Digital solutions firm ICON marked its 25th anniversary with a conference exploring how artificial intelligence is moving from hype to measurable business impact.

Held at Salini Resort, “Applying AI: From Hype to Measurable Impact” brought together business leaders and technology experts to discuss the real-world implications of AI on operations, decision-making, and competitiveness.

In his opening address, ICON CEO Ian Castillo reflected on the company’s journey since its founding in 2000. “AI is not a strategy in itself – it’s a tool,” he said. “Our experience over the past two and a half decades has taught us to identify and focus on the business challenges that need solving first.”

Gege Gatt, Co-Founder of ICON and CEO of EBO, delivered an impactful speech. “By the end of this decade, there will be two kinds of companies: those that are AI-first, and those that are out of business,” Dr Gatt warned, underscoring that AI represents not just optimisation, but transformation.

Other speakers included Christine Falzon, ICON’s Chief Sales Officer, who introduced automateAP, a tool designed to automate the Accounts Payable process, and Kyle Anastasi, Senior Account Technology Strategist at Microsoft, who described 2025 as “the year of the Frontier Firm,” with 82 per cent of leaders planning to adopt digital labour.

A panel moderated by Nathan Farrugia featured Ivan Bartolo (BITS Ltd), Andrew Naudi (NOUV), Claire Ciancio (GreenRoads Ltd), and Bernard Fenech (Oney Insurance), who shared examples of how AI is already being integrated into their operations.

While opinions differed on pace and implementation, there was consensus that organisations delaying adoption risk falling behind. The discussion reflected a broader shift in Malta’s business community – from viewing AI as an emerging trend to treating it as a core driver of productivity and competitiveness.