In recent months, the narrative surrounding AI – particularly large language models (LLMs) – has become increasingly alarmist. From headlines warning of widespread job losses to CEOs claiming that AI is ‘coming for everyone’s job,’ the rhetoric has shifted from optimism to existential threat. But what does this mean for MSPs and the businesses they support?
At OneAdvanced, we view AI as a tool – not a replacement. Current AI models, including LLMs behind providers such as ChatGPT, are powerful in processing and generating text-based data, but they lack true cognitive abilities. They cannot think, reason, or understand context in the human sense. Instead, they generate outputs based on statistical patterns learned from vast datasets. While this enables them to automate certain tasks, such as basic data processing or text summarisation, it doesn’t equate to real intelligence.
Enter OneAdvanced AI
OneAdvanced AI is a UK-sovereign, private and secure AI solution. It is based on a Meta Llama model and is entirely self-hosted within the UK, ensuring that customer data remains within UK jurisdiction and is never used to train the model. This offers a distinct advantage for businesses concerned with data sovereignty, security and regulatory compliance. The product is rapidly improving each week and one that we see as critical to develop as we move forward.
Why the hype?
The rapid advancement in AI capabilities has led to a surge in predictions about the impact on jobs. Leaders like Fiverr’s CEO Micha Kaufman have taken a stark stance, warning their teams that AI is coming for their jobs. Kaufman’s message is blunt – but also misleading. He positions AI as an unstoppable force that will displace workers across all roles, from finance to customer support. But what Kaufman overlooks is that the current wave of AI – primarily LLMs – is limited to pattern recognition, natural language processing and data-driven tasks.
For MSPs like OneAdvanced, the opportunity lies not in replacing people with AI, but in augmenting their capabilities. AI can automate repetitive, low-skill tasks, freeing up humans to focus on strategic, value-driven activities. In practice, this means using AI to streamline ticketing systems, monitor network security or analyse log data for anomalies – not to eliminate jobs but to enhance our service delivery.
How OneAdvanced AI supports privacy and security
OneAdvanced AI is purpose-built for business-grade AI operations. Key features include:
- UK sovereign hosting: data is stored and processed exclusively within the UK, ensuring full compliance with GDPR and data sovereignty requirements.
- Private spaces: personal and organisational spaces allow businesses to upload files securely, which ensures that sensitive data remains under their control and is never used to train the model.
- Direct customer integration: for existing OneAdvanced customers, data synchronisation is coming soon, which will enable AI to securely access relevant business data for context in responses and reasoning.
The limitations of large language models
LLMs are statistical models, not cognitive entities. They cannot make decisions, interpret complex scenarios or engage in strategic planning without explicit programming and extensive datasets. Even then, they lack the intuitive judgment and contextual understanding that humans provide. In managed services, this distinction is critical. As an example, an AI may detect a network anomaly, but it takes a skilled engineer to assess the context, determine the risk and decide on the appropriate action / response. LLMs are not capable of this type of action at this moment in time; a problem that agentic AI aims to solve. The question is then – as a business leader, what process would you determine can be automated by AI or keep the human in the loop?
What AI can and cannot do in Managed Services
Understanding what AI can and cannot do – especially in the context of Managed IT Services – is key to using it effectively and responsibly.
- Can do: automate routine tasks such as ticket categorisation, basic troubleshooting and data extraction
- Cannot do: navigate complex, ambiguous scenarios requiring nuanced decision-making and contextual understanding
- Can do: generate reports, summarise data and provide predictive analytics
- Cannot do: replace strategic IT planning, incident management, or client relationship management
For OneAdvanced, the focus is on integrating AI tools in a way that complements – not replaces – our skilled workforce. Rather than framing AI as a threat, we position it as a means to enhance our service offerings, allowing us to deliver more efficient, data-driven solutions without compromising on human expertise.
Looking forward: navigating the AI landscape
As AI continues to evolve, MSPs must adopt a balanced perspective. The immediate threat isn’t widespread job loss but the risk of AI displacing routine tasks without a strategy to re-skill workers for higher-value roles. At OneAdvanced, we are investing in training and upskilling our teams to leverage AI effectively, ensuring that our workforce remains adaptable, resilient and equipped to handle the complexities of modern IT landscapes.
The bottom line? AI isn’t coming for everyone’s job – but it is coming for certain tasks. The challenge for businesses is not to fear AI, but to harness it strategically, creating opportunities for growth, efficiency and innovation while maintaining the human-centric service that clients expect.
Are you ready to elevate your business with responsible AI? Register now with OneAdvanced AI to discover how our cutting-edge tools can help you achieve high level of productivity while maintaining compliance.
