‘Close to zero’: 4 AI chiefs say no companies have truly changed in response to AI — blame ‘politics projects’

Four AI leaders at a Fortune Brainstorm AI event claimed that no major companies have fundamentally transformed due to artificial intelligence, attributing this to a lack of organizational change. Marc Warner, Accenture's global CTO, stated that only a small percentage of large enterprises or government processes have been "really, truly reinvented with AI at the absolute core," describing such transformations as "politics projects."

Axel Caillat of AXA suggested that the focus should be on rethinking and remapping workflows rather than merely automating existing processes, as speed in one area can lead to bottlenecks elsewhere. Greg Ulrich from Mastercard emphasized the importance of CEO sponsorship and weekly updates with direct reports to navigate the organizational challenges of AI implementation.

However, he acknowledged that no one has yet solved the political complexities inherent in large organizations. The panelists agreed that accountability for AI failures should be divided among business owners, technologists, and chief information security officers, but cautioned against excessive focus on assigning blame. They also noted that AI projects often fail to deliver significant returns because companies are using AI for peripheral tasks rather than core business processes.

The executives also highlighted the rapid evolution of AI technology, with plans and tools becoming obsolete within a year or so, requiring constant reinvention.