By Kunal Chan Mehta, PR Manager and Editor of FSB Focus | Article Date: 27th March 2026

Cllr Jeet Bains, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration and Councillor for Addiscombe East ward (Conservative), delivered a high-impact and high-intellect session at FSB Croydon that cut through the noise surrounding AI and spoke directly to what matters – people, power and the pace of change.

Centred on the concept of the AI-Peopled Organisation (AIPO) – where humans are at the centre and AI amplifies what they can do – the session advanced a compelling thesis: the future will not be defined by those who adopt AI but by those who embed it into how organisations think and operate.

“Transformation is no longer something you ‘complete’,” Cllr Bains told students. “It is something you become. The organisations that succeed will be those that build the capability to evolve.”

Cllr Bains dismantled the familiar narrative of AI as a threat, replacing it with something far more constructive: “AI as amplification”, where routine tasks recede and where strategic thinking, creativity and leadership are brought into the limelight.

“AI should free you to do the work that actually matters,” Cllr Bains explained. “The question is no longer what the system can do. It’s what you can now do because of it.”

From there, the conversation deepened. Organisations, FSB students heard, are moving away from rigid hierarchies towards fluid, networked ecosystems – spaces where careers are no longer linear, but “squiggly,” shaped by constant reinvention. It is a shift that demands not just new skills but a new mindset.

And mindset, Cllr Bains argued, is where most transformations succeed or fail.

“People don’t resist change. They resist being left out of it,” Cllr Bains said. “If you want real commitment, you must involve people in shaping the journey. Ownership changes everything.”

This message that resonated powerfully with FSB students. By breaking audiences down into behavioural groups (those ready to lead, those hesitant to follow and those waiting to be convinced), Cllr Bains offered a clear view of organisational reality.

Equally striking was the emphasis on fairness. In an AI-driven world, where decisions can be scaled at speed, transparency becomes non-negotiable, raising further questions of how much trust should be placed in AI.

Mr Mohammed Zaidi, FSB’s CEO, said: “This was a powerful and future-focused event – exactly the kind of intellectual stimulus we prioritise at FSB. Our students are entering a world where change is constant and competition is global. What they need is not just knowledge but the ability to think critically and adapt rapidly. Cllr Bains delivered this message with exceptional clarity and impact.”

For FSB students, the takeaway was unmistakable: The future of work is not waiting to be discovered – it is being shaped in real time. And those best prepared will not be the most technical but the most adaptable, the most self-aware and the most willing to evolve.

Mr Giedrius Zillionis, FSB’s Vice Principal, said: “We are extremely grateful to Cllr Bains and Croydon Council for their ongoing support in believing in the leadership power of our students.”

Dr Ben Abudawood, Academic Dean of FSB Croydon, said: “At FSB Croydon, we are committed to cultivating not only academic excellence but adaptivity. This session exemplified that and equipped our students with the confidence required to navigate – and indeed shape – an increasingly dynamic and AI-enabled world.”

Cremilde Mendonca, a BSc (Hons) Digital Marketing with Foundation Year student, said: “It is thought-intensive sessions such as this that help us make sense of the rapidly evolving world of AI. Cllr Bains delivered a session of remarkable depth and distinction that fundamentally reframed how we perceive the evolving architecture of work.”

Rafaela Zocante, a BA (Hons) Counselling, Mental Health and Wellbeing with Foundation Year student, said: “Hearing about the scope of AI from Cllr Bains really inspired me to think more about the positive ways AI will help patients in the near future.”

For any questions, please contact Kunal Chan Mehta, PR Manager and Editor, via kunal.mehta@fairfield.ac.

We trust you found FSB News engaging and informative. Step into our academic realm and unlock boundless avenues for personal and professional development at www.fsb.ac.uk/courses or through admissions@fairfield.ac. Embrace the possibilities at FSB and commence your transformative educational journey today.