Investing in Times of AI — experts urge strategic adoption and investor caution

Tomorrow’s session at the Creand building in Andorra la Vella — organised by Creand Crèdit Andorrà and titled “Investing in Times of Artificial Intelligence” — will bring together investor and business perspectives on how AI is reshaping organisations, markets and strategy. Entrepreneurship expert Fernando Trías de Bes will outline how companies can approach AI implementation, while David Macià, director of Investments and Market Strategy at Creand Asset Management, emphasised the risks for investors during major technological shifts and the need for selectivity and patience.

Trías de Bes framed AI as a revolution comparable to the industrial revolution in its potential impact across social, educational and business spheres. Citing studies, he said productivity gains of 20–40% are possible depending on the sector. For small and medium-sized enterprises, he advised beginning with basic tools such as ChatGPT or Bard to learn how the technology works, with fuller implementation following through the emergence of specific applications.

He noted more than 70,000 specialised apps are in development and urged firms to monitor these developments closely. If a company lacks internal capacity to evaluate or deploy AI solutions, outsourcing to an advisory firm is a sensible option; ignoring the trend, he warned, is not acceptable.

Trías de Bes identified human resources and customer service as areas likely to see the most immediate impact: AI can draft job adverts, shortlist candidates and even explain its reasoning, and it can automate routine customer interactions. At the same time, he stressed that elements such as intent, tone and context in communications will still require human judgment. Rather than wholesale job losses, he characterised the change as professional reconversion, with workers redeployed toward higher-value activities.

He described four phases in AI’s effect on business: the initial phase of productivity gains; subsequent changes in market dynamics; shifts in competitive intensity that may eliminate some intermediaries; and, finally, possible alterations to the structure of entire sectors. Which sectors will be most affected remains unpredictable, he said, and the central challenge for companies is understanding how AI affects their specific business model.

Despite the novelty of the technology, Trías de Bes argued that impact analysis remains an analogue exercise grounded in traditional strategic tools such as SWOT/DAFO and human analytical capacity.

From an investment standpoint, Macià urged caution. Drawing a parallel with late‑1990s telecom investments around the rise of the internet, he warned that enthusiasm can lead to overpaying for exposure to a new technology. Investors should be selective, avoid overpaying, and be patient, he said, because innovations often require learning, process adaptation and upfront investment before delivering returns. Macià also argued that AI is unlikely to eliminate jobs wholesale and may create new roles, consistent with past technological transitions.

Practical guidance from the session included conducting an internal and external review to decide what to automate, then surveying the market for platforms that can improve processes. Companies should assess whether AI affects individual tasks or whole value propositions and adapt strategy accordingly.