George Oliver will join campus partners at Loughborough’s Advanced Technology Innovation Centre (ATIC) to explore use of AI in growing small business productivity.

The ATIC community event will bring together businesses based onsite, with the purpose of helping company leaders better understand how AI is already being used, where it can support growth, and what risks they need to manage.

Next week’s session - entitled ‘Can Businesses Afford Not to Use AI?’ - will give delegates a clearer picture of what AI actually is, what it is not, and why some organisations are choosing to move more slowly. Participants will leave with practical insights they can take back into their own strategies and operations.

AI in SME strategic development

George will join a live panel alongside fellow ATIC companies, represented by James Ferraby, co-founder of Digital Planning, and Adam Williams, technical director at EHV Structures. Together, they will discuss the role of AI - and those making active decisions not to use it - as part of the strategic development of growing businesses.

From a communications perspective, George will focus on how AI is reshaping the way organisations create and share content. He will highlight where AI tools can support research, drafting and analysis, and where human judgment, ethics, and storytelling remain central to authentic storytelling.

The panel discussion will set up the rest of the agenda, which includes small‑group work, Q&A with campus partners, and a final session to share takeaways before lunch. The format is designed to keep the conversation grounded in real examples from within the ATIC community.

How the PR industry is approaching AI

As a generative tool, AI is a natural opportunity and threat to the PR and communications industry. 1284 clients are interested in how AI tools might be deployed without losing their voice, their accuracy, or their audience’s trust. 

George will set out how modern content creation teams are:

• using AI to speed up tasks such as research and first drafts.
• keeping humans responsible for narrative, tone, fact-checking and sign‑off.
• creating clear internal guidelines and policies so that staff understand when and how to use AI safely.
• creating time for human-led stakeholder activities that can not be replicated by technology.

By viewing AI through the lens of strategy, governance, and reputation, the event will help ATIC businesses think through next steps - from piloting tools to tightening process.

“I was asked to take part in this panel because AI is already changing how organisations communicate,” George said.

“For me, it’s important that local businesses have a space to talk openly about what AI can and can’t do, so they can use it in a way that supports their people, protects their reputation and genuinely helps them grow.”

Supporting the ATIC community

The AI session is part of the ATIC Community Events series, which connects campus partners around shared challenges and opportunities. With AI now touching almost every sector represented at ATIC, the focus is on giving practical, considered guidance rather than hype.

George’s involvement reflects 1284’s wider work with innovation‑led small businesses, helping them tell the story of change in a way that resonates with staff, customers, and other stakeholders. 

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NEED TO KNOW

Can 1284 train our team on using AI for marketing and PR?\

1284 can deliver training sessions that show teams how to experiment safely with AI for marketing and PR, covering prompt techniques, review processes and practical examples tailored to your organisation. 1284 looks at outcomes such as content quality, turnaround times, engagement metrics and audience feedback to understand where AI adds value and where human-only approaches still work best.

How is George Oliver from 1284 involved in the ATIC AI event?

George Oliver, Managing Director of 1284 Communications, is part of the live AI panel at ATIC, sharing how organisations can use AI in their communications while keeping people in control of strategy, messaging and reputation.

Why is 1284 interested in AI for business communications?

1284 is interested in AI for business communications because clients need clear guidance on when AI tools can help with content and when human judgement is essential, so it can adopt AI in a way that is ethical, effective and aligned with its brand.