Quick Overview

• Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) incorporates AI agents Aivi and Viti to assess global wine industry information.
• AI technologies created in collaboration with GPTStrategic to improve trend analysis and foster innovation.
• AI agents examine over 3,500 industry documents compiled on SharePoint.
• Aivi concentrates on enhancing insights derived from data, while Viti anticipates future trends and innovations.
• Utilisation of AI minimizes human bias and hastens decision-making across TWE’s portfolio.
• Opportunities for extending AI applications into sales and marketing areas within the organization.
• A component of a larger digital transformation involving robotics and predictive analytics.

Transforming Wine Industry Analysis through AI

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), one of the globe’s largest wine enterprises, has boldly stepped into the future by implementing two AI agents—Aivi and Viti—to transform the way the company extracts value from worldwide wine consumption information and industry trend analyses. This initiative, crafted in cooperation with GPTStrategic, is designed to streamline and enhance insight generation throughout its expansive array of wine brands.

Aivi and Viti: The Digital Minds Behind the Insights

Functions

Aivi and Viti each have unique but complementary functions. Aivi distills and synthesizes thousands of documents—currently over 3,500—into implementable trend insights. Conversely, Viti is structured to look forward, pinpointing future opportunities and innovation pathways within the wine industry.

Origins

Prior to the introduction of AI, TWE’s insights process was largely manual and labor-intensive. According to Angus Lilley, Managing Director of Treasury Premium Brands, the company encountered difficulties in both aggregating extensive volumes of data and in extracting unbiased, timely insights from them. “One of the issues we faced was amalgamating and keeping all the information and reports consolidated,” he stated.

Centralised Data for Intelligent Decisions

To facilitate the AI agents, TWE gathered essential industry documents in a SharePoint repository. This digital advancement established a unified source of truth, allowing Aivi and Viti to query a centralised dataset and deliver rapid, relevant insights that would typically require human analysts days or even weeks to unearth.

Enhancing Efficiency and Minimising Bias

The AI agents have dramatically hastened the insights generation process, reducing manual tasks and eradicating the potential for human bias that can affect data interpretation. Lilley commented, “We’re reaching some of those insights much faster than we used to.”

This increased efficiency enables TWE’s consumer insights team to redirect time and resources toward strategic initiatives within the company, ultimately supporting quicker, more data-informed decision-making across their extensive brand portfolio.

Future Prospects: AI in Sales and Marketing

The achievements of Aivi and Viti have paved the way for broader AI implementations within TWE. Lilley indicated intentions to enhance AI integration into sales and marketing operations, utilising data to optimise campaigns, customise product offerings, and elevate customer interactions.

This aligns with TWE’s overarching digital transformation, which features the utilisation of robotics in vineyard operations and predictive AI for yield forecasting—demonstrating a company deeply committed to innovation throughout all aspects of its operations.

Preparing for a Digital Future

As part of its dedication to digital progress, TWE actively invests in upskilling its workforce to adeptly utilise AI tools like Aivi and Viti. This ongoing endeavour ensures that every team, from operations to marketing, is prepared to harness the power of AI-driven insights.

Lilley underlined the significance of this transformation, stating, “We’re consistently upskilling the organization in employing such tools and we expect that to persist for an extended period.”

Conclusion

Treasury Wine Estates is establishing a new benchmark in the wine sector by integrating AI agents Aivi and Viti to extract deeper consumer insights and anticipate forthcoming trends. By consolidating data and automating analysis, TWE is enhancing operational efficiency and facilitating smarter, quicker decision-making. With ambitions to broaden AI applications in sales and marketing, alongside ongoing investments in employee training, the company is clearly positioning itself as a tech-savvy leader in the global wine industry.

Common Questions

Q: What are Aivi and Viti?

A:

Aivi and Viti are AI-powered digital agents created by Treasury Wine Estates in collaboration with GPTStrategic. Aivi is focused on transforming data into actionable insights, whereas Viti identifies future trends and innovation possibilities.

Q: How do these AI agents access industry data?

A:

The AI agents utilize a centralised SharePoint repository containing over 3,500 industry documents. This guarantees that they operate with a comprehensive, up-to-date dataset for their analyses.

Q: What advantages has TWE gained from employing these AI tools?

A:

TWE has enjoyed quicker insights generation, a decrease in manual efforts, elimination of human bias, and improved decision-making across its wine portfolio. Teams are now able to devote more attention to strategic projects.

Q: Will AI be employed in other areas of the business?

A:

Yes. TWE is considering the implementation of AI in sales and marketing to enhance campaigns, anticipate consumer preferences, and tailor product offerings.

Q: How is TWE preparing its staff for this digital transition?

A:

The company is actively enhancing employee skills in AI tools and digital technologies to ensure smooth adoption and effective use in various departments.

Q: Is this part of a larger digital evolution?

A:

Indeed. TWE’s implementation of AI agents complements its broader digital initiatives encompassing robotics in vineyards, predictive analytics, and autonomous vehicles in operations.

Q: Can other wine producers implement similar technologies?

A:

Definitely. While TWE is at the forefront, the tools and strategies in use can be adapted by other wine producers aiming to modernise their operations and enhance data-driven decision-making.

Brief Overview

• Ransomware incidents in Australia increased by 5% in the latter half of 2024.
• Australian SMEs are now some of the key targets for cybercriminals.
• Phishing incidents have jumped by 197% compared to late 2023.
• Cyber threats are now increasingly sent through SMS, WhatsApp, and social networks.
• AI and ransomware-as-a-service are facilitating more accessible and larger-scale attacks.
• Cybersecurity training is crucial for SMEs to combat social engineering threats.

Ransomware Rise Endangers Aussie SMEs

Cybercriminals are pivoting their attention from major corporations to smaller, less-secured businesses as ransomware incidents continue to surge in Australia. The most recent Acronis Cyberthreats Report outlines a 5% rise in ransomware occurrences worldwide in the second half of 2024, positioning Australia among the top 10 targeted nations.

Although financial damages per case have slightly decreased, the increasing rate of attacks and the focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) raises alarm. With phishing attempts nearly tripling—up 197% from the same timeframe in 2023—and the average number of attacks per organisation climbing by 21%, SMEs are now at the forefront of the cyber security struggle.

Why SMEs Are Appealing Targets

As larger firms invest in advanced cybersecurity systems, cyber attackers are capitalizing on the weaknesses of SMEs. Gerald Beuchelt, Chief Information Security Officer at Acronis, indicates that many small businesses mistakenly assume that built-in safeguards from platforms such as Microsoft 365 provide complete protection. This unwarranted sense of security makes them vulnerable to ransomware and malware threats.

Cybercriminals are increasingly utilizing AI-based tools and ransomware-as-a-service platforms to execute cost-effective, automated attacks on mid-sized enterprises. While the payoff may be smaller per attack, the sheer volume and simplicity of execution make SMEs a lucrative target.

“Even if the business is small, there’s consistently some form of data to steal or blackmail,” Beuchelt remarks. In some cases, attackers have even targeted the families of executives to gain leverage over larger companies.

Criminal Collaboration: The Emergence of Ransomware-as-a-Service

Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) has transformed cybercrime by easing the entry threshold for attackers. These services enable criminals to lease ready-made ransomware tools and execute them without requiring extensive technical expertise. This model has established a scalable, user-friendly environment where attackers can target numerous, if not thousands, of SMEs with minimal effort.

The commoditization of cybercrime means even novice attackers can cause considerable harm, particularly when organizations lack sufficient cybersecurity training and frameworks.

Shadow IT and Emerging Attack Channels

While traditional email phishing remains a favored tactic, attackers are broadening their horizons into alternative communication platforms such as SMS, WhatsApp, and social media. These Shadow IT systems elude formal corporate oversight, rendering them more challenging to monitor and secure.

AI-generated spear phishing messages are becoming increasingly convincing and difficult to detect, especially when transmitted through less-regulated channels. Beuchelt advises that businesses should not only control unauthorized tools but also provide secure alternatives that fulfill employee communication needs.

Human Error: The Weakest Link and Last Line of Defence

Technology alone cannot thwart a cyberattack. Human awareness and behavior are essential elements of any robust defense plan. Cybersecurity training must be compulsory for all staff, including onboarding for new employees. Personnel need to be trained to approach all communications—especially those requesting sensitive information or actions—with a critical mindset.

“People are absolutely at the heart of cybersecurity,” Beuchelt emphasizes. “They often represent the weakest link, but with appropriate training, they can turn into a strong line of defense.”

Conclusion

Ransomware incidents are on the rise, placing Australian SMEs squarely in the sights of cybercriminals. These enterprises must not underestimate their significance to hackers or overestimate their existing defenses. The growth of ransomware-as-a-service, AI-enabled phishing, and the misuse of alternative communication methods makes it imperative for SMEs to adopt a holistic cybersecurity strategy that encompasses both technical solutions and staff training.

Q: Why are SMEs increasingly targeted by ransomware attacks?

A:

SMEs often possess weaker cybersecurity measures and might not consider themselves probable targets. This makes them appealing to attackers utilizing scalable tools like ransomware-as-a-service. They are also more inclined to pay smaller ransoms to quickly regain access to their systems.

Q: What is ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS)?

A:

RaaS is a business framework where cybercriminals lease ransomware tools to others. This enables even individuals with minimal technical know-how to conduct sophisticated attacks. It significantly reduces the entry threshold for cybercrime and heightens the potential scale of threats.

Q: How are cyber attackers employing AI in phishing campaigns?

A:

Attackers are using AI to create highly customized and believable phishing messages. These messages are frequently indistinguishable from legitimate communications, particularly when sent through less-secured channels such as social media or SMS.

Q: What role does Shadow IT play in cyber threats?

A:

Shadow IT pertains to the use of unauthorized applications, platforms, or devices within an organization. These tools often lack centralized security measures, making them prone to exploitation. Attackers increasingly leverage them to circumvent traditional security frameworks.

Q: How can SMEs protect themselves against these threats?

A:

SMEs need to implement a multi-faceted cybersecurity approach. This includes investing in robust security technologies, providing ongoing training for employees, overseeing Shadow IT, and creating incident response plans to swiftly contain and recover from attacks.

Q: Why is employee training so critical in cybersecurity?

A:

Many cyberattacks initiate due to human error, such as clicking on a malicious link. Training staff to recognize suspicious activities and respond correctly can prevent attacks from succeeding and minimize their impact if they do occur.

Q: Are built-in security features in software suites like Microsoft 365 sufficient?

A:

No. Although these features provide a fundamental level of protection, they are not comprehensive. Businesses should enhance them with dedicated cybersecurity solutions and services tailored to their unique risks and requirements.

Q: Is it possible to eradicate cyber threats completely?

A: