AWS pricing team turns 18-tab Excel model into an AI chatbot to evaluate customer deals, CFO says

Amazon Web Services' CFO, John Felton, discusses the shift in AI adoption among his company's customers. While many are still in the early stages of cloud and IT modernization, there is a growing focus on leveraging AI for new revenue products and customer experiences, Felton explains. AWS, a $169 billion annualized business, has seen the pricing team replace an 18-tab Excel model with an AI chatbot interface.

This tool enables users to explore scenarios through natural-language questions, such as how price changes or payment terms affect deals. Another team has developed an AI agent to compare payment terms in customer contracts with those recorded in AWS's payment system, allowing for a more thorough analysis than manual sampling. Felton encourages AWS employees to use AI daily, rather than waiting for guidance, as he believes this leads to more effective implementation.

The CFO himself utilizes Amazon Quick, an AI assistant, for tasks like reviewing materials for board meetings. Felton emphasizes the importance of a company-wide "AI first mindset" in redefining business processes, rather than merely optimizing existing ones.