At the Centre for Digital Public Services' Dolenni Digidol leadership event in Wrexham, I had the privilege of joining public sector leaders and wider stakeholders from across Wales under the shared banner of 'demystifying AI'. It was an important and timely conversation, not just about the technology itself, but about the kind of leadership Wales now needs if we are to benefit from the AI revolution.
Let me be clear, AI is a leadership test. It is not just a technical upgrade, nor a distant policy matter for future governments to wrestle with. It is a seismic force that’s already reshaping how we work, how we live, and how we deliver public services. And in the face of such a fundamental shift, the real question isn’t whether AI is coming, it’s who will have the courage and clarity to use it as a force for good and lead change, and who will be left behind.
We know from history and academic research that organisations that fail typically share a common factor that is directly attributed to diminishing customers and failure, they are simply the ones that fail to renew their offering in response to technological drivers and changing customer needs, put simply, they are the organisations that fail to change.
I was chatting recently to someone about Woolworths. It’s a classic example of how intense high-street competition and online retailers undercut and overtook the traditional tried and trusted formula that Woolworths did not care to change.
Woolworths clung on to the legacy of success, their systems, outdated cultures, customer offer, brand and fixed ways of thinking. This is the risk we take in the public sector if we fail to recognise the need and opportunity to adapt. That is why adaptive, bold systems leadership is now non-negotiable.
It’s not just a private sector issue it applies to all organisations that want to thrive in the long term.
North Wales is no stranger to change. From transforming transport links to scaling up renewable energy and nurturing innovation in our rural communities, we’ve proven that place-based leadership can drive real impact. I believe we now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do the same with AI, to position north Wales as a leader not just in digital delivery, but in responsible, human-centred AI adoption.
But we must act with intention.
Because while AI is global, its risks and its rewards are intensely local. When a health board misses the chance to automate diagnostics, it's a patient in our community who waits longer. When a local authority hesitates to embrace AI driven insight, it's a family here in morth Wales that may not receive support in time. The stakes are real, and they are right here.
That’s why empowering frontline professionals is so essential. We need to ensure our teachers, carers, case workers, and planners see AI not as a threat or a mystery, but as a powerful enabler. An ally. A force for good. This doesn’t mean handing over decisions to algorithms. It means giving our people better tools to do their jobs with more insight, more impact, and more humanity.
In north Wales, we are already seeing the foundations of a truly inclusive digital ecosystem. We are investing in our digital infrastructure with intent. We have a growing cluster of tech innovators. We have the support of governments to set strategy and meet shared objectives. We have anchor institutions committed to transformation. And we have communities that understand the value of digital, not as a buzzword, but as a practical route to better services, better jobs, and better lives.
But none of this will thrive without collaboration. A whole systems approach that recognises that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Collaboration, in this new AI era, is not a ‘nice to have’. It is essential. We need public, private and third sectors to co-design solutions. We need academia and industry to share insight, not compete for it. We need leaders to leave, and break down, their comfortable silos and come together around a shared mission, to build an AI-powered future that works for everyone in Wales.
So yes, AI is a leadership test. But it is one we are equipped to pass, if we lead with clarity, courage, and collective purpose.
Dolenni Digidol is a national and regional networking series for senior public service leaders in Wales, championing user-centred design and the Digital Service Standard. These in-person events provide a space for leaders to connect, share insights, and discuss critical public service challenges through thought-provoking panel discussions. Join the leadership conversation - sign up to a future Dolenni Digidol event.
