About

I've spent 30 years making businesses more human. Now I'm helping them stay human with AI.

Everyone's rushing to AI. Most are losing what made them special in the process.

I'm Ben Afia, an independent adviser and co-founder of Humanova, an AI software and consultancy startup. I don't just talk about AI - I use it to run entire business operations. When engineering consultancy Kynesim needed a growth strategy, I used AI to scope, plan and deliver everything from segmentation and positioning to marketing messaging and sales frameworks. They loved the results.

I'm an alumnus of SmarterX's AI Academy, which since 2020 has trained professionals on scaling AI in large organisations. As a Fellow of the Professional Speaking Association, I run talks and workshops that help teams adopt AI with confidence, not fear.

But here's the difference: I've spent three decades helping companies like Vodafone, E.ON, Legal & General and Boots transform their cultures and build distinctive brands. I was setting tone of voice standards at Boots before most people knew what it meant. I helped Ronseal figure out exactly what to say on the tin.

I understand what makes organisations tick at a human level - culture, brand, communication, emotion. That's the foundation AI should build on, not replace. Backing me up is a team of technical specialists with deep AI experience, including a top 1% Microsoft Solutions Partner.

I'm not another consultant playing with prompts. I get what businesses actually need: AI advantages without sacrificing what makes you special.

Why this matters now

You've built something special. A culture your people believe in. A brand customers trust. Real relationships, not just transactions.

AI promises speed, but threatens to flatten everything that makes you different. Generic outputs. Robotic responses. Lost personality.

You don't have to choose between speed and humanity. I'll show you how to use AI to be more human, not less.

What makes me different

I'm not an AI consultant who's just discovered humanity. I'm a human business expert who understands AI's role.

For three decades, I've been the catalyst who:

• Helped Aviva make complex insurance feel simple and human
• Showed Vodafone how to demonstrate genuine empathy at scale
• Transformed Aldermore Bank's entire customer journey
• Guided E.ON through culture transformation
• Built lasting partnerships with leaders at companies like Many Pets, LV=, OVO Energy, TalkTalk, and BP.

I understand what makes organisations tick at a human level - culture, brand, communication, emotion. That's the foundation AI should build on, not replace.

How I work

I create change with you, not to you.

Whether it's a focused project to protect your brand voice in AI, workshops to capture what makes you special, or training to help your teams balance efficiency with empathy - everything is built on the practical frameworks in my book, The Human Business.

I've always been about getting to the heart of what makes a company special, then scaling that essence without losing it. AI just makes this more critical.

The human behind the mission

I live in Nottingham with my wife and our youngest (mostly at uni), while our eldest has made his way to my birthplace, London, to work in cyber security. I'm the slowest swimmer at a competitive club, a keen gardener, a car enthusiast and a closet deep house fanatic.

These details matter. They're what make us human. Just like the details that make your business special shouldn't be erased by AI.

Let's protect what makes you, you

Your competitors are racing to implement AI without thinking about what they're losing. That's your opportunity.

The businesses that win won't be the most efficient. They'll be the ones who use AI to be more human than ever.