Bentley Reid COO on AI: Practical Gains Over Theoretical Hype

Twelve months ago, the industry was preoccupied with testing the speculative capabilities of generative AI. Today, the focus at firms like Bentley Reid has shifted toward safe, practical integration. The company has implemented strict governance policies that permit tools like Copilot to assist with research, drafting, and meeting summaries, while explicitly banning AI from generating investment advice or client-facing financial recommendations.

Andrews emphasizes that the real bottleneck for adoption is not the software itself, but the underlying quality of business data. Because the firm operates across a mix of legacy and modern systems, making information structured and accessible is a prerequisite for any meaningful productivity gain. For staff, the incentive to adopt these tools is simple: if a tool does not save time or solve a recurring operational headache, it will not survive in the daily workflow.

Ultimately, human accountability remains the firm’s non-negotiable anchor. Since generative models can produce plausible but incorrect output, Bentley Reid mandates that an employee must review and approve every piece of AI-generated content. As the industry evolves, Andrews suggests that the winners will be firms that prioritize clean data and consistent processes, as the technology will only amplify the existing strengths—or failures—of an organization’s operating model.