Miguel Garrido (CEIM) states that AI will not perform magic if Spain does not correct its structural problems

The president of the Madrid employers' association CEIM, Miguel Garrido, has claimed this Tuesday business leadership in the face of AI, stating that, "leading today requires vision, responsibility, and a firm commitment to talent, innovation, and the development of a solid business environment".

This declaration has taken place at the Leaders Forum, a benchmark management and business forum that the Community of Madrid celebrates, today in its IV edition, under the slogan “Leading in the age of AI”. At the opening ceremony, held in the Mutua Madrileña Auditorium, the president of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi and, the Minister of the Presidency of the Community of Madrid, Miguel Ángel García.

The president of CEIM, Miguel Garrido, was in charge of opening this congress, vindicating business leadership in the face of AI. The president of the Madrid employers has pointed out that, although AI helps us to be more productive, "it will not solve by itself the real problems that companies have today, such as rampant absenteeism, high taxation, excessive bureaucracy, talent shortages, or expensive and insufficient energy." To which he added that, "if we talk about leading in the age of AI, we also have to talk about leading reforms and defending a competitive environment, and for that, we must trust in business and its leaders."

The conditions of Madrid

In this regard, Miguel Garrido has alluded to the conditions that exist in the Community of Madrid which, in addition to being the economic engine of Spain, is the place chosen by companies "not only to develop their activity, but also to install their digital infrastructures and, increasingly, their AI infrastructures". For which he has stated that "it is essential to guarantee the security of supply, and to start by stopping the dismantling of Almaraz. The Government must prioritize technology over ideology".

For his part, the president of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, stated that adopting technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, “is not an option, but an obligation and, you either use it, or you are left out of the market”.

In his speech, Antonio Garamendi focused on the value contribution of AI on three levels: individual, operational, and strategic. “It is a competitiveness tool that makes us more efficient, contributes to streamlining processes, and helps develop new data and intelligence-based business models,” added Garamendi. Therefore, he encouraged people to “lose the fear” of Artificial Intelligence and “democratize its use” through an ambitious training model “that shows AI as an ally, not an enemy.” “But always within the framework of ethics, responsibility, and humanism,” he concluded.

Liberal policies

To conclude the inauguration, the Minister of the Presidency of the Community of Madrid, Miguel Ángel García, pointed out that the region, although not the largest in population, has become the main economy in Spain and the one that has consolidated the most employment.

After recalling that "Madrid Leaders Forum has consolidated itself as the most important forum in the Community", he argued that "liberal policies and the elimination of bureaucracies have been fundamental for the development of companies and employment". He also criticized the central government for not being able to bring energy where it is needed.

Miguel Ángel García concluded his speech on the Forum's motto: “Digitalization and AI are an indispensable part of that new future that we have already begun to build in the region, and to which we have been responding with the implementation of emblematic projects”

*MADRID LEADERS FORUM is a private initiative driven by CEIM Business Confederation of Madrid-CEOE and by the specialized consultancy MB Comunicación. It has the institutional backing of the Government of Spain, Community of Madrid, Madrid City Council, Chamber of Commerce of Madrid and CEOE. In addition, MADRID LEADERS FORUM has the sponsorship of MasOrange, Iberia, Eurofirms Group, EMT Madrid, Ibercaja, Invest Madrid, DXC Technology, GDOCE and Lognext, as well as the institutional support of the Madrid City Council, the Community of Madrid and the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid. The event also has Star Madrid as mobility partner and the collaboration of Grupo Mutua and elEconomista, and is driven by CEIM Business Confederation of Madrid-CEOE.