32 Organisations across industries are deploying AI to improve processes and gain economies of scale – but a people-focused approach will deliver richer long-term results BY JACQUI GRIFFITHS Business transformation is AI’s great promise, but according to Deloitte, deploying new tools is the easy part. To define and achieve true long-term value from their AI, leaders must redesign the way work gets done. For ‘frontier firms’ – which have moved beyond experimentation to embed AI across their organisation – it starts with empowering people. “Frontier firms are redefining how work gets done in the era of AI,” says Kees Hertogh, vice president of global industry marketing at Microsoft. “They enrich employee experiences by making AI part of everyday work; reinvent customer engagement by using AI to deliver more responsive and personalised service; reshape business processes so work moves faster and decisions improve; and bend the curve on innovation by helping teams test, learn and scale new ideas faster. “As a result, frontier firms see tangible benefits: higher productivity, better outcomes across areas like customer service and product development, and more engaged employees. Yet the biggest advantage is agility. These firms are better equipped to adapt because they have both the technology and the culture to keep evolving.” Putting people at the centre of AI strategy is the way to unlock these results. “Efficiency, cost reduction and streamlining processes are real AI benefits, but the bigger opportunity is about how AI empowers individuals, not just organisations,” says Hertogh. “The longterm value comes from elevating the role of every employee – giving them tools that help them operate at a higher level and empower them to achieve new ambitions.” At its core, Hertogh says, AI changes the relationship people have with work. “For the first time, you have technology that can act as a true assistant – helping you think, create and solve problems. It can take on repetitive tasks, summarise complex information and help generate ideas. This means individuals can spend less time COVER STORY into a Stepping new frontier
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