The next competitive advantage won't be AI, it will be how you organise around it

The next competitive advantage won't be AI, it will be how you organise around it”

Most companies have introduced AI tools. According to Thomas De Clerck, that's just the beginning. As an advisor to Nexus Agents, he helps organisations such as Orange and Proximus deploy AI agents securely inside complex enterprise environments. His message is simple: AI alone won't create a competitive advantage. The winners will be the companies that redesign the way work gets done.  

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Most companies have rolled out Copilot or ChatGPT. Why are AI agents the next big step?

Thomas De Clerck: “Giving everyone an AI assistant is a good start, but it's not a strategy. Many employees quickly hit the limits of those tools. They start exporting company data into different applications because they can't achieve exactly what they need.”

“AI agents are different. They allow companies to securely automate workflows, connect different systems and use multiple AI models within a compliant environment. That's where the real business value begins.”

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So AI is no longer just about individual productivity?

De Clerck: “Exactly. The biggest opportunity isn't helping one employee write an email faster. It's redesigning entire processes.”

“AI agents can take over repetitive work, allowing people to focus on customer relationships, creativity and decision-making. That's where humans continue to add the most value.”

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Many founders wonder whether AI agents will replace jobs. What's your view?

De Clerck: “I don't believe we're suddenly heading towards mass unemployment. What I do believe is that companies will achieve much more with smaller teams. We're already seeing that in AI-native startups.”

“For existing businesses, the challenge is helping people evolve. Employees need to learn new skills and move towards work where they create more value instead of repeating the same tasks every day.”

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If you were building a company from scratch today, what would you do differently?

De Clerck: “Almost everything. Looking back at the commercial teams I've built over the years, there was an enormous amount of manual work, from prospecting to campaign management, that can now be automated.”

“Today, I'd build a much leaner organisation from day one. Small teams supported by AI can achieve results that previously required many more people.”

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What's the biggest mistake founders can make today?

De Clerck: “Thinking AI is only about efficiency. The bigger question is whether your company remains unique. AI lowers the barriers to entry for everyone. If competitors can build similar products faster, founders need to become obsessed with differentiation.”

“Technology is becoming more accessible. Competitive advantage is becoming more important.”

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Finally, why should founders invest two days in the AI Summer School this September?

De Clerck: “Because we're all learning in real time. Every founder is asking the same questions. Which processes should we automate? Where do AI agents create the most value? How do we keep everything secure? And how should our organisations evolve?”

“There isn't a playbook yet. That's why spending two days with founders who are facing exactly the same challenges is incredibly valuable. You'll leave with ideas you can apply immediately.”

AI Summer School takes place from 9–11 September in Ostend and brings together a select group of founders and senior leaders to explore how AI is reshaping organisations, teams and business models. Thomas De Clercq will share how AI agents are moving beyond copilots to become an integral part of enterprise operations, and what founders should do today to prepare for that next wave.

👉 Interested? Check https://www.scaleupflanders.com/services/ai-summer-school-2026