Every week brings new warnings that artificial intelligence will replace jobs across UK industries. But one Essex-based audio-visual company, Spotlight Sound, says the reality looks more complex, with AI reshaping work rather than removing it.

For Spotlight Sound, AI has not reduced headcount. Instead, it has been used to rebuild internal processes, cutting administrative workload and improving visibility across projects while allowing specialist staff to focus on creative and technical delivery.

Owner Sam Dimond has developed a bespoke internal operating system using AI tools, which he says has changed how the business functions day-to-day.
“Years ago, only the big guys would have had the money to build their own operating system,” he said. “That has changed now, thanks to AI. It wasn’t difficult to build my own bespoke internal operating system. I designed it specifically around how my business operates, and it would not have been possible or affordable to build without AI.”

Sam does not come from a technical background and says the system was built around operational needs rather than software design. The aim was to reduce friction in how the business manages projects, scheduling and communication. The result, he says, has been a reduction in repetitive administrative tasks rather than any reduction in staff.
“Interestingly, the result for my business isn’t fewer people in it,” he said. “It’s actually fewer repetitive tasks, which means we can focus on growth and growing out other parts of the business, which means more people ultimately.”

Spotlight Sound works across the UK, delivering audio-visual installation and live event production, a sector where projects often require coordination between technical crews, logistics teams and client stakeholders under tight time constraints. Sam says the internal system has reduced the amount of time spent on administration and improved oversight of ongoing work.
“It’s removed hours of administration from the business,” he said. “It’s improved the ability to see what is going on within it and freed up specialist staff to focus on the creative and technical work that actually adds value to clients.”

He argues the key benefit is not automation in isolation, but the restructuring of how information flows through the company. The discussion comes at a time when artificial intelligence adoption across UK businesses remains uneven. Government figures suggest only around one in six firms currently use AI in any meaningful way, while many report limited returns from investment.

Sam believes the challenge is often not the tools themselves, but how they are introduced into existing systems.
“In my view, the problem is inefficiency between systems,” he said. “A lot of businesses are trying to bolt AI onto processes that were already broken or disjointed.”
Rather than layering new software onto old structures, he expects more small and medium-sized businesses to begin designing their own internal systems using AI, as tools become more accessible and affordable. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t build your own operating system for your business now that it’s so cheap,” he said. “It’s far more efficient, which means you can focus on other areas of your business and where to spend your money.”

He is clear that while AI can improve operational efficiency, it will not replace the human expertise that underpins industries such as events and AV.
“The events industry will always depend on human creativity and technical skill,” he said. “But the systems around it, such as planning, coordination and administration, that’s where AI can make a real difference.”

Concerns about job losses linked to AI continue to dominate public debate. However, Sam argues his experience points to a different outcome for SMEs that rethink how their internal systems are structured.

For Spotlight Sound, the impact has been improved efficiency and increased capacity rather than job cuts, enabling the business to scale without being constrained by administrative workload. “More efficiency doesn’t mean fewer people,” he said. “It means you can do more with the team you’ve got and then grow beyond that.”

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