What 2025 Taught Us About AI Strategy and Education for Businesses Preparing for 2026
- alexawarddesign
- Jan 14
- 4 min read
2025 Was a Turning Point for AI
The past year brought more change to the IT landscape than we’ve seen since cloud computing reshaped how organizations operate. AI adoption accelerated faster than most teams expected.
For many organizations, AI delivered real efficiency gains. But it also introduced new complex challenges and pressure, especially for IT leaders already stretched thin keeping systems running, managing risk, and supporting growth.
Our team at Odyssey, made a deliberate choice in 2025 to learn quickly and listen closely. Every client conversation gave us insight into how teams were actually experiencing AI — not in theory, but in day-to-day work.
What We Learned From Our Clients in 2025
Across financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing, we heard many consistent stories. AI curiosity was high. Confidence in applying it was not.
Employees experimented with tools without clear guidance or guardrails, IT departments fielded questions faster than they could answer them, and leadership teams struggled to connect AI experimentation to real business goals.
The result was AI anarchy.
The challenge wasn’t AI itself. It was clarity and AI education. Teams needed a starting point and a trusted partner to help them make sense of it.
What We Learned From Rob’s AI Test User Class
In 2025, Rob led an Intro to ChatGPT session with a group of test users. Watching experienced professionals interact with AI in real time revealed something important.
These were smart, capable people who use technology every day — yet hesitation surfaced almost immediately. Participants weren’t sure when to use AI, how to prompt it effectively, or how to assess whether the output could be trusted.
Most expected the tool to understand their intent with little direction. Once they learned how to provide context and interact more deliberately, the value became obvious.
By the end of the session, the takeaway reinforced our clients' challenges:
Teams needed clarity, education, and guidance to help them understand when AI fits, how to use it well, and why it matters.
What Became Clear About AI Adoption
As these conversations added up, a clear pattern emerged. Organizations weren’t all trying to do the same thing with AI — but many were treating it that way.
Some teams wanted to help individual employees work faster and reduce daily friction. Others wanted to unlock more value from the systems they already owned. A few were exploring deeper, industry-specific process transformation. And some weren’t sure where to start at all.
Organizations were ambitious, but often skipped the step of identifying which type of AI actually made sense for them right now.
When that clarity is missing, teams jump straight to tools, experiments stay scattered, and leaders struggle to connect AI efforts to measurable outcomes. Action without purposeful direction creates chaos.
When clarity comes first, AI becomes easier to adopt, safer to scale, and far more useful. This insight now shapes how our team approaches AI strategy and education for businesses.
Why Odyssey Expanded Offers for AI Strategy and Education
By the end of 2025, one thing was undeniable. Organizations don’t just need AI tools. They need confidence in how their people use AI and clarity on where AI belongs in the business.
Those are two different needs — and they require two different kinds of support.
That realization directly shaped what we’re launching in 2026.
Helping Teams Move From AI Curiosity to Confident Adoption
In response to what we heard from clients, Odyssey is expanding its services in 2026 to focus on two complementary areas: AI education and AI strategy.
Together, these offerings are designed to help organizations move from early experimentation to intentional, confident AI adoption.
Odyssey Partners AI Strategy and Education for Businesses
Odyssey’s AI education cohorts are live, virtual workshops designed specifically for your organization. Led by Odyssey Partners AI pioneer, Rob Niles, these sessions focus on helping employees use AI safely, confidently, and effectively in their everyday work.
This education is about practical AI enablement.
Teams learn how to engage with AI tools in ways that fit their roles, workflows, and comfort level, without introducing unnecessary risk or complexity.
Each cohort includes:
Live instruction
Interactive Q&A sessions
Training tailored to your team or department
Optional industry-specific modules
Session topics include:
Intro to AI: How to engage with large language models
Intro to ChatGPT
Advanced ChatGPT for daily operations
Intro to Microsoft Copilot
And more — new sessions are added regularly
We also offer customized sessions by industry, including financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing.
These workshops are ideal for teams who are curious about AI but want practical guidance they can use immediately.
AI Strategy: Clarity Before Scale
For organizations ready to move beyond experimentation, Odyssey’s AI strategy offering provides a structured approach to decision-making — helping teams understand where AI makes sense for their goals, where it introduces risk, and what needs to be in place before it’s rolled out more broadly.
We often describe this work as helping leaders get their bearings, providing clarity and direction before major investments are made.
Our AI strategy engagements include:
AI readiness assessments
Governance and risk guidance
Data and process evaluation
High-value use case identification
A realistic roadmap for the next 12 to 36 months
Support for pilot projects and team rollout
The goal is to help organizations move from scattered experimentation to a confident, sustainable AI approach aligned with business outcomes.
When You Can Get Started
Registration is open now for 2026 AI education cohorts
Workshops begin in later this month
AI strategy engagements for early 2026 are already filling
Note: Organizations that join early will have access to pilot pricing and flexible scheduling options.
Prepare Your Team for AI With Confidence
Whether you’re looking to build confidence with AI or define a clear strategy for your organization, Odyssey AI Academy is here to help you take the next step.
Early access is open. No obligation to enroll. Limited cohort availability.
Looking Ahead to 2026
AI is not slowing down. But with the right education and a thoughtful strategy, organizations can move forward with clarity and confidence.
We’re excited for what’s ahead and grateful for the opportunity to help teams across Cincinnati, Dayton, and beyond navigate the next chapter of AI adoption.
Microsoft 365 Technical Solutions Architect
Rob is a seasoned Technical Solutions Architect with over 25 years of experience in IT, specializing in cloud computing, networking, and cybersecurity. Rob excels in designing and implementing comprehensive, enterprise-scale solutions, integrating advanced AI capabilities.
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