Ben Bray advises businesses to embrace AI for creativity

Ben Bray, Managing Partner at Nakatomi, has offered insights on the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for businesses heading into 2025, emphasising a shift from efficiency to creativity.

Bray highlighted that AI is "remarkable," noting its ability to enhance speed, efficiency, and capabilities within various operations. "AI is remarkable. It's making us faster, more efficient, and capable of achieving more with less. It's reshaping how we work, and giving us powerful tools to research, analyse, and execute at incredible speeds," Bray stated.

He warned, however, of the risks associated with over-reliance on AI. "But this is also our greatest risk. With everyone having access to this capability, efficiency alone becomes meaningless. If everyone's good, no one stands out. Over-reliance on AI risks driving us toward mediocrity, fueled by pre-trained models outputting uninformed insights and generic solutions," Bray explained.

Bray advocated for using AI to foster imagination and pursue bold initiatives. "Our greatest opportunity is to utilise AI not to drive optimisation but to amplify imagination. Daring to seek new opportunities, test bold ideas and execute with purpose," he remarked.

Reflecting on his own experiences, Bray shared insights from his university days when he co-founded a virtual reality company, Float Studios, with fellow students. "When I was at university, I was doing everything I could to avoid getting a 'real' job. By my third year, with the transition to full-time work looming, I co-founded Float Studios, a VR company, with five fellow students. We had a unique mix of skills and were excited by the potential of this new technology. At the time, headsets weren't even commercially available, and we were one of—if not the—first VR companies in New Zealand," Bray recounted.

Bray described the challenges of building Float Studios, highlighting the lack of commercial demand at the time. "We poured literally every waking minute into building Float, in a climate with a lot of promise but almost no commercial demand. As graduation approached, I reluctantly began a search for a more sensible career option. It wasn't long before I received an offer to run creative at a very proper, very legitimate corporate consultancy. Good company, decent salary, fine work—but a traditional job nonetheless," he said.

After contemplating the offer, Bray chose to remain with Float Studios, a decision that led to significant opportunities. "After some thought, I turned it down. Choosing instead to keep my focus on Float," he revealed. Just one week later, the company received a call from an entity seeking assistance with a VR platform for the Australian Defence Force, which turned into a long-term initiative and facilitated the eventual acquisition of Float Studios.

This pivotal moment eventually led to the creation of Nakatomi. Bray reflected on the importance of conviction in his professional journey: "Throughout that time, there have been plenty more chances to take a bigger cheque with a bigger company. And just as many moments when that job security was tempting. But, just like in my last year of uni, without that potentially 'insensible' conviction to stick with what I loved, I wouldn't be doing what I love doing today—and I'd probably be wearing a tie."