learning with his own Anki flashcards, and soon, he was learning more effectively on his own.

This experience crystallised the need for a more personalised, flexible, and engaging approach to training, and Atiom was born.

The shortcomings of traditional training

Traditional classroom training, designed for the Industrial Revolution, is simply not keeping up with the demands of the modern hospitality industry. Spreigel highlights the major limitations of such methods, noting the often long hours and low pay in the industry.

Simply getting staff to a classroom for training is a challenge, let alone keeping them motivated. The “one-size-fits-all” approach of traditional training fails to accommodate the individual needs of employees, often leaving them without effective tools for review and retention. As Spreigel notes, repetition is vital for mastery but must be personalised.

The front-line workforce is often underserved. These are the individuals who make our daily lives smoother – the people who maintain workplaces, get us to meetings on time and make our coffees. They are too often taken for granted. This is reflected in the fact that many companies invest more in middle management and above.

Spreigel argues that this creates a negative cycle of low morale and performance. Companies that invest in their front-line employees see big benefits, with more engaged staff who are more productive and loyal, which boosts customer experiences.

Gamification and AI: The Atiom difference

Atiom leverages gamification to keep employees engaged, using quizzes, challenges, and rewards, as well as providing bite-sized content. These features make training more effective and drive lasting shifts in performance.

Gamification also allows employees to track their progress with milestones and leaderboards, fostering healthy competition and teamwork.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is central to Atiom’s platform. It creates a dynamic learning path for each employee, focusing on areas where they need support. Ati, Atiom’s AI assistant, streamlines the creation of training modules, surveys, and local newsfeed posts while also customising content to meet each organisation’s unique needs.

Human psychology and data-driven behaviour change

Atiom understands that lasting behaviour change is built on strong foundations. The platform uses intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to increase participation and foster achievement. It incorporates bite-sized content and daily quests. In addition, insights from data can be used to create daily challenges that spark positive shifts in performance.

Atiom focuses on delivering measurable business outcomes, not just increased training hours. They report 100 per cent customer retention with each account growing by over 2x on average. In addition to revenue growth, they have received a lot of positive feedback from front-line teams.

The future of employee training

Spreigel foresees a shift towards a more blended and holistic approach to employee training, noting that whilst technology will continue to advance, face-to-face interaction should be optimised through role-playing, on-the-job training, and personalised learning.

He says the days of long classroom sessions and videos on obsolete learning management systems are over. Training must be concise, relevant, and interactive. Emotional intelligence, empathy, and critical thinking skills will be increasingly important. Employee mental health and well-being should be prioritised to reduce turnover rates and boost productivity.

Also Read: How to use the psychology of gamification to grow e-commerce sales

Atiom is aware of the need to balance technology with the personal touch. It also recognises the need to tailor solutions to diverse cultural needs. Spreigel emphasises the importance of open conversations with employees to provide them with the right tools and support.

Ultimately, Atiom envisions a workplace where training is a dynamic, data-driven journey tailored to each individual’s unique needs. By leveraging AI, gamification, and a holistic approach, Atiom is transforming how organisations cultivate talent, enhance performance, and foster a culture of continuous learning.

Atom is not just changing how employees are trained; it is changing how they experience work.

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An Binh Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ABBANK), a prominent retail bank in Vietnam, has made a strategic investment in fintech company Backbase launching its new business digital banking platform, ABBANK Business.

With this move, ABBANK aims to digitally transform its services, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Vietnam.

ABBANK’s investment in the Backbase platform is a key component of its broader digital transformation strategy, aiming to simplify banking for SMEs and entrepreneurs. The new ABBANK Business platform delivers features, including customisable account numbers, quick bill payments, international money transfers, and a comprehensive dashboard for easy asset and transaction management.

According to Pham Duy Hieu, CEO of ABBANK, “The new application makes banking easy, safe and convenient for our clients while enhancing ABBANK’s efficiency and enabling us to achieve transformative SME digital banking goals”.

Also Read: The banking revolution: Balancing convenience and security in the digital era

By leveraging Backbase’s platform, ABBANK aims to empower SMEs with the tools they need for success in the digital-first world. ABBANK’s vision is to be a trusted financial partner for SMEs and entrepreneurs, supporting them with the innovation, security, and service levels essential for growth. This partnership highlights the increasing importance of technology investment for financial institutions looking to meet the demands of modern businesses.

Founded in 2003 in Amsterdam, Backbase offers an Engagement Banking Platform, a composable platform that empowers banks to accelerate their digital transformation by progressively modernising their main customer journeys. From onboarding to servicing, lending and investing, the platform streamlines every aspect of the customer and employee journey.

With its APAC headquarters in Singapore, Backbase operates across key regional markets, including Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The company also has regional hubs strategically located in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

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